the historic earle theatre

Take a trip back in time at the Earle Theatre the way movies theatres used to be when i was a child simple. the staff is always friendly and give great service.

The Earle is an excellent, circa 1920, downtown theater experience. Not many towns still have a downtown movie theater in operation, much less one this authentic. They have a great price for second run movies and their concessions are affordble, particularly for young families. The Earle also stages some excellent bands, particularly bluegrass and old time bands from the region. Stop in on a Saturday morning for a broadcast of the Merry-Go-Round, one of the longest continuously broadcast radio programs in America. You will see some great jam sessions outside the Earle before the broadcast as well.

this place is so cool. we have been to three different events here.a music concert,comedy show and movie. this kind of place rarely exists anymore and its a shame. on saturdays they host a live bluegrass radio show and free guitar and fiddle leasons!

Went to the 25th Anniversary of Mayberry Days and really enjoyed the movies and entertainment at the Earle Theatre. Saw a movie, comedienne Karen Knotts daughter of Don Knotts and the VW Boys bluegrass group. Very enjoyable time. The Historic Earle Theatre is just beautiful!

The local radio station played bluegrass and folksy stuff. Their history and famous DJ's and exhibited there. Plenty of interesting facts for old time bluegrass lovers.

Had a wonderful experience listening to local bluegrass musicians on Open Mic night. They have an open jam every Thurs. night. Great fun!

You can view a video about the mountain music in the area and look at some memorabilia. We talked at a gal working there for at least 15 minutes and learned a lot about the culture of the area. On Saturday mornings you can go to a radio show for a small fee, like $5 or $10 dollars, it's called the Merry Go Round.

Housed in a wonderful, old, refurbished 1938 theater, the Earle Theatre presents local old timey musicians who developed the Mountain Music sound. Presented via artifacts, sound bites, and a wonderful PBS documentary that is really worth the time (20 minutes), visitors can grasp these musician's contributions to Americana music. The theatre itself is the site of the second longest running live radio broadcast-WPAQ 740 am-in the nation-second only to The Grand Ol' Opry. The live broadcast "Merry-Go-Round" features live music on the stage, followed by live picking and jamming both inside the theatre as well as outside on the street. Traveling Travis, the young man manning the theater was pleasant, educated, and informative. Take the time to do this fun excursion on Main Street, Mt. Airy.