The Barns at Chip Ridge adds celebrations to a family’s farming legacy

The Campbell family's cattle-farming story began in 1949. Decades later, Kevin Campbell added a new kind of gathering to that working landscape: The Barns at Chip Ridge, a wedding and event venue outside Abingdon.

The venue sits on a fourth-generation cattle farm. Campbell and his father, W.J., have managed the farming operation, while Kevin and his daughters Ashton, Erin and Grayson work together on the event business. The addition of weddings gives the property another use while keeping agriculture at the heart of its identity.

Built in 2015, the event barn combines hemlock construction with views toward Clinch Mountain. A wraparound porch provides approximately 2,400 square feet of additional space, extending the gathering beyond the main room and toward the surrounding landscape.

The amenities address different parts of an event day. A commercial kitchen has a separate entrance for caterers, while a bridal loft and groom's suite provide places to prepare. Fireplaces contribute to the building's character, and Ivy’s Cottage offers an overnight rental option on the property.

Those practical features help explain how a farm becomes a working event venue. Guests experience the setting, but caterers, wedding parties and organizers also need places to arrive, prepare and move through the day. Chip Ridge's layout makes room for both the celebration and the activity supporting it.

The business remains a family undertaking, with the next generation involved in its operation. Its appeal comes from that connection between past and present: a farm established through cattle work now making space for weddings and other milestones in the same southwest Virginia landscape.