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35th Annual Mayberry Days
September 23 - September 29
For 35 years, Mayberry Days has invited fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” to make a pilgrimage to Mount Airy. This small town in the Blue Ridge foothills, where Andy Griffith grew up, inspired the fictional town of Mayberry.
Although the town doubles as Mayberry year-round, Mount Airy particularly focuses on its TV persona the last week of September.
This year’s celebration takes place Sept. 23-29. Beloved activities — such as the Mayberry Days parade; the world championships of “The Andy Griffith Show” trivia; outdoor concerts at Blackmon Amphitheatre; and “The Emmett” Golf Tournament — return, as well as a variety of family-friendly contests with ties to the show. These include Mr. Tucker’s apple peeling contest, Ernest T. Bass rock throwing contest, Goober says “Hay” bale toss and Chester Jones checkers tournament.
“People love learning more about ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ and meeting people involved with the show, but more than that, they like participating in activities that make them feel like they’ve stepped into Mayberry, as if they’re experiencing the culture of the show,” says organizer Tanya Jones of the Surry Arts Council.
Several guests with ties to “The Andy Griffith Show” are scheduled to appear. One is newcomer Margaret Teele who played Agnes Jean Parker in a season seven episode of “The Andy Griffith Show.” The episode, titled “A Visit to Barney Fife,” involves Andy traveling to Raleigh to visit Barney after he had moved on to the big time in the state capital.
Another newcomer is Peter Ackerman, son of Elinor Donahue, who will discuss his new book “Mom, Dad, Me, and Classic TV.”
Actors from the show returning to Mayberry Days this year include Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul Jason), Rodney Dillard (one of the Darling boys), Ronnie Schell (Bernie the furrier and Duke Slater in “Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C.”), and Dennis Rush (Howie Pruitt).
Dan Roebuck, who played Cliff Lewis in 55 episodes of “Matlock,” will be in town for a Friday afternoon presentation. Roebuck is no stranger to Mount Airy. In 2023, he played Scrooge in the Surry Arts Council’s rendition of “A Christmas Carol” at the Andy Griffith Playhouse. Roebuck will return for another run of the Charles Dickens classic this holiday season.
For a full schedule and ticket info: www.MayberryDays.com or (336) 786-7998.
