High Country Press

July 21, 2017. Shagging at the Rock is a premier event hosted by The Blowing Rock, one of the most well-known attractions throughout the High Country. The music-filled day will present four beach music themed bands that will provide attendees with the perfect music on a beautiful Mountain day. The grounds of The Blowing Rock will be open, so attendees are more than welcome to visit the attraction during the event. Tickets are on sale now. By Katie Benfield, Photo Courtesy of The Blowing Rock / Read more…

July 21, 2017. On August 5-6 the Ashe County Arts Council will sponsor the Ashe County Studio Tour, a two-day, self-guided, free event in which Ashe County artists open their studios to the public. Most of the studios are not usually open to the public, so this is a rare opportunity for people to see where these artists work and at select locations, to watch them as they create their art. All art on the Ashe County Studio Tour is handmade, original work designed and produced by the artists in Ashe County. / Read more…

July 21, 2017. On July 21, the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation will be presenting the 40th Annual Blowing Rock Fashion Show at the Blowing Rock Country Club. The proceeds from this year’s event will go toward supporting healthcare throughout the High Country. Photo Courtesy of the Blowing Rock Historical Society / Read more…

July 21, 2017. Over the last three decades, Toni Carlton has worked hard not only to expand her own artistic talents and skills, but also to expand on her gallery and studio. As the years have passed, Carlton Gallery has grown in size, media content and artistic and community involvement. On July 22, Carlton Gallery will be having a 35th anniversary celebration to honor the last 35 years that this gallery has been a staple in the High Country. By Katie Benfield – Photo Courtesy of Carlton Gallery / Read more…

July 21, 2017. Boone Cyclo.Via returns to the High Country for its 7th annual festivities. With BMX performances, a bike parade, trike races, bike rentals and fixing services and so much more from food services and nonprofits throughout the community, the Boone Cyclo.Via is the perfect event for human powered fun in the High Country! By Katie Benfield – Photo Courtesy of the Boone Cyclo.Via Facebook / Read more…

July 21, 2017. For many, a daylong, 13-act concert is all it takes to wipe the calendar clean for a Saturday afternoon and evening. Luckily for music lovers of the High Country, The Local’s Saturday, July 22 show will be much more than that. Boone native and musician Brian Russell Collins will host his yearly charity event A Cause to Rock at the downtown Boone venue to help raise money for Winston-Salem’s Darryl Gaines, a North Forsyth High School student-athlete and recent graduate diagnosed with stage III lymphoma. Collins founded A Cause to Rock in 2015, focusing the first annual event on raising money for Wilmington community members with autism and their families. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

July 21, 2017. Children’s Hope Alliance, a merger between Grandfather Home for Children and Barium Springs, held its annual Giving Them Hope Luncheon at the Hugh Chapman Center in Linville. The luncheon was designed to invite community members to see what Children’s Hope Alliance is currently working on, as well as hearing testimonies from children who completed treatment with Children’s Hope Alliance and have been given hope back and the opportunity to shine once more. By Katie Benfield / Read more…

July 21, 2017. The Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show has been around in the community for 94 years. It returned this year in June with the Saddlebred divisions, and it is bringing even more fun and competition starting on July 25. The Hunter/Jumper divisions will be competing over two weeks, ending on August 6. The horse show is estimated to bring about 2,500 people into the Blowing Rock area as elite professional riders come to compete for ribbons, cash prizes and championships. By Katie Benfield / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

The 450th Anniversary Celebration of the Spanish Colonial Trail to Take Place at Catawba Meadows Park, 8/5

Traditional Scottish Music at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, July 21

Benefit Singing for Kari’s Home July 30

Watauga Cooperative Extension & Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture Host Free Seed Saving Workshop, 7/25

Snow Lodge #363 Annual BBQ Charity, 7/21

Read more…
Compiled by Katie Benfield

July 20, 2017. If you’re 62 years old or older and plan on visiting national parks and other federal recreation areas as part of your senior lifestyle, now is the time to buy your America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass. On August 28, 2017, the now $10 cost of the lifetime pass will increase 700% to $80. By Randy Johnson / Read more…

July 20, 2017. A senior softball club is looking for participants. Men and women over the age of 50 are invited to attend Tuesday and Thursday meet ups in the High Country to play softball. At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the group meets at Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, and at 10 a.m. on Thursday, they meet at the Watauga County Parks & Recreation fields in Boone. Jesse Wood / Read more…

July 20, 2017. Leatherwood Mountains Resort has been purchased by two executive employees of the firm. Leatherwood Mountains Resort is located in Wilkes County and is a premier vacation destination in North Carolina and features a variety of equine activities. / Read more…

July 20, 2017. A look at the recent deed transfers in Watauga County. The information comes courtesy of the Watauga County Register of Deeds. Compiled by Debbie Carter / Read more…

July 20, 2017. With one day of filing remaining, nearly two-dozen people have officially announced their candidacy for the 2017 municipal elections in Watauga County, according to the Watauga County Board of Elections. Filing opened on July 7 and closes at noon tomorrow, Friday, July 21. Jesse Wood / Read more…

July 20, 2017. Appalachian Regional Healthcare System held its 13th Annual Pretty in Pink event on June 16 at the Linville Ridge Country Club. The proceeds are going towards providing free, first-time mammograms to uninsured women in Avery County. These funds will help aid women living in Avery County in regards to early breast cancer detection. / Read more…

July 19, 2017. Village Jewelers of Boone held a ribbon cutting for its second location in Blowing Rock on Wednesday morning. Located next to Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery, Village Jewelers will host a celebration on Saturday, July 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. “We’ll have a big celebration, give away a lot of prizes, and hopefully do a little business,” said Charlie Travis, owner of Village Jewelers, adding that there will be special discounts and refreshments, too. / Read more…

July 18, 2017. The following are recent obituary notices from Austin and Barnes and Hampton funeral homes in Boone and Reins-Sturdivant in Newland. Send obituary notices to [email protected] Compiled by Jesse Wood / Read more…

July 19, 2017. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Katie Benfield

July 19, 2017. Letters to the Editor. Madeline Carter / Dear Editor, I wish to ask some very serious questions and add some much-needed comments towards [those] within county and town government, ASU, and the other vocal advocates for the rec center ‘project.’  / Read more…

July 19, 2017. The Holston Camp and Retreat Center’s Wildcat Lake Music Festival will be returning to the High Country for the second year, bringing family oriented fun for people of all ages in order to raise money to support the local summer camp programs. Along with the music festival on Aug. 12, earlier that morning there will also be a 5K Wildcat Trail Run/Hike which will wind its way throughout the campgrounds so that participants can see what all the camp and retreat center has to offer while getting out in the community and being active! By Katie Benfield – Photo Courtesy of the Holston Camp and Retreat Center / Read more…

July 19, 2017. Watauga Medical Center has been named a finalist for the 2017 QUEST Award for High-value Healthcare from Premier Inc. due to the medical center’s ability to provide outstanding patient care for those in the community. / Read more…

July 19, 2017. ASU’s 2017 Summer Symposium, which will be taking place from Aug.
5-10, will center around the Holocaust and other crises today and the global history and complex connections that have formed over the decades. The week-long symposium will bring internationally and nationally acclaimed scholars, authors and educators to Boone. The event’s faculty and speakers include Holocaust survivor Ralph J. Preiss, Rwandan genocide survivor Eugenie Mukeshimana, Dr. Rebecca Erbelding from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Professor Michael Berenbaum from American Jewish University. / Read more…

July 19, 2017. The 31st Annual Rosen Sculpture Walk will be taking place this upcoming Saturday. The outdoor walking tour with this year’s competition juror Greg Elliot will provided participants with an educational experience through which they can learn about the different sculptures. At the end of the tour, there will be an awards reception at the Schaefer Center. / Read more…

July 19, 2017. If you were in Blowing Rock earlier today, you might have noticed the cell phone reception outage. Although he couldn’t confirm, Blowing Rock Police Chief Tony Jones said that he “heard” lightning struck a cell tower over night. By lunchtime on Wednesday in Blowing Rock, cell service returned. / Read more…

July 18, 2017. After receiving a report of a “suspicious device” on a sidewalk near the Dan’l Boone Inn and Phill’s Citgo on Tuesday afternoon, the Boone Police Department checked it out and erred on the side of caution, calling in the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office Explosives Disposal Unit. The out-of-town bomb squad found the item, a pressure cooker, empty.  Jesse Wood / Read more…

July 19, 2017. Costumed characters of the well-known Nickelodeon show The Backyardigans will be coming to Tweetsie Railroad from Aug. 4-6. The characters will be there to meet, take pictures with and spend time with kids from throughout the High Country. / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Watauga Cooperative Extension & Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture Host Free Seed Saving Workshop, 7/25

Watauga County Public Library Presents Summer Stock Seminar, 7/29

Tickets on Sale for Walker Center 2017-2018 Season Shows 

Jewelry Making Workshop at BRAHM, Aug 11-12

Children’s Camp at BRAHM, Aug. 15-17

Robert Netherland to Present on His Book “Southern Appalachian Farm Cooking,”  7/26

Ranger Guided Walk at Bass Lake, 7/29

Blue Ridge Parkway Ranger Programs, 7/26-7/30

Read more…
Compiled by Katie Benfield

July. 18, 2017. The Ashe County Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers Convention sponsored by the Ashe County Arts Council will be held July 28th and 29th. By Taylor Hawkins – Photo Courtesy of Ashe County Arts Council / Read more…

July 18, 2017. Ensemble Stage will be bringing its third production in its summer season to the High Country from July 29-Aug. 6. These performances of Switzerland, a psychological thriller that follows crime writer Patricia Highsmith in her aging days as she is confronted by a mysterious stranger requesting she write one more book,
will leave the audience in suspense as they try to figure out if everything is as it seems or if there is something deeper,
and more sinister, going on. By Katie Benfield / Read more…

July 18, 2017. The Symphony by the Lake at Chetola Resort is returning to the High Country for its 30th year of providing beautiful, inspiring music for residents and visitors alike. On Friday, July 28, this year’s Symphony will be bringing all of us a new experience with more Celtic music incorporated into the program. By Katelyn Jenkins / Read more…

July 18, 2017. Prog powerhouse of the ’70s Yes will make the second stop of its summer “Yestival” tour at Appalachian State University’s Holmes Convocation Center on Saturday, August 5 this year. Joining the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will be internationally-famous Todd Rundgren and Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy. The English-born band, which broke through to fans on both sides of the Atlantic with classics “Roundabout” and “I’ve Seen All Good People,” among others, will perform hits from the band’s golden years, ranging from Yes’ beginnings in 1968 through the 1978 release of Tormato. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

July 18, 2017. Beech Mountain Club is gearing up to bring one of America’s fastest-growing sports to the High Country again this year. The club will host Battle on Beech 3, a yearly pickleball tournament and fundraiser for Friends of Beech Outreach, on Thursday, August 17 through Saturday, August 19. The double-elimination tournament will be broken into skill levels (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0) and three categories for each day of the tournament. By Bailey Faulkner / Read more…

July 18, 2017. The Boone Town Council will meet on Thursday, July 20 at 5:30 p.m. Among the agenda items, the council will consider the “brunch bill,” which will allow alcohol sales to begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday in stores and restaurants. Compiled by Jesse Wood / Read more…

July 18, 2017. Lees-McRae College, defined for its “upward trajectory,” was named a College of Distinction within North Carolina. The Colleges of Distinction are defined as the best places to learn, grow and succeed.
/ Read more…

July 18, 2017. The Summer Concerts at the Jones House series continues this upcoming Friday with performances from Josh Daniels and Mark Schimick, a duo of acoustic musicians, and the Shelby Rae Moore Band, a group focused on soulful and diverse music. The free concerts begin at 5:00 p.m. on the lawn of the Jones House. / Read more…