The Southern Agenda: June/July 2012

North Carolina
FOOD FIGHT
Since Iron Chef America first aired in 2004, the cult of competitive cooking has become the culture. But Raleigh’s Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series: Fire in the Triangle (June 11–July 24) is no copycat. The twist: You get to be the judge, as sixteen chefs from the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), including the likes of Ryan Payne (Weathervane) and Chad McIntyre (Market Restaurant), face off over eight weeks of single-elimination six-course dinners. Secret ingredients pulled from the state’s summer bounty by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture—blueberries, blackberries, Silver Queen corn, you name it—must be used in each of the chefs’ three dishes. After sampling the spread, tech-savvy diners can weigh in via mobile app; for those from the old school, pen and paper will do just fine. competitiondining.com

Tennessee
MUSIC APPRECIATION
On a Saturday night in 1945, bluegrass was born when Earl Scruggs took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry alongside Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, fusing his three-finger picking style with Monroe’s up-tempo “high lonesome sound.” Since then, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the Opry’s former home, has hosted just about every major bluegrass artist. During Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman (Thursdays from June 21 through July 26), catch such modern legends as Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill, as well as more recent arrivals such as Chris Thile and the Steep Canyon Rangers. 
ryman.com

Texas
LONE STAR LISTENING
Driving across Texas’s musical mile markers would keep you on the road all summer long. Fortunately, the Texas Music Roadtrip exhibit (on display through October 14) at Austin’s Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum doesn’t involve much actual driving. The 7,000-square-foot exhibit breaks down a century of Texas musical history region by region and showcases more than a hundred musical artifacts from the Panhandle to the coast. Among the exhibit’s costumes, gig posters, and vintage memorabilia, you’ll find a book of songs handwritten by a ten-year-old Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly’s glasses and his gold record for “Peggy Sue,” and Stevie Ray Vaughn’s never-before-displayed Stratocaster guitar. thestoryoftexas.com

Virginia
WATERSHED EVENT
Virginia’s main outlet since John Smith first charged ashore, the James River has not been allowed to age gracefully. Over recent decades, pollution and overfishing have left the waterway’s health flagging. But the James River Association is fighting to reverse the damage. Contribute to the cause, and have some fun in the process, at the annual Splash and Dash on Richmond’s Belle Isle (July 14) and downriver at Lynchburg (July 28), where fund-raising participants compete in a friendly 5K trail run, then paddle their way across the river to the finish line. If all the heart-racing action doesn’t make you feel good, knowing that you’re chipping in to resuscitate America’s founding river will. jrava.org

Washington, D.C.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Across the street from the White House, the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery is putting a distinctive spin on the summer arts and crafts fair. To celebrate its fortieth birthday, the Renwick has compiled 40 Under 40: Craft Futures (opening July 20), a milestone exhibit highlighting the work of forty craft artists born since 1972. From fashion and industrial designers to ceramists and sculptors, the exhibit takes a look at the pioneering young artists transforming their genres, including third-generation Georgia wood turner Matt Moulthrop and Tennessee avant-garde clothing designer Jeff Garner, whose organic label, Prophetik, has become a celebrity favorite.
american art.si.edu/renwick

West Virginia
DOGS DAYS OF SUMMER
In the Mountain State, the humble hot dog inspires as much discussion and devotion as it does in Chicago and Coney Island. Maybe even a little more. According to the popular West Virginia Hot Dog Blog, “A true West Virginia hot dog is a heavenly creation, a symphony of taste so sublime, it’s quite possibly the reason many transplanted West Virginians can never be happy living anywhere else.” Whether you prefer yours served “scrambled” (topped with crushed potato chips) or “normal” (loaded with chili, onions, and sweet slaw), dogs get their day at the annual Huntington West Virginia Hot Dog Festival (July 28). Home cooks square off at the competitive chili contest. The festival also features a hot-dog-eating competition (naturally), plus ample opportunity to sample franks from the state’s top specialists—Frostop Drive-In, Johnny Dogs, and Stewart’s, to name a few fan favorites. Wash it all down with an ice-cold root beer for a classic summertime pairing. wvhotdogfestival.com