Courtesy Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
Visitors at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center celebrate the installation of new exhibits with a ribbon cutting in 2018.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation will host its 25th anniversary celebration from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, November 17, at the Highland Brewing Company Event Center in Asheville, North Carolina.
The event will highlight the projects and programs within the national park that have been made possible thanks to the support of donors, volunteers and community partners. Guests are invited to enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and live music.
Tickets are $25, and can be purchased online.
“We are so happy to celebrate this milestone with the people who cherish the national park in their backyard,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the foundation. “Their support makes a visible impact on the Parkway, and means that generations to come will be able to experience the landscape, history, and culture the park holds.”
Since 1997, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has provided more than $20 million in support for the Parkway, one of the nation’s most popular national parks. Past projects include the construction of bathrooms and expansion of parking at Graveyard Fields, rehabilitation of the amphitheater at Mount Pisgah Campground, installation of new exhibits at the Craggy Gardens and Waterrock Knob visitor centers, and clearing overgrown vegetation at roadside overlooks. The Foundation is currently raising funds to replace the weathered viewing platform atop Mount Pisgah, among other initiatives.