Carter Family Fold 2027
A Century of Music. And We’re Still Pickin’.
Celebrating 100 years of The Carter Family
at the Big Bang of Country Music
53rd Memorial Festival
First Weekend in August 2027
Carter Family Fold | Hiltons, VA | Where Country Music Planted Its Roots
The songs traveled far. In 2027 we’re bringing the celebration home to Hiltons. Join us as we mark a century of The Carter Family, music in the mountains and stories still ringing through these hills — and far beyond them.
Why the 1927 Bristol Sessions Matter
In 1927 A.P. Carter, Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter made their first recordings as The Carter Family at the Bristol Sessions, a landmark moment in country music history. One hundred years later, the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, invites people around the world to keep the music playing, the stories traveling and the tradition alive.
Help Us Carry the Music Forward
Storytelling Music Competition
January 27 – April 27, 2027
A.P. Carter understood that a song could preserve a community’s history. After he helped with relief efforts in a storm-stricken community, they recorded The Cyclone of Rye Cove in 1929 — carrying the story of a real event and the people affected by it forward through music. Now we want to hear the stories of your community.
- Who It’s For: Musicians from around the world
- What We’re Looking For: Music that tells your community’s story and draws inspiration from the sounds of The Carter Family era.
- Musical Style: Traditional acoustic instruments reflecting bluegrass, old-time and mountain music.
- How to Enter: Submit a YouTube video link. Full submission rules and permissions coming soon.
- Contest Dates: January 27–April 27, 2027
- Awards: Winners notified May 27 and announced June 27, 2027.
Pickin' Porch Photo Competition
March – May 2027
A porch is more than a place to sit. Around here it can be a stage, a gathering place and somewhere to share a tune. Gather your people, make some music and put your own porch pickin’ tradition in the picture.
- Who It’s For: People and music venues near and far
- What We’re Looking For: Porch pickin’ in your community. Play on your porch, decorate it for the occasion or turn your venue into one, then capture the moment in a photo.
- How to Enter: Post your photo on Instagram and tag @carterfamilyfold or email us a link to your post at hello@carterfamilyfold.org. Photos only; no video. Full submission rules and permissions coming soon.
- Contest Dates: March–May 2027 (voting in June)
- Awards: Winners receive tickets to the 2027 anniversary event
It All Leads Home to Hiltons
All year long we’ll collect songs, stories and porch pickin’ moments near and far. Then, the first weekend in August, it all comes home to Hiltons, VA, for Carter Family Fold 2027 and the 53rd Memorial Festival, marking 100 years since The Carter Family made their first recordings at the Bristol Sessions.
Save Your Place in the Story
Want to be part of Carter Family Fold 2027 events? Sign up for contest details, important dates and reminders for the Storytelling Music Competition and the Pickin’ Porch Photo Competition.
About the Carter Family Fold
The Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, preserves and shares the legacy of The Carter Family while bringing people together through Appalachian music, history and community.
