Not so much Roadfood as Roadfood-for-the-soul, Singing on the Mountain is a day-long festival of Southern gospel music.  The singing starts Sunday at 830 a.m. in a meadow below Grandfather Mountain, near Linville, NC.  This year’s performers include The Greenes from Boone, NC, George Hamilton IV, The Primitive, Michael Combs, The Gospel Enforcers, The Cockman Family, Wings of Grace, and The Praise Men.  Admission is free.

Here is Jane and Michael Stern’s writeup from their absolutely wonderful 30-year-old book Amazing America: “This is the gospel-singing extravaganza of the year, held in the open air on the side of Grandfather Mountain.  People attend wearing everything from sharkskin and leisure suits to baggy overalls and sunbonnets.  There are preachers from the old school regaling all who will listen about the damnation that awaits as payment for drink and sin; and there are farmers selling homemade apple jack and cherry cider by the side of the road.  Over the years, performers as famous as Johnny Cash have come to join in the singing along with local stars like Johnny Dee Loudermilk and Happy John Coffey.  This festival is non-profit, non-denominational, and disorganized.  But every year it works, as it has been doing for over half a century.  Their motto is ‘Whosoever will may come.’”