Music at the Market Concert: Slate Mountain Ramblers

The Slate Mountain Ramblers is a family old-time band from Mt. Airy. They formerly lived in Ararat, Va., a small community at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For many years, Richard Bowman, his wife Barbara and their daughter Marsha have spent weekends playing music. Richard plays fiddle, Barbara the bass and Marsha the claw-hammer banjo. The band has a winning tradition at fiddler’s conventions throughout the years. Richard, on fiddle, and Marsha, on claw-hammer banjo, have received many individual awards. The Slate Mountain Ramblers play for shows, dances, family and community gatherings, benefits and compete at fiddler’s conventions throughout the year. They have played internationally at the Austrian Alps Performing Arts Festival and in Gainsborough, England for the Friends of American Old Time Music and Dance Festival. They also lead fiddle, banjo, bass and dance workshops.

Food, agriculture and bluegrass picking are staples in Surry County. The three will blend when the Music at the Market concert series kicks off at the Dobson Farmer’s Market. Surry County citizens will be able to satisfy their taste buds from food trucks on-site at 6 p.m. Admission is free and citizens should bring their lawn chairs. BJ’s Fry Shack, My Kitchen, and Station 1978 Firehouse Peanuts are scheduled to be at the first concert.

Utilizing the great location of the Farmer’s Market off the Dobson U.S. Hwy. 601 exit, at 903 E. Atkins St., Dobson, the concert series hopes to be a crowd pleaser and a perennial draw at the site that has only been in existence since 2019.

All concerts in the series are free and will be held at the same time of the evening from late Summer through the Fall, which should make for cooler weather.