Situated on a 98-acre farm that’s cradled by the Blue Ridge Mountains, just outside the small town of Hot Springs in Madison County, the Rare Bird Farm has become a haven for nature lovers, artists and music fans alike. 

“We’re way out here [in the countryside] — it’s not a place you’re going to just stumble into,” chuckled Mitchell Davis, RBF business development director. “And we think music is a great connector to get people to come and check the [property] out.” 

Alongside his wife, RBF Executive Director Farrah Hoffmire, the couple has created this invigorating space where creativity, connectivity and camaraderie merge into new avenues of possibilities in terms of agriculture and artisan endeavors.

“The arts component and community component go hand-in-hand with our [original mission] of connecting people — to plants, to nature, to animals, to the changing seasons,” Hoffmire said.

With its first concert emerging on July 4, 2020, the farm has played host to a bevy of acclaimed local, regional and national musicians from across the musical spectrum: The Resonant Rogues, Anya Hinkle, Jackson Grimm, Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast, Angela Autumn, Liliana Hudgens, Erin Rae, Nick Shoulders, Little Mazarn, Nicholas Edwards Williams and countless others.

Each show has a limited capacity of 150 tickets sold. That purposely low-ticket number allows not only an intimate live music experience, but also a platform by which musicians themselves are the main focus of the gathering — no distractions, just listening to the radiating sounds of an artist in real time.

To note, the annual Lightning Bug Tiny Music Festival will be held June 26-27 at the farm. Artists to appear include Jake Xerxes Fussell, Bella White, Raimee Sorensen, Tatiana Hargreaves & Sonya Badigian, Powers Ensemble, Thomas Dollbaum, Zoh Amba, Crescent Choir, Frank Hurricane and Camp Lakey Gap. As well, there will be Appalachia dance and nature journaling workshops, food vendors, local vendors, art activities and more.

“We’re just trying to be organic about how we’re doing it when it comes to the music, arts and cultural part [of the farm],” Davis said. “And to watch these musicians and bands play in our backyard keeps us inspired.”

The farm itself holds two stages: the Tug Fork Barn Stage (inside) and the Chestnut Barn Stage (outdoors). Each of which is completely unique and special in its own way, whether it’s the sounds of instruments and voices soaking into old wooden beams or the soothing sounds of Mother Nature in the outside garden.

“It’s magical [being here],” Hoffmire added. “We pinch ourselves. We feel fortunate and grateful to be stewards of the land and have the ability to create something beautiful out here.”

Editor’s Note: The story was brought to you by a partnership between The Smoky Mountain News and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. Located in Asheville, the BRNHA focuses on the preservation and perpetuation of the rich, vibrant music and culture in Western North Carolina. These two entities are also responsible for the Down the Road magazine, an annual publication that gets officially launched each year at MerleFest. For more information, visit blueridgeheritage.com.

Lightning Bug Tiny Music Festival

Presented by Rare Bird Cultural Arts, the Lightning Bug Tiny Music Festival will be held June 26-27 at the Rare Bird Farm in Spring Creek.

Tug Fork Barn Stage.

Artists to appear include Jake Xerxes Fussell, Bella White, Raimee Sorensen, Tatiana Hargreaves & Sonya Badigian, Powers Ensemble, Thomas Dollbaum, Zoh Amba, Crescent Choir, Frank Hurricane and Camp Lakey Gap.

As well, there will be Appalachia dance and nature journaling workshops, food vendors, local vendors, art activities and more.

Known as “a festival with a purpose,” Lightning Bug is about “supporting Rare Bird Cultural Arts’ inclusive creative work with adult artist with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

A two-day pass is $60 per person, with day passes available for Friday ($30) and Saturday ($45). Parking passes are $15 per vehicle. Limited to 100 vehicles.

For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit rarebirdfarm.org/events.

Want to go?

Playing host to an array of musical, artistic and agricultural gatherings throughout the year, the Rare Bird Farm is located at 91 Duckett Top Tower Road in Spring Creek.

For more information and a full schedule of upcoming events, visit rarebirdfarm.org or email farrah@rarebirdfarm.org.