New Barn Quilt Trail Brochure for 2024 Hands & Harvest Festival!

The Highland Tourism Council is excited to introduce a revised and expanded version of its popular Highland County Barn Quilt Trail Brochure.  Highland County’s BarnQuilt Trail was the first in Virginia, beginning in 2011 with just 13 barn quilts.  The updated brochure now has 80 barn quilts for travelers to explore throughout Highland County.  The new version includes 28 additions since the last revision in 2020.  The release of the new brochure coincides with the fall tourism season with stunning foliage currently on display in the mountains, as well as the upcoming county-wide Hands & Harvest Festival on October 11 – 13, 2024.

Barn quilts are colorful painted wooden squares and diamonds that hang on barns, outbuildings and homes.  These unique works of art are the merger of traditional roles on the farm, blending the customs of quilting bees together with outdoor barn work into a beautiful combination.

Highland County’s barn quilts include interesting names like “Foxes Making Tea,” “California Poppy,” “Mug Club,” “Creation Sings,” and “Rising Star.”  There is often a story behind the name that corresponds with the design.  The barn quilt may memorialize a special friend or moment, showcase a business, or represent the love of plants, animals, or other natural wonders.  The public is invited to learn about the history and inspiration of Highland County’s barn quilts in the brochure.  Local artist Margie Boesch created the majority of the barnquilts on the trail, but more and more creators have been inspired to develop their own.  Whether viewing the county’s LOVEwork letters in Monterey, striking designs on generational farms in McDowell, or an old maple syrup-producing barn with multiple barn quilts on it in Blue Grass, everyone can enjoy the beauty and rich traditions of Highland County while experiencing the self-guided barn quilt trail.  Can you spot them all?

Thousands of brochures have been distributed across the country since its inception.  The 2024 Highland County Barn Quilt Trail Brochure will be available at the Highland County Visitor Center at 27 W. Main Street in Monterey, as well as local businesses throughout the county.  Physical copies can also be ordered online at www.highlandcounty.org/brochures.

A corresponding website with digital versions of the brochure is available at www.highlandcounty.org/barn-quilt-trail.  For children of all ages, there are even barn quilt design templates online to be printed out and colored in.  For inspiration, use the colors of a current barn quilt on the trail or create your own!  Have fun, and happy trails!

The Highland County Barn Quilt Trail Brochure is brought to you by the Highland Tourism Council.

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Brit Chambers

Brit Chambers is a resident of Highland County, Virginia and a news reporter for Allegheny Mountain Radio. She loves living in a small town and relishes the outdoor adventures and community feeling that Highland has to offer. Brit has a background in journalism, marketing, and public relations and spends her free time reading good books, baking sourdough bread, and hiking with her family.

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