Mt. Airy Hotels
Mt. Airy Restaurants
Mt. Airy Real Estate
Mt. Airy Attractions
Mt. Airy Golf
Mt. Airy North Carolina NC Street View Pictures
View Larger Map
Mayberry?
Mount Airy was the birthplace and childhood home of American actor Andy Griffith, and is widely believed to be the inspiration for the fictional community Mayberry, the setting of The Andy Griffith Show and its sequel, Mayberry RFD. Until he returned to Mount Airy, 45 years after the show, Griffith denied the connection. Several locations and names mentioned in both shows reflect real places and people in or near Mount Airy, including Mount Pilot (nearby Pilot Mountain and the town named for it) and Snappy Lunch, a restaurant which still operates in the city's downtown area and is famous for its pork chop sandwich. In episode #154 of the Andy Griffith Show, "Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau" Andy is clearly seen in closeup reading what could be a Mount Airy newspaper. All that is visible are the words "Airy News". This could be another connection between Mount Airy and Mayberry.
The community holds an annual "Mayberry Days" celebration during the last weekend of September; 30,000 attended in 2009, and 50,000 were expected for the show's 50th anniversary in 2010. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro estimates the town receives $5 million each year as a result.
Three Ford Galaxie police cars, painted to resemble those used on the show, give rides to tourists. A barber shop has been named "Floyd's", and a salvage yard has the name Mayberry. One of the attractions is the Andy Griffith Museum, which attracts 200 visitors a day.
Notable people that are from Mt. Airy:
* Andy Griffith (1926- ), American actor
* Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–1874), famous Siamese twins
* Jack Childress (1950- ), American college football official
* Chubby Dean (1916–1970), Major League Baseball player
* Ron Blackburn (1935- ), Major League Baseball player
* Ben Callahan (1957–2007), Major League Baseball player
* Mark Daniel Merritt (1961- ), American music composer
* Donna Fargo (1945- ), country music singer and songwriter, best known for the "The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA"
* Benton Flippen, (1920- ), old-time fiddler
* Frank Beamer (1946- ), American college football coach
* iROC (1989- ), American hip-hop artist and producer
* Alex Sink (1948- ), Florida politician
* Justin Brock (1987- ), Professional Skateboarder
* Sam Welch (1991- ), Owner of the Largest Portable Toilet Company in the Southeast, "Deuces"
0 Comments. What Do You Have To Say / Reviews About:
Post a Comment