In preparation for the celebration and naming of N.C. 103 after Mount Airy native and Grammy Award-winning singer Donna Fargo, a collection of memorabilia has been moved from the Dr. Robert Smith House to the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History.

Ann Vaughn, the executive director of the Gilmer-Smith Foundation, who is a friend of Fargo, recently drove to Asheville to pick up a collection of 17 dresses the entertainer donated to the museum collection.

“These are dazzling outfits. She told me that she has been asked to give some of the outfits to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but she wanted to save the best for her hometown,” Vaughn said.

She said Fargo had kept the outfits in pristine condition. Not all of the dresses will be on display at one time, they will be changed from time to time.

“What we are aiming to do is to tell the story of a girl from small-town Mount Airy — the story of her career and how she reached stardom,” Vaughn said. “She is so organized. She has arranged them in chronological order. She has taken such good care of them over the years.”

During a trip to Nashville, Tenn., for Country Music Fan Fair the second weekend of June, Vaughn and Cindy Puckett, who is the horticulturist for the Gilmer-Smith Foundation, worked in the Donna Fargo booth. While they were there, Fargo gave them some of the awards and citations she has received throughout her career that will also be displayed at the museum.

“Our trip to Nashville was outstanding. Not only did we get to work in the fan club booth, we got to see a lot of stars like Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Trace Adkins, Josh Turner,” Vaughn said. “We had a fun packed week.”

She said the lines to see Carrie Underwood and the screams coming from the fans were “unbelievable.”

Vaughn, Puckett and Ann Williams, Fargo’s Web master, were invited to attend a thank you brunch hosted by Fargo. They also attended an auction of the entertainer’s memorabilia where Vaughn and Williams bought a large photograph of Fargo that they are going to donate to the museum.

Another highlight of the trip, Vaughn said, was attending the Sunday Morning Country variety show in which John Rees, son of Flip and Marjorie Rees, was the music director. Vaughn said Brenda Lee was the master of ceremonies for the show that was held at the Grand Ole Opry.

Although a final date for the highway dedication has not yet been set, Vaughn said she is shooting for an early September date.

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.