Last Saturday night I took New Jersey guests Peg and John to the Ridgeway Opry House for an evening of country folks having fun playing and singing their favorite music. It’s a contest on who enjoys it more, the folks playing or the folks listening. Local and guest groups, and individuals, just pop in on any Saturday night for a bit of getting together like the days of old.

In days past the building was a general store built by descendants of the Germans who were invited to settle here after ‘the War’ in the early 1880s. Eventually it came to Frieda Bender Egerton wanting to keep ‘back porch’ music alive. She’s an accomplished singer, founding member of the Germantown Strings and along with Billy Jarrell plays the dulcimer. He also makes dulcimers and teaches music. Billy keeps the complicated microphone systems and lights operating right, too.

It was a good evenin’ listening and sometimes joining in with the singing. Freshly brewed coffee, soda and water are offered at 50 cents each. Homemade cookies, cakes and on this night blackberry cobbler are complimentary. A simply delightful evening for a $5 entry fee.