Virginia’s State Theatre Once Took Vegetables for Tickets. Here’s Why Abingdon Still Builds a Weekend Around It

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In 1933, during the Great Depression, Barter Theatre opened in Abingdon, Virginia, with an unusual offer: pay for your ticket with food. The theatre’s own history says admission was 35 cents or the equivalent in produce, and four out of five early theatregoers paid with vegetables, dairy, or livestock. The idea worked so well that the Barter Theatre Abingdon story became part of American theatre history.

Here is why people still plan weekends around it: Barter is the nation’s longest-running professional theatre and the official State Theatre of Virginia. It runs a full repertory season from February through December, which means you can see two or three different shows in one weekend. It sits in a walkable historic town with a famous bike trail and a grand old inn across the street. The theatre is the anchor, and the town fills in the rest.

Why Abingdon Still Builds a Weekend Around Barter

Barter’s founder, actor Robert Porterfield, came home to Southwest Virginia with out-of-work New York actors and a simple pitch. He reportedly said, “With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh.” At the end of the first season, the company cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly, and a collective weight gain of more than 300 pounds, according to the theatre.

Sources disagree slightly on the original ticket price, with figures from 30 to 40 cents showing up in different accounts. The barter idea is the part everyone agrees on. Playwrights got paid in kind too. George Bernard Shaw, a vegetarian, is said to have accepted spinach for the rights to his plays.

In 1946, Barter became the State Theatre of Virginia, the first theatre in the country to receive that kind of designation. Today it draws well over 100,000 visitors a year. Actors who passed through early in their careers include Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, and Gregory Peck.

Several things make Barter worth a trip now:

• The repertory schedule. Multiple productions run at once on two stages, so a weekend can include a musical, a drama, and a family show.
• Professional quality. Barter is an Equity theatre with a resident company, not a community playhouse.
• The building. The main stage sits in a former church built in the 1830s, and its interior was refitted with pieces from New York’s Empire Theatre in the 1950s.
• Price. Tickets start at around $20 for some performances, which is low for professional theatre.

Barter Theatre Abingdon’s Two Stages

Barter performs in two venues across the street from each other on Main Street.

The Gilliam Stage is the main house, with about 500 seats including a balcony. This is where the big musicals and holiday shows usually play. The Smith Theatre is the smaller, more intimate stage with fewer than 200 seats. It often hosts plays, newer works, and productions by the Barter Players, the theatre’s company for young audiences.

If you are planning a full weekend, try to book one show on each stage. The experience is different enough that it feels like two separate trips.

Late Fall and Holiday Shows

Barter’s season runs into December, and late fall is one of its busiest times. Holiday productions draw families from across the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee and Virginia. Shows sell out on weekends, so book as soon as the schedule posts.

Barter also keeps its origin story alive. Each year, the theatre holds Barter Days, when audiences can trade canned food for admission to certain performances. The food goes to a local food bank, Feeding Southwest Virginia. The event usually ties to Barter’s June anniversary, but the spirit of it shows up in holiday food drives too.

The Virginia Creeper Trail

Abingdon is the western end of the Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34-mile rail trail that runs from Abingdon through Damascus to Whitetop Station near the North Carolina line. It follows an old railroad bed through farmland, river valleys, and forest.

Most riders do the downhill section from Whitetop to Damascus, using shuttle services that haul bikes up the mountain. The Abingdon end is flatter and good for a morning ride before a matinee. In November, the trail is quiet, and the bare trees open up views of the creek valleys. Dress warmly, since mountain sections can be much colder than town.

The Martha Washington Inn

Across Main Street from Barter sits the Martha Washington Inn and Spa. The building dates to 1832 and started as a private home before becoming a women’s college. Today it is a historic hotel with a wide porch, formal rooms, and a spa.

Staying here puts you steps from the theatre. Even if you stay elsewhere, the porch is a good spot for a drink before the show. The inn often decorates heavily for the holidays, which makes a December visit feel festive.

Downtown Abingdon on Foot

Abingdon is one of the oldest towns west of the Blue Ridge, and its historic district centers on Main Street. Brick sidewalks, old homes, and small shops make it easy to fill a day on foot.

• Walk Main Street between the theatre and the courthouse.
• Browse galleries and the William King Museum of Art up the hill.
• Stop at the Abingdon Farmers Market, which runs on Saturdays in season.
• Eat at one of the downtown restaurants before or after the show.

Southwest Virginia is also the home of the Crooked Road, the state’s heritage music trail. If you want live old-time or bluegrass music, check nearby venues and events for the weekend you visit.

How to Plan a Barter Weekend

A simple plan works well:

• Friday: Arrive, check in, walk Main Street, and catch an evening show at the Gilliam Stage.
• Saturday: Ride part of the Creeper Trail in the morning, then see a matinee at the Smith Theatre.
• Sunday: Brunch, a museum visit, and an afternoon performance before heading home.

Abingdon sits on Interstate 81, about 15 miles from Bristol and about two hours from Roanoke. Tri-Cities Airport in Tennessee is the closest commercial airport.

A Quick Barter Timeline

• 1933: Barter Theatre opens on June 10, taking produce and livestock for admission.
• 1939: Porterfield creates the Barter Theatre Award, which came with a Virginia ham, a silver platter, and an acre of Southwest Virginia mountainside.
• 1946: Barter is designated the State Theatre of Virginia.
• 1948: Barter receives a Tony Award for regional theatre.
• 1949: The company performs Hamlet at Elsinore Castle in Denmark.
• Today: Barter runs year-round repertory on two stages and celebrates its roots with Barter Days food drives.

That record is why theatre people know the name. Few regional theatres in the country have operated this long, and fewer still started in a small Appalachian town.

Practical Tips for Show Nights

A little planning makes a Barter evening smoother.

• Arrive 30 minutes before curtain. Parking along Main Street and in nearby lots fills on weekends.
• Dress is relaxed. You will see everything from jeans to holiday sweaters.
• Balcony seats in the Gilliam Stage can be good value and still offer clear sightlines.
• Book dinner early. Downtown restaurants fill before shows, especially in December.
• Ask about packages. Local hotels and bed-and-breakfasts sometimes bundle tickets with a stay.

If you have children, look at the Barter Players schedule. Their productions are shorter and aimed at young audiences, which makes a theatre trip easier with kids.

Pairing Barter With Damascus and Bristol

Two nearby towns round out a long weekend. Damascus, about 15 miles east of Abingdon, is known as Trail Town USA because the Appalachian Trail, the Virginia Creeper Trail, and other routes pass through it. Its small downtown has outfitters, bike shuttles, and casual places to eat.

Bristol, about 15 miles west, straddles the Virginia and Tennessee state line, which runs down the middle of State Street. It is known as the Birthplace of Country Music because of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum tells that story. An afternoon in Bristol and an evening show at Barter make an easy pairing.

Abingdon at the Holidays

Late November and December are a good time to see Abingdon at its most festive. Downtown storefronts and historic homes put up lights and greenery, and the Martha Washington Inn usually goes all out with decorations. Local churches, shops, and civic groups host seasonal events, from tree lightings to holiday markets, though exact dates change from year to year.

Barter’s holiday productions fit right into that calendar. Many families make a December show a yearly tradition, which is why weekend performances in the weeks before Christmas sell out first. If you are flexible, a weeknight or Sunday matinee often has better seat choice.

Weather is the one wild card. Abingdon sits at about 2,000 feet, and winter storms can bring snow or ice to Interstate 81 and the mountain roads. Check the forecast before you drive and keep your ticket confirmation handy in case a performance schedule changes.

Why the Vegetable Story Still Matters

The barter origin is charming, but it is also the reason Barter feels different. The theatre started as a way to bring professional work to people who had no money to spend on it. That spirit still shapes the place. Prices stay reasonable, the shows aim at a broad audience, and the theatre treats local people as its core crowd rather than tourists.

You can feel that on a Saturday night when the house fills with families, retirees, and couples from across the mountains. It is professional theatre in a small town, and it has been running for more than 90 years.