Downtown Elkin is a cultural hot spot

A former milling town nestled in the Blue Ridge foothills, Elkin boasts beautiful natural architecture. The Yadkin River runs through the historic downtown, and numerous trails beckon visitors to explore the area on foot or on bicycle.

Recently, Elkin has added even more to its tempting menu of activities. In fact, the town is quickly transforming into an arts and culture hot spot, with regular live music at the refurbished Reeves Theater and outdoors in downtown restaurants, shops and art galleries — not to mention the many murals that celebrate the area’s history and features.

While you’re exploring all the culture and beauty of Elkin, you may be tempted to grab a drink.

Amanda Edgerley owns Fruition, a cocktail bar in downtown Elkin. A Florida native, she has lived and worked in Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh, bartending for a decade.

“I got tired of the big city life,” she said. “It’s great, but I didn’t want to sit in traffic every day.”

Then she saw the opportunity in Elkin and was able to buy a building and launch Fruition. Now, she’s bringing her expertise to the scenic town.

“It’s like a cocktail bar you’d find in downtown Raleigh, but not something you’d usually find in a town of 4,000 people,” said Natalie Eidson, who oversees marketing efforts and event coordination for Explore Elkin. “It’s really neat.”

Edgerley moved to Elkin about four years ago, and even at that time, she could see exciting things happening downtown. While the pandemic slowed progress for a brief period, the wheels of progress are already spinning again.

“The Foothills Arts Council was conceived in 1975 and incorporated in 1977,” said Butner. “Over the years, we’ve supported and promoted thousands of artists and musicians with the mission of fostering community and creative practice through arts education, collaboration and entertainment.”

The Reeves Theater & Cafe, originally a movie theater built in 1941, is one seed that has blossomed recently. The building was closed and sat empty for a period of time, until it was acquired in 2013 by locals who turned it into a live music venue. The community worked together to make it a modern music hall, with ideal acoustics and superior sound quality, and it reopened in 2017.

“The Reeves Theater’s reopening reignited a wave of growth and enthusiasm in our downtown,” said Butner. “We felt it was time to refocus our mission as an arts organization. Our music heritage and local musicians were now well represented between the Reeves, Reevestock and our other affiliate festivals, the Elkin Roots Music Fest and Surry Old Time Fiddlers Convention.”

One of the latest additions to the arts scene comes in an unexpected place, after the Foothills Arts Center purchased a historic building that was most recently used as offices for textile manufacturer Duvaltex. The building was originally the town’s YMCA and is now in the restoration process. The arts center’s former location was sold to the Reeves Downtown School of Music, the newest downtown arts nonprofit.

The center is home to exhibits, performing arts, acting workshops and instruction in a range of arts and crafts. One recent addition is the Yadkin Valley Fiber Center, which specializes in fiber arts instruction and is the only U.S. location to offer the Olds College Master Weaver program. It also offers loom rentals, conducts dye lab days and hosts fiber-based events throughout the year.

The arts center plans this year to launch its clay program, restart its after-school arts program, and start developing the glassblowing department, said Butner.

“It’s been so wonderful watching our instructors, studio artists, and students breathe new life back into this grand old building,” he said. “Their energy constantly propels our board and staff forward.”