Maggie Valley Opry closes its doors

The Maggie Valley Opry House, located among the Smoky Mountains in Maggie Valley, NC, has announced that it has closed permanently. This news is not unexpected following the recent death of Raymond Fairchild, who had managed the venue for more than 30 years with his wife, Shirley.

During the latter part of his life, Fairchild only performed at their Maggie Valley Opry, along with other traditional bluegrass artists who were invited to entertain there. It became very popular with music lovers in western North Carolina, especially this time of year when the fall colors attracted leaf peepers into the mountains.

But the family has decided that running the venue without its main attraction didn’t seem sensible, and shared this note with Fairchild fans.

“We have had a lot of questions concerning the future of the Maggie Valley Opry House. After 33 seasons and meeting thousands of folks and making hundreds of new friends, we have officially closed our doors for good. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but without Raymond, there is no Opry House. As Raymond would always say…All good things must come to an end. We appreciate each and every one that played at the Opry House and we appreciate all the fans that came to see Raymond, he loved picking for you and he loved everyone that visited with him. With much love…The Fairchild Family”

They will continue to manage Raymond’s Facebook page to share memories of his long career as a banjo player.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.