Alleghany Jubilee: A Haven for Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Mountain Music

When Agnes Joines looks back on the origins of the Alleghany Jubilee, she can’t help but chuckle when talking at length about her late husband, Ernest.

“To tell you the truth, that’s all that my husband ever talked about — he wanted to have a venue,” Agnes said.

Located in the historic Spartan Theater on Main Street in Sparta, the Alleghany Jubilee has become a haven for bluegrass, old-time and mountain music. Founded in 1993 by the couple, the gathering is a beacon of culture and camaraderie for the community and greater Alleghany County.

“And you meet so many wonderful people — they come from all over, everywhere,” Agnes said. “The music just brings back such good memories. I don’t know, it just gets in your blood.”

At age 90, Agnes has recently shifted the duties of the venue over to family and friends. But, that doesn’t stop her from regularly attending the weekly events, whether it be line dancing lessons on Monday nights or live music on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

“People love it because it’s really authentic music,” Agnes said. “On Saturday nights, we have old-time, which is claw hammer banjo — the original kind of music they had back in the olden days.”

A well-known musician in the area, Ernest was a multi-instrumentalist, one who not only played guitar and mandolin but also was a bassist in several bands, usually performing at local square dances and community gatherings.

Ernest even played on a Galax, Virginia, radio station for a period in the late 1940s. To note, he also appeared on the CBS television program “I’ve Got a Secret,” a popular panel game show in the 1950s and 1960s. He performed on the program on May 17, 1961, with the clip still available for viewing on YouTube.

Sadly, Ernest passed away in 2016. He was 84. The couple had been married for 65 years at that point. First meeting as young kids in Sparta, they played music together in high school. Immediately, there was a chemistry between them.

Following graduation, Ernest thought they should start a duo and tour. Soon, they got married and hit the road. Ernest on guitar, Agnes also on guitar and standup bass. They sang harmoniously together, something heard on their 1958 melody “Falling in Love Again.”

“That was just his life — playing music,” Agnes said. “So, we just went and started playing. We’ve been all the way to California and back playing — everywhere. We had a wonderful life.”

Eventually, the Joines circled back to Sparta and built a life together. While Agnes traveled for work, Ernest found employment at the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Upon Ernest’s retirement in 1990, the idea for the Allegheny Jubilee took shape.

Beyond the innumerable local and regional musicians and groups that have taken the stage at the Alleghany Jubilee, notable legends who have also played the theater — Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, Reno & Smiley, Uncle Dave Macon, and many more.

“It’s family-oriented. People come to talk and meet their friends,” Agnes said. “And if a new person comes in, they’re welcomed and everybody tries to make them feel at home — like a family.”