By Madison Fisler Lewis
Feb. 27, 2015. The High Country has so many exciting events to offer its community and visitors. Check our site every Friday for something new and exciting to look forward to while you’re watching the hour hand crawl to 5 o’clock. Find live music down the street, explore a nearby town’s local secrets or try out a new square dancing class. There’s always something fun to do in the High Country.
Weekend-Long Events
Live Music at Twigs: Twig’s Restaurant in Blowing Rock hosts live music every Friday and Saturday night, from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. featuring great local and regional artists with no cover charge.
Art Expo 2015: The Smith Gallery at Appalachian State University presents Art Expo 2015, an annual juried student exhibition and arts competition for Appalachian students. The exhibition will be on view from Feb. 24 through March 28 at the Smith Gallery located in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. The exhibition is organized by the Smith Gallery and juried by Mary Anne Redding, the Curator at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in Boone. For more information about this event click here.
The Countess: Appalachian State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance presents the costume drama “The Countess” in the intimate Valborg Theatre Feb. 25-29 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee performance March 1 at 2 p.m. Dr. Paulette Marty, a theatre faculty professor who specializes in theatre history, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, and cross-disciplinary topics, directs the production. For more information click here.
Friday, Feb. 27
Friday Night Jazz: Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola Resort will host Friday Night Jazz starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27. The Maureen Renihan Jazz Trio will perform for restaurant patrons.
Freakin’ Firkin Friday: On Friday, Feb. 27, Lost Province Brewing Company will host Freakin’ Firkin Friday at Five with the release of a special 12-gallon cask of beer at 5 p.m. along with live music.
Western Region TSA Conference: On Friday, Feb. 27, 600 students from across western North Carolina will converge on Appalachian State University for the Western Regional North Carolina Technology Student Association (NCTSA) conference. Among the students will be participants from Watauga High School and West Wilkes Middle School. For more information about this event, click here.
National Chili Day: Celebrate National Chili Day with a benefit chili dinner, where 100 percent of all proceeds go to Kids of Watauga County. This event will be held on Friday, Feb. 27, from 5-7 p.m. at Appalachian Brian Estates located at 163 Shadowline Dr. in Boone. Cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children under age 12. Jointly sponsored by the residents of Appalachian Brian Estates and Kiwanis Club of Boone. Tickets available in advance or at the door by members of the Kiwanis Club of Boone and Appalachian Brian Estates. For more information, please call 828-264-1006.
Benefit Spaghetti Dinner: Got a craving for some great spaghetti? Satisfy your spaghetti craving and help provide funding for seven students to attend the eighth grade field trip in Wilmington. The event will be held at Newland Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall on the square across from the Avery County Courthouse on Friday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. The cost is a donation to help provide funding for the field trip. Entree provided by Fabio’s Italian Restaurant. Bread, drinks and salad provided by Avery Middle School teachers. Desserts by Newland Presbyterian Church.
Old Time Dance: Everyone is welcome to join us for an Old Time Dance and Evening at the Museum.
Come in out of the cold and shake a leg with the fun and comradery of old-time dance – circles, squares and lines! Absolutely NO experience is necessary and people of all ages are welcome. Dance instructions will be given by experienced caller John Turner and live old-time music will be provided by the Laurel Creek Stringband.
The Dead of Winter at Canyons: THE DEAD OF WINTER featuring the music of the Grateful Dead performed by a slew of the High Country’s finest musicians. Door Prizes and Silent Auction. $10 suggested donation. All proceeds to benefit the Watauga Humane Society What A View! Check out our viewcam to see what’s happening at Canyons right now…http://www.canyonsbr.com/viewcam.html.
Saturday, Feb. 28
REClESS Rail Jam: On Saturday, Feb. 28, RECESS Ride Shop will host the sixth annual wRECklESS Rail Jam at Beech Mountain Resort. The competition, which boasts one of the largest cash purses in the southeast, will begin at noon. The event will be held in a rail jam format, where riders from separate divisions will compete together. For more information click here.
Boarder/Skier X: If you enjoyed the first Skier/Boarder X event held on Jan. 31 at Appalachian Ski Mtn., or if you missed it and wish you hadn’t, you’re in luck. Appalachian Ski Mtn. will once again host the spectacular, downhill racing event on Saturday, Feb. 28. Appalachian Ski Mountain will host Skier/Boarder X, a timed downhill competition that brings athletes back to the early days of the sports. For more information on this event, click here.
John Dean Cooking Workshop: Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) announces their first HomeGrown Workshop of 2015, featuring John Dean, Head Chef at New Public House Hotel and Restaurant. Chef Dean will teach a Soups, Stocks, and Roux Workshop at the Agricultural Conference Center in Boone, Saturday, Feb. 28, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.The HomeGrown Workshop Series consists of seasonal workshops that promote sustainable living & self-sufficiency in our High Country Region. Each workshop features a local expert in our area.
St. David’s Day Poetry Celebration: In Celebration of St. David’s Day, the Welsh National Day, there will be a program of Poetry from Wales from 3-5 p.m. in the meeting room at the Watauga County Library. All welcome. For more information call Mary Gray at 264 5620. In case of bad weather, call Mary or the library or check on the web to make sure the library is open.
Live Music at Linville Falls: On Saturday, Feb. 28, Linville Falls Winery will host Andy Kimmels as part of their live music lineup for the winter season. Linville Falls Winery is located at 9557 Linville Falls Highway in Newland.
Sunday, March 1
Sunday Jazz Brunch: On Sunday, March 1, Canyons in Blowing Rock will host the weekly Sunday Jazz Brunch with Todd Wright. Starting at 11 a.m., the event will feature live jazz music at Canyons located at 8960 Valley Blvd. in Blowing Rock. For more information about this event, call 828-295-7661.