12th Annual Mayberry Meet-up in Mt. Airy, NC 19-20 July 2024 at the Mayberry Motor Inn, Mayberry Motor Inn, Mount Airy, 19 July to 21 July (2024)

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Hello Mayberry!
Here’s a "schedule" of things to do during the Mayberry Meet-up weekend but PLEASE realize that nothing listed below is in any way mandatory and no one will have hurt feelings if you choose to do things other than those suggested. Join in as it fits into your vacation schedule and have yourself a relaxing, Mayberry filled weekend.
The 2024 Mayberry Meet-up doesn’t officially begin until Friday but I’m sure there will be folks in town and at the Mayberry Motor Inn gazebo on the evening of Thursday 18 July so you are free to drop by and visit in the evening (7 or 8pm maybe).
A special event for 2024 occurs on Saturday July 20th at 2pm Neal Brower’s Lecture on "Andy’s Rich Girlfriend" will be held in the Andy Griffith Museum Theatre (lower level of the Andy Griffith Museum), Attending Professor Brower’s lecture require the purchase of an $ 8 Admission to the Andy Griffith Museum but you can tour the museum and attend the lecture for that one admission price. Professor Brower's lectures go deep into an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show.” He shares back stories, production techniques, and details that shine a new light on the episode. Neal Brower has taught classes on “The Andy Griffith Show” at community colleges across North Carolina. He is the author of Mayberry 101: Behind the Scenes of a TV Classic.
For more info on Neal’s lecture series, and the Andy Griffith Museum, visit the “News & Events” sections of the museum website at http://www.andygriffithmuseum.org/ or call (336) 786-1604. The Andy Griffith Museum was completely remodeled back in 2017. If you haven’t seen it, or even if you have, you will want to join the `70,000 annual visitors by planning time to tour all the exhibits.
The evenings of Friday and Saturday will be when we gather at the Mayberry Motor Inn gazebo to visit, get to know one another better, play trivia, participate in a character look-a-like contest (Saturday only), and watch episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (when it gets dark).
Sunday morning at 10am we will have The Mayberry Bible Study at the Mayberry Motor Inn gazebo if you’re able to join us before you head back to your homes.
IMPORTANT Way to Stay Informed of Updates:
In an attempt to communicate better while at the meet-up, I've created a "Remind" class for the Mayberry Meet-up (we’ve used it for several years and it works well). Remind is normally used for teachers to communicate with their classes but it works great for keeping everyone informed about any schedule changes during the Meet-up weekend.. If you can get TEXT messages on your phone, this will allow me to text all of you as a group while keeping your contact information private and not shared with the entire group. No personal information will be collected and you will ONLY get text messages from me related to the Mayberry Meetup.
To receive messages via text about the Mayberry Meetup 2023,
Send a text message to this number: 81010
with the following as the message: @maymu
(include the "@" symbol)

== Friday Schedule ==
When you wake - until heading to Gather at the Motor Inn Gazebo
-- Visit downtown Mt. Airy. Pick and choose
– Snappy Lunch (breakfast, lunch, or both - closes at 1:15 so eat early)
-- Drop by Floyd's City Barber Shop
-- Visit shops on Main Street (be sure to visit Mayberry on Main)
-- Ice Cream at Barney's/Walker’s/Opie’s Candy store/Dairy Center
-- Mayberry Squad Car Tours starting at Wally's (30 minute ride)
-- Mayberry Trolley Tours
-- Visit Pilot Mountain either the town or the park...or both.
-- Mount Airy Farmer's Market at the post office on Friday. Visit Mayberry fan Joseph Zalescik and his Station 1978 Firehouse Peanuts stand that will be open from 9am to 1pm. He has roasted Peanuts and peanut butter.
5:00 - 7 pm
-- Everyone is on their own to go out and eat - In previous years, we tried to arrange for everyone to go out and eat together on Friday night before we gather at 7pm. We are NOT going to organize this any longer because, as the number of attendees has grown, it has become too much work to organize the meal gathering.
- Some good places you might like to eat while in Mt. Airy. Here are a few below:
"The Depot" in Dobson, NC
-- If you go there, bring your camera because it's a sight to behold. Here's a link to the web site - http://codycreek.org/
The Loaded Goat (247 City Hall St)
Gondola Italian Restaurant (101 W Lebanon St)
13 Bones (502 S Andy Griffith Pkwy)
Dairy Center (407 W. Lebanon St.)
Dodge City (200 North Main St)
You can also visit: https://www.visitmayberry.com/attractions/category/eat/ for ideas.

~7pm - 11:00 pm
-- Gather at the Mayberry Motor Inn in the gazebo area (you don't have to be staying there to come over and be part of the Mayberry fun).
-- Bring sodas, tea, punch and some snacks if you have 'em.
-- BRING lawn chairs or a picnic blanket to sit on. (There are some chairs at the gazebo but to be safe, bring your own.)
-- Bring portable (battery powered) FM radios if you have them. I have a system that will allow me to broadcast the audio of the episodes to FM radios so you’ll be able to sit far away (or even in the car if it rains) and still hear the episode audio.
-- Some Mayberry Trivia! We’ll be doing questions and everybody's free to play...just for fun.
-- Watch episodes of The Andy Griffith Show together on a screen under the stars.
-- Bring your stringing instrument if you’d like to join in on a JAM session with fellow attendees.
-- Visit with friends.

== Saturday Schedule ==
When you wake - 6 pm
2pm - The *big* plan for Saturday is the PROFESSOR BROWER'S LECTURE SERIES at 2:00 p.m. featuring "Andy’s Rich Girlfriend" held at the http://www.andygriffithmuseum.org/ The lecture is included in the price of admission to the museum on the day of the event ($8 per person)..
Other than Professor Brower’s Lecture, the Meet-up at the Gazebo beginning about 6pm is planned for Saturday so enjoy the day.
Other things you might enjoy:
-- Visit downtown Mt. Airy.
– Snappy Lunch (breakfast, lunch, or both - closes at 1:15 so eat early)

-- Drop by Floyd's City Barber Shop
-- Visit shops on Main Street (be sure to visit Mayberry on Main)
-- Ice Cream at Barney's/Walkers/Opie’s/Dairy Center
-- Mayberry Squad Car Tours starting at Wally's (30 minute ride)
-- Mayberry Trolley Tours
-- Go to Pilot Mountain State Park for hiking, photo taking, or may even take a picnic lunch.
http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/pimo/main.php
-- Free time. Go out with friends/alone doing whatever you might like to do OR head over toward the Mayberry Motor Inn to get ready for the evening of fun.

== FOOD FOR SATURDAY EVENING ==
6 pm
BYOP (Bring your own Picnic) --The plan for eating this year is to picnic together on the grounds around the gazebo at the Mayberry Motor Inn. You’ll be on the hook to purchase your own picnic food (fried chicken, BBQ, burgers, etc) and bring them with you to the gazebo area around 6 pm. Anyone not wanting to picnic should feel free to go out to eat then try to join us around 7pm for the start of Mayberry activities.

6:00 - 11:00 pm (or later)
-- Gather at the Mayberry Motor Inn in the gazebo area (you don't have to be staying there to come over and visit).
-- Have a picnic together
-- Share stories about your adventures in Mayberry.
-- Bring your stringing instrument if you’d like to join in on a JAM session with fellow attendees.
-- (6pm) Amateur tribute artist “parade”. Attendees are asked to consider participating in this pageant as their favorite character (or at least one they look like) from The Andy Griffith Show. Steve Jackson organizes this activity and it is always fun for all. Don’t worry how good or bad you look! This is for fun and I know Otis, Floyd and the other tributes would love to see everyone.
-- Mayberry Trivia and maybe Mayberry Man movie trivia, too. Come ready to play if we have time. We’ll be doing questions and everybody's free to play...just for fun.

-- Watch episodes of The Andy Griffith Show together on a screen under the stars.
-- Bring sodas, tea, punch and some snacks if you have 'em.
-- BRING lawn chairs or a picnic blanket to sit on. (There are some chairs at the gazebo but to be safe, bring your own.)
-- Bring portable (battery powered) FM radios if you have them. I have a new system that will allow me to broadcast the audio of the episodes to FM radio so you’ll be able to sit far away (or even in the car if it rains) and still hear the episode audio.
-- Visit with friends.
-- Watch episodes of The Andy Griffith Show together on a screen under the stars. (until ~11 pm)

== Sunday Schedule ==

pre-noon
-- Option 1: Visit the church of your choice.
-- Option 2 (~10am) Mayberry Bible Study: If there's interest, meet at Mayberry Motor Inn gazebo for Mayberry Bible Study. I *may be* recording the Bible Study for use as an episode of the Mayberry Bible Study Podcast but I haven’t done that the last few years.

11:30 - 1:30pm
-- Head home to the “real” world but take some of Mayberry along for the ride home.

(ALTERNATIVES things to do while in Mt. Airy)
- World’s Largest Open-Face Granite Quarry
http://www.visitnc.com/listing/world-s-largest-open-face-granite-quarry
- Mount Airy Museum of Regional History (Downtown Mt. Airy) & Donna Fargo Exhibit
http://www.northcarolinamuseum.org/
-J.E.B. Stuart Historical Birthplace
http://www.jebstuart.org
- Andy's Homeplace-Mount Airy, NC
Located at: 711 E. Haymore St.; Mount Airy NC
- Other things for you to choose from
http://www.visitmayberry.com/category/attractions/

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Mayberry Motor Inn, 501 N Andy Griffith Pkwy,Mount Airy,NC,United States