Event/Site: Bluegrass Jam at the White Rock Civic Club in Winston-Salem

Date: Fridays, 7:00pm - until the music stops.

Type: Longtime weekly bluegrass jam at a local community center. Proceeds go to the Civic Club and are distributed among local charities. Snacks available; no alcohol permitted.

Location: The White Rock Civic Club is on 4801 Davis Road off of Old Walkertown Road in northern Winston-Salem. Take Liberty Street north past the Smith-Reynolds airport. Drive past airport and across the bridge and bear right onto Old Walkertown Road. Go about a mile and at the Gantt gas station and take a left onto Davis Road. The Civic Center is shortly on the right. Click here for a map.

Cost: $1

Parking: Free. Parking adequate for bus tours.

Special Needs Access: Venue is in the basement down a short flight of stairs and is not special needs accessible. In the warmer months, when the music spread outdoors, part of the venue is accessible.

Signage: Sign at location, but not en route.

Sponsor: White Rock Civic Club

Contact: Pete Brown

(336) 767-4165

Description of Event: Local bluegrass musicians join together for this weekly jam session. Some are regulars, including retired professional musicians, and the level of musicianship is very high. The music is traditional acoustic bluegrass, and there may be one big group of musicians or multiple jams occurring at the same time. Newcomers are welcome to join in. People sit around in chairs and listen, clap, and sometimes get up and flat foot dance. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and snacks are available at a small concession booth manned by Civic Club volunteers. In the warmer months, groups of musicians may form on the porch or in the picnic shelter in the backyard.

History of Event: The bluegrass jam began in 1972 when a group of four local musicians who had been playing at the nearby Curtis Music Shop needed more space and approached the Civic Club. The Club agreed to host the jam, and the event has been going on every week since.

Description/History of Site: The White Rock Civic Club is a white wooden building in a predominantly residential neighborhood that used to be the White Rock School for grades 1-8. Some of the event regulars once attended the school as children.

Significance of Site/Event to the Community: This event is a classic traditional music event that nurtures fun, socializing, the honing of musical talent and the mentoring of musical skill. The event attracts mostly seniors, though all ages attend. It is an important meeting ground for both musicians and listeners and a valuable venue showcasing local bluegrass talent in a setting that has served the community for generations. Proceeds from the jam are used by the Civic Club to help support local schools, nursing homes, and other local causes.