Press release:
Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to host second annual Denim Ball on August 4
Fundraiser to benefit Moses H. Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway
(BLOWING ROCK, N.C.) – The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is delighted to host the second annual Denim Ball at 6 p.m., Friday, August 4, at Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock. Guests are invited to enjoy an enchanting evening by the lake while supporting restoration efforts at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park at milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The fundraiser will include dinner, drinks, and dancing to the music of The Lucky Strikes Orchestra, plus a live and silent auction. Featured items up for bid include a VIP Cone Estate experience with a carriage ride for four and four-course meal, a two-night stay at Anvil Rock Cottage (also known as Charles Kuralt Cabin) at Grandfather Mountain, a Love Blowing Rock shopping spree valued at more than $1,000, a handmade denim quilt by Georgia Bonesteel, host of the television series Lap Quilting, among many other fantastic offerings.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is a recreational and historical resource for visitors from across the globe and residents of the North Carolina High Country. Unfortunately, the 3,500-acre estate faces critical maintenance issues due to shortfalls in funding from the federal government. The park requires private financial support to supplement the National Park Service’s budget. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is committed to ensuring the park remains a cultural treasure and tourist destination that stimulates the local economy.
Funds raised during the inaugural event are already bringing about positive changes at the estate. This spring, a crew replaced the leaking flat roof at Cone Manor, and a youth team with the American Conservation Experience began clearing overgrown trees and brush along the carriage trails. The Foundation is halfway to its goal of $3 million for repairs and improvements that will also include fixing the historic stone walls, replacing and painting exterior wooden components of the manor, and improved parking areas.
The Denim Ball is sponsored by Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority, Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock, Cone Health, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, and Mountainaire Inn & Cabins.
Dressy denim attire is encouraged, and the festivities include prizes for the most creative denim outfits. Tickets are $100, and a portion of the price is tax-deductible. For tickets, visit brpfoundation.org/thedenimball or call (866) 308-2773, ext. 245.
For more information about the ongoing fund-raising efforts at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, contact Development Director Willa Mays at wmays@brpfoundation.org or (704) 267-1598.
The Denim Ball
When: Friday, August 4, 6 p.m.
Where: Chetola Resort, 185 Chetola Lake Drive, Blowing Rock, N.C.
Tickets: $100 per person
Contact: (866) 308-2773, ext. 245; brpfoundation.org/thedenimballAbout Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
The park was owned and developed as a country estate by Moses H. Cone, an American captain of industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who with his brother, Ceasar Cone, brought denim production to the South. Together they built a textile empire that still exists today.
Cone was not only a successful entrepreneur, he was an inquisitive gentleman farmer who experimented with agriculture and designed and built one of America’s most beautiful country estates. Beginning in 1897, he carefully created an impressive retreat featuring carriage trails, lakes, apple orchards, fields, and forests. His vision was influenced by a great regard for the natural landscape.
Before his untimely death in 1908, Moses constructed Flat Top Manor as the centerpiece of this idyllic mountain retreat. After his passing, his wife, Bertha, operated the estate for nearly 39 years, adhering to his original concept. The 3,500-acre estate became part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1949.
About the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the primary nonprofit fundraising partner, 501(c)(3), of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach, and visitor enjoyment now and for future generations. The Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its inception in 1997, the nonprofit has worked with donors to invest more than $12 million in critical projects along the scenic road. For more information, visit brpfoundation.org.
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