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Back 2 School Festival Returns August 9, 2025 – Community Support Needed Now More Than Ever

July 9, 2025 The 2025 Back 2 School Festival will be held on Saturday, August 9 at Watauga High School, continuing its mission to ensure every Watauga County student starts the school year confident and prepared.  Nearly 40% of Watauga’s 4,600 public school students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and in some schools that number is even higher. As the average cost of school supplies climbs above $150 per child, many families are forced to make impossible choices between essentials like food, rent, or getting their children ready for school.

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Watauga Arts Council and Downtown Boone Development Association Announce the Return of Buskers Fest 2025 on September 20th

July 8, 2025 The Watauga Arts Council, in collaboration with the Downtown Boone Development Association, is thrilled to announce the return of Buskers Fest in 2025. The event will take place on September 20th, 2025 from 2-7pm, bringing art, music, and creativity back to the streets of downtown Boone. “Every year, we strive to make the festival better and better,” says WAC Executive Director, Amber Bateman. “We found that people weren’t able to make it to all the activities in such a short window. By moving it to a Saturday and expanding the hours, we hope to improve the overall experience and make it more accessible, especially for those who couldn’t attend in previous years when it was held on a Friday.”

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App State’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies holds 23rd Annual Rosen Symposium July 10–16

July 8, 2025 The Appalachian State University Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies (CJHPS) will host the 23rd Annual Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium from July 10–16 at Appalachian State’s Boone campus. The event is supported by the Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium Endowment and the local Jewish community. For over two decades, the Rosen Symposium has brought educators from across the country together to provide lessons, materials, resources and best practices for teaching about the Holocaust.

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Watauga Economic Development Commission Opens May & June Business Snapshot Surveys

July 8, 2025 In a continued effort to track real-time conditions for local businesses as recovery from the impacts of Hurricane Helene continue, the Watauga County Economic Development Commission has opened its reporting window for its May and June 2025 Business Snapshot Reports. Businesses are encouraged to fill out survey data by using the link below. The survey is open from Monday, July 7th at Noon – Tuesday, July 22nd at Noon. Due to the ramp up for summer tourism and holiday schedules, these two reports were combined to allow businesses more time to gather data and submit their data. We will resume a monthly reporting schedule through October 2025.

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Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) Designated as a 2025 Accredited Program by Main Street America

July 7, 2025 The Downtown Boone Development Association has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of designated programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street ApproachTM. Main Street America recognizes two tiers of national designation — Affiliate and Accredited. These designations are a powerful advocacy tool, signaling to local stakeholders, as well as city, state, and national funders, that a Main Street program has an established position within a nationwide movement with a 45-year proven track record of generating impressive economic returns, building local capacity, creating welcoming and inviting communities, and creating lasting impact.

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Movie Review: “Jurassic Park” Now Playing at Boone Regal

July 7, 2025 After three “Jurassic Park” movies and three “Jurassic World” movies, it seems the time has come to kickstart the “Jurassic” franchise again with “Jurassic World: Rebirth.” I’ll give the franchise credit for recognizing that there was no need to continue with the Chris Pratt or Bryce Dallas Howard characters from the last three movies, who were widely seen as uninteresting. Even the more popular “classic” characters played by Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum are probably best taking this movie off after fans got sufficiently caught up with them in 2022’s “Jurassic World: Dominion.” Good on this movie for coming up with a new set of heroes. I can’t say I always cared for the story, action, or generally the movie around them, but the movie is better for having them. 

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Sammy Osmond and the No-Hellers with Redbud Perform at the Jones House on July 11

July 4, 2025 The Town of Boone continues its Summer Concerts at the Jones House series on Friday, July 11, with a night of powerful string band music and fresh bluegrass sounds from two of the High Country’s most exciting young acts. The show begins at 5:30 PM on the Jones House lawn in downtown Boone. As always, the concert is free and open to the public. Sammy Osmond and the No-Hellers will open the evening with their heartfelt songwriting, old-time grit, and high-energy stage presence. Following their set, Redbud will take the porch with their seamless blend of traditional and original bluegrass. With stunning harmonies, infectious melodies, and driving rhythms, Redbud brings both reverence and innovation to their sound.

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Holy Cross Valle Crucis Announces Public Events for July 19 Centennial Celebration 1842 Episcopal Mission Honors the 100th Anniversary of its Current Church Building

July 3, 2025 One hundred years ago, in 1925, the Episcopal faith community in and around Valle Crucis laid the foundation for the stone church and built a new spiritual home for the original mission that had been established in 1842. This is the centennial year of the current location of Holy Cross Episcopal Church and its signature red front door, and the parish will commemorate this blessed anniversary with a series of public events that celebrate its worship and ministry, plus four of its most cherished venues: the historic 1862 St. John’s Chapel on the lower Watauga River, the venerable 19th century Bishop Ives Cabin, the former 1910 mission school now known as the Valle Crucis Conference Center (VCCC), and the gothic revival architecture and adornments of Holy Cross Church itself, consecrated in 1925

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Town of Boone 1872 Award Recipients to be Recognized at the Boone 4th of July Parade

July 2, 2025 Recipients of the 2025 Town of Boone 1872 Award have been named and will be recognized this Friday at the Boone 4th of July Parade. The individual honorees are Kay Borkowski and David Jackson, and the organization recipient is Hospitality House of Northwestern NC. 1872 Award honorees will be recognized at the Town of Boone 4th of July Parade, which will take place in downtown Boone on Friday, July 4 at 11 a.m. Recipients will serve and grand marshals for the parade, and following the procession will be presented a handmade keepsake pottery piece, courtesy of Doe Ridge Pottery, on the lawn of the Jones House Cultural Center.

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Asheville Regional Airport Opens New North Concourse and New TSA Security Check Point

July 2, 2025 Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) is proud to announce a significant milestone in its transformative AVL Forward project: the opening of the new North Concourse and TSA security check point on June 25, 2025. “This is a major achievement not just for the Airport, but for the entire region,” said Lew Bleiweis, President and CEO of Asheville Regional Airport. “Our community, Airport staff, and project partners have shown dedication, creativity, and resilience throughout the AVL Forward journey. We are proud to welcome passengers into this beautiful new space.”

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AppHealthCare Urges the Community to Take Actions to Prevent Tick-Borne Diseases

July 2, 2025 As summer brings warmer temperatures, AppHealthCare is urging the community to take action to prevent tick-borne diseases. Tick bites are more common in the summer months, with the highest levels of tick bites occurring in June and July across North Carolina. Ticks can carry diseases like Lyme disease, Rickettsiosis (such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) and ehrlichiosis, which can become serious if not treated. According to NC DHHS, “Lyme disease accounted for 33% of all tick-borne diseases reported last year, and ehrlichiosis, which can cause symptoms similar to Lyme disease, accounted for 38% of all tick-borne diseases in 2024.”

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Boone Pride Parade and Festival Grows to Over 1,000 Strong

July 1, 2025 June has been Pride month in North Carolina for many years, dating back to the “Our Day Out” march in Asheville back in 1981. It became an official month to focus on and proclaim LGBTQ+ rights in 2018 when then-Governor Roy Cooper officially declared it. Although the LGBTQ+ community in Boone and the High Country has fought and celebrated their rights for years, the first Boone Pride Parade started in 2022.  According to Todd Carter, a Boone Town Councilman and local LGBTQ+ activist and organizer, “That first year in 2022, there were 300 marchers and a small rally at the Jones House; to [now] have anywhere from 1,000-1,200 people attend the parade and/or the festival just shows how much Pride needs to be celebrated.” By Sam Garrett

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Medical Arts Pharmacy Relocates to New Lenoir Location, Welcomes Foothills Pharmacy Patients 

July 1, 2025 Medical Arts Pharmacy is proud to announce its relocation to a new, modern facility at 202 Harper Ave Ste, Lenoir, NC 28645. This move marks an exciting new chapter in our commitment to serving the Lenoir community with personalized, high-quality pharmaceutical care. As part of this transition, we are also thrilled to welcome all patients and customers of Foothills Pharmacy. We understand the importance of continuity in care and are dedicated to making this transition seamless and reassuring for every individual and family we serve.

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Tickets for “Grandfather Presents: Conor Knighton” Are On Sale Now for Oct. 2 Event

July 1, 2025 Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has announced that tickets for the final presentation of the Grandfather Presents 2025 speaker series are on sale now. “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent Conor Knighton will close out the 2025 series on Oct. 2, 2025. The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery’s Classroom in the Clouds will host the event. Guests will experience a “night at the museum” atmosphere, the speaker presentation and a book-signing/ “meet-and-greet” with Knighton.

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Dr. Christine Ogilvie Hendren Appointed Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at App State

July 1, 2025 Dr. Christine Ogilvie Hendren has been appointed vice chancellor of research and innovation at Appalachian State University, announced Chancellor Heather Norris on Friday, June 27. The appointment is effective July 1. “As we embrace the many opportunities ahead with our new R2 status, Dr. Hendren will continue to lead the advancement of the university’s research and creative activities strategy,” said Norris. “She will also head the strategic innovation functions that include external relations and commercialization for the university’s research and creative activities enterprise.”

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New Parking Regulations Start Today in Downtown Boone

July 1, 2025 All on-street parking and multi-hour lots will be $1.50 an hour, excluding 2 banks of FREE 30-minutes parking spaces near the King Street/North Depot intersection and the Watauga County Courthouse. 9 on-street parking spaces near the First Baptist Church on King Street and 6 on-street parking spaces on Burrell Street will be reserved for Downtown Boone employees through a new pilot program. Downtown Boone employees may purchase a sticker for $10 to park at these spaces. Meters are set to a discounted rate of 20 cents an hour. Differing from regular on-street parking, these meters are programmed for up to 9 hours of use. This program is a first-come, first-served program, and purchasing a sticker does not guarantee a parking space; however, purchasing a sticker allows employees to park in a designated space. Employees who would like to participate must bring the following to the Town of Boone Parking Department (located in the basement of Boone Town Hall at 567 West King Street):

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON WHETHER THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR THE TOWN OF BLOWING ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD APPROVE A PROPOSED INSTALLMENT FINANCING AGREEMENT TO FINANCE COSTS OF A TOWN CAPITAL PROJECT

June 30, 2025 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of a public hearing to be held at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard on July 8, 2025 in the Council Chambers, Blowing Rock Town Hall, 1036 Main Street, Blowing Rock, North Carolina for the purpose of considering whether the Town Council for the Town of Blowing Rock Town, North Carolina (the “Town”) should approve a proposed installment financing agreement and certain related documents pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes Section 160A-20, as amended, for the purpose of providing funds in an amount not to exceed $2,250,000 for the accomplishment of the Project hereinafter described.

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This Weekend, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) Issued These Two Statements

June 30, 2025 SUNDAY – “It has been a blessing to go on a journey from living in a trailer park and making minimum wage as a young man to having the honor of serving as U.S. Senator for North Carolina. “I am proud of my career in public service, including hard-fought victories like passing historic tax reform as North Carolina Speaker, and working in the Senate to help pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and confirm three conservative Supreme Court justices and counting. ////// SATURDAY – “I will always do what is in the best interest of North Carolina, even when that puts me at odds with my own party. When Senate leaders of my party presented this bill, I did what every American should expect from their U.S. Senator: I worked to gather the facts and comprehensively analyze what the impact would be on the people I swore an oath to represent.

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Movie Review: “F1: The Movie” Now Playing at Boone Regal

June 30, 2025 “F1: The Movie” takes viewers inside the exciting world of Formula One auto-racing. The director is Joseph Kosinski, best known for taking “Top Gun: Maverick” to the top of the yearly box office three years ago. Between that movie’s jets and this movie’s cars, it seems the man’s specialty is directing movies about things that go “whoosh.” And yes, this movie is best enjoyed in premium-format theaters (for me it was a Dolby) that can really give the audience a good taste of the whooshing. That is to say I got maximum enjoyment out of the whooshing cars and very little enjoyment out of everything else. 

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Catgut ‘n’ Jugs Bluegrass Show is Now on Live365.com

June 27 2025 Host Ronnie Moretz and the Catgut ‘n’ Jugs Bluegrass Show are moving from terrestrial radio to a streaming platform with a reach to over 80 million listeners. Live365.com will stream the Catgut ‘n’ Jugs Bluegrass Show each Sunday from 8–10 p.m. beginning July 6, 2025. “I have been on radio for over 17 years,” said Moretz. “This will give me the opportunity to continue to share my love for bluegrass with people in the High Country and will have the added benefit of sharing bluegrass with people from around the world.” By Sam Garrett

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BREMCO Annual Meeting: Reports Presented, Director Election Results Announced

June 27 2025 Business reports and director election results were announced at the Annual Meeting of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation held at the cooperative’s corporate office in Lenoir on Thursday, June 26. The meeting was available for members to participate by attending in person at the corporate office or members could view the live meeting online at Blue Ridge Energy’s YouTube channel. A recording of the meeting will be available soon at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com.

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NC House Approves $700 Million in Additional Helene Disaster Relief

June 26 2025 Raleigh, NC — Today, the North Carolina House of Representatives approved a proposal to invest an additional $700 million to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts across Western North Carolina. This latest round of funding builds upon more than $1.4 billion already allocated for disaster relief, bringing the total to over $2.1 billion.

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Gen X Hitmakers Joan Osborne and Lisa Loeb Celebrate Their 30-Year-Old Landmark Albums in Boone Concert Friday, July 11

June 26 2025 Appalachian State University’s annual summer arts celebration, An Appalachian Summer, presents Joan Osborne and Lisa Loeb, two unmistakable voices of the ’90s, for a special evening marking the 30th anniversaries of their breakthrough albums — Osborne’s Relish and Loeb’s Tails — Friday, July 11 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Revisit the songs that shaped a generation, alongside new music and career-spanning fan favorites. Both Relish and Tails were landmark albums that transcended genres, blending folk, pop, and rock with deeply personal storytelling. Osborne’s “One of Us” and Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” became defining anthems of the era, and their impact continues to resonate with longtime fans and new audiences alike. Tickets are $25-$55, with discounts for App State faculty/staff and local residents

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