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Announcements

Watauga County Farmers’ Market Announces Winners of the 2025 ApplePie Contest

October 8, 2025 Boone, NC – October 8, 2025 — The Watauga County Farmers’ Market celebrated the flavors
of fall during its annual AppleFEST this past Saturday, highlighted by the ever-popular Apple Pie Contest. Market visitors gathered around the judging table to admire a lineup of beautiful,
creative pies and to cheer on local bakers who captured the spirit of the season in every slice. This year’s panel of judges brought a wealth of culinary expertise: Chef Robert Back of the
Caldwell Culinary Institute, Dawn Sullivan, author of Dawn’s Early Light and longtime food industry veteran, and Alex DelTurco, owner and baker at Layers of Love, one of the Market’s
own vendors known for gourmet cakes, pastries, and specialty desserts.

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Crossnore Communities for Children Announces Executive Leadership Transition

October 8, 2025 Crossnore, NC (October 8, 2025) — Crossnore Communities for Children recently launched its new three-year strategic plan designed to foster innovation, broaden reach, and enhance impact to ensure a sustainable future for the children, families, and communities it serves. To advance its bold vision for the future, Crossnore’s Board of Trustees approved a leadership restructuring that strengthens the organization’s ability to serve even more children and families. On August 22, the Board voted to divide the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) role into two positions, effective October 1, 2025.

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In First Year, Helping Hands Assisted Many Impacted by Helene

October 5, 2025 BANNER ELK, N.C. – In early September of 2024, a small group of Elk River Club residents announced the formation of a charity to assist mountain residents in times of crisis. Elk River Helping Hands, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was barely up and running when Hurricane Helene created one of the worst-ever natural disasters in the North Carolina mountains.

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After a Helene Hiatus, Banner Elk’s Woolly Worm Festival Returns Oct. 18-19

October 3, 2025 The Woolly Worm Festival returns to downtown Banner Elk on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19. After a one-year cancellation due to Hurricane Helene, the festival is back and stronger than ever, with new features designed to enhance the visitor experience.

For nearly half a century, more than 20,000 festivalgoers have gathered in Banner Elk the third weekend in October to cheer on woolly worms racing up strings for a chance to become the official predictor of the High Country’s winter forecast.

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The Original Creations of 142 Regional Craftspeople Will Be on Display at the Valle Country Fair Saturday, October 18, 2025

October 3, 2025 VALLE CRUCIS, NC – The 47th annual Valle Country Fair (VCF) coming up Saturday, October 18 will feature the original handmade creations of 142 craftspeople from across the Southern Appalachians. Of those, 36 artists are exhibiting their work for the first time in 2025. “Each artisan was chosen because they have a unique style and point of view that makes their work different from the others,” said VCF Arts & Crafts Committee Chair Carolyn Shepherd.

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Dia Latino at the King Street Farmer’s Market and the Upcoming Winter Market!

October 3, 2025 Come and honor the rich cultural heritage of Latino communities in the High Country at  the Tuesday Farmers Market! This Tuesday, October 7th, community members will celebrate our Latin-American community from 3:30 to 6:30 at 126 Poplar Grove Connector with community group Immigrant Justice Coalition (IJC), a local non-profit supporting the local migrant community. They will be sharing community resources and information to learn more about supporting their cause.

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Blowing Rock School Fall Festival Celebrates Community Resilience

October 1, 2025 BLOWING ROCK, NC – The Blowing Rock School Parent-Teacher Organization will host its annual Fall Festival this Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the school field and inside the gym, located at 165 Morris Street in Downtown Blowing Rock. The annual event supports teachers and students through PTO funding for school improvements, classroom supplies, special projects and educational experiences.

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“A Community on a Mountain with a Garden and a City”, New Art Piece in Blowing Rock

September 30, 2025 In May of 2020, Lillie and Kevin Troyer commissioned local artist Roger Allen Nelson to paint a 9 foot by 12 foot work of art entitled “A Community on a Mountain with a Garden and a City.”The Troyer’s and Mr. Nelson collaborated diligently for 5 years to implement the vision for the piece that was planned to be placed in 4 Forty Four’s new office in Blowing Rock. The Troyer’s purchased the property for the new office in July of 2018 and had the first stage of their design / build business model completed to the extent that they had identified a location on a wall in the central room of the new office to accommodate this 9’ by 12’ canvas and frame. 

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AppleFEST at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market – Saturday, October 4th

September 30, 2025 Boone, NC – The Watauga County Farmers’ Market will celebrate the height of apple season with AppleFEST on Saturday, October 4th. Located at 591 Horn in the West Dr. in Boone, this bustling market with nearly 60 local vendors runs from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. every Saturday through November. This community tradition highlights the bounty of local orchards and the flavors of fall with fresh cider samples, an apple press experience, and the annual Apple Pie Contest.

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Grandfather Mountain hosts international “summit” 

September 30, 2025 LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, played host to the “Grandfather Summit” on Sept. 23, in partnership with the British Consulate General Atlanta and NC Forever. The day-long event included a tour of the N.C. nature park, panel discussions, presentations and “A Taste of Scotland” reception. 

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Watauga Humane Society Raises Over $130,000 at Fur Ball, Launches $300,000 Capital Improvements Campaign with Matching Gift

September 30, 2025 BOONE, NC — On Saturday, September 13, WHS hosted its first Fur Ball since 2019. Held in the Grandview Ballroom overlooking Appalachian State University, the gala brought together animal lovers from across the High Country for a night of celebration with real impact. In just one evening, over $130,000 was raised to support lifesaving shelter services, medical care, and pet adoption programs.

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VCF 2025 – “Come Hungry to the Fair!”

September 30, 2025 Come Hungry to the Valle Country Fair on Saturday, October 18
VALLE CRUCIS, NC – “Come hungry,” said Food Chairperson Trish Lanier. “Nibble your way through Fair flavors like apple cider, roasted corn and fried pies before you stock up on barbecue, Brunswick Stew or chili to take home for your evening meal. Everything you eat helps raise money for the charitable works of the Fair, so there is no such thing as eating too much!”

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VCF 2025 – Gallehers 31st Year as BBQ Bosses

September 29, 2025 VALLE CRUCIS, NC – The October 18 Valle Country Fair (VCF) will be the swan song for BBQ Booth chairs Mike and Debbie Galleher, as the 2025 festival will be the last in their 31-year run as members of the VCF leadership team. “We started going to Holy Cross church and wanted to get involved in the Valle Country Fair,” said Mike. “We were told that everyone starts with garbage.”
Always held on the third Saturday in October (October 18, 2025), the Valle Country Fair is an authentic harvest-season celebration that revolves around hand-made crafts, home-cooked food and mountain music. Proceeds are used to provide grants to local charities and relief to local families with emergency needs. Admission is FREE and parking is available in the adjoining field for $10 per vehicle.

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TOWN OF BLOWING ROCK SEEKS FILLING A VACANT BOARD SEAT

September 29, 2025 The Tourism Development Authority (TDA) promotes, solicits, and encourages tourism in the Town of Blowing Rock in accordance with adopted Town plans/policies and administers the appropriation of the room occupancy tax proceeds. This Authority also studies the impact of tourism on the Town and develops strategies to minimize any negative impacts of tourism on the Town. The Authority shall have at least one/third of its members affiliated with lodging establishments that collect the occupancy tax and at least three/fourths of its members active in the promotion of travel and tourism in Blowing Rock. There are five (5) members of the Tourism Development Authority, two (2) members shall be individuals who are affiliated with the businesses that collect the occupancy tax.

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BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION RECEIVES

September 26, 2025 BOONE, NC – The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation (BACCF) is excited to announce it has received a $250,000 grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s (CDP) Truist Foundation Western North Carolina Recovery and Resiliency Fund (the Fund).

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County hires new SRO for Blowing Rock School

September 25, 2025 In 2018, the Blowing Rock Town Council voted to hire a school resource officer (SRO) for Blowing Rock School. That decision preceded the Watauga County Board of Commissioners’ choice to fund SROs for county schools. The historic relationship between county commissioners and the Town of Blowing Rock regarding budget items was different than today. At that time, the county decided to allow the town to continue funding the SRO position on its own.

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Over 100 Indivisible High Country protesters gather Saturday afternoon

September 25, 2025 Over 100 protesters gathered along Stadium Drive between the duck pond and Jack Branch Drive Saturday afternoon to greet attendees of the Watauga County Republican Party’s Lincoln-Reagan dinner. The multi-generational group of protesters included members of Indivisible High Country and representatives from Appalachian State’s and Watauga High School’s Indivisible chapters. The protest began at 4:00 p.m. and was in full swing by the time the first dinner guests arrived around 4:30 p.m.

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VCF 2025 – “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Release

September 25, 2025 Helene turned our world upside down last year and forced the cancelation of the 2024 Valle Country Fair (VCF), but the congregation of Holy Cross Episcopal Church rallied and is planning to reintroduce the beloved Fair on October 18, 2025, at the Red Barn pasture on Highway 194 between Banner Elk and Valle Crucis.

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Four Eggers testifies before House Subcommittee on Natural Disasters and Elections

September 24, 2025 On September 16, National Voter Registration Day, Four Eggers testified in Washington, D.C. before U.S. House Administration Subcommittee on Elections. Eggers is an attorney in Boone and serves as the secretary for the North Carolina Board of Elections. Florida’s former Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Karen Bell, former executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections, joined the panel with Eggers.

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HCC A Night at Chetola is a hit!

September 23, 2025 Blowing Rock (NC) – “My Girl” echoed around Chetola Resort on Sept. 11 as hundreds of people gathered to raise money for High Country Caregivers, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting grandparents and other kinship caregivers. The 5th Annual “A Night at Chetola”, a gala fundraiser sponsored this year by The Kennedy-Herterich Foundation, Chetola Resorts, UBS — Wickham Cash Partners, Blowing Rock Brewing, and Ron & Reba Kennedy. 

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Wildlife Agency Provides Updates to State’s Hatchery Devastated by Helene

September 23, 2025 RALEIGH, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2025) — Just as many lives, businesses, landscapes and wildlife were impacted on September 27, 2024 by Hurricane Helene as it ravaged through western North Carolina, one of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) fish hatcheries, the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County, was nearly destroyed.

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Annual Fall Color Ramble returns to Grandfather Mountain on Sept. 27

September 24, 2025 LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is set to begin its annual Fall Color Ramble, marking one of the most beautiful times of the year. This series of guided nature walks allows guests to experience the season’s signature colors like never before. The Fall Color Rambles will be offered daily, weather permitting, from Saturday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 12. The short excursions begin at 1 p.m. outside the entrance of the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, and they typically last for 30 minutes.

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National Storytelling Festival returns to Jonesborough Oct. 3–5

September 22, 2025 JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — Large white tents will once again transform historic downtown Jonesborough into a stage for the imagination as the National Storytelling Festival returns Oct. 3–5 for its 52nd year. Recognized as America’s premier storytelling event, the Festival draws visitors from across the country and around the globe to the Storytelling Capital of the World. Since 1973, audiences have gathered in Tennessee’s oldest town to be inspired and entertained by folktales, fables, myths, legends, and personal stories told by master storytellers.

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Watauga County Habitat for Humanity – Blueprints and Bow Ties Press Release – 2025

September 22, 2025 Watauga County Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to announce the 12th annual Blueprints and Bow Ties fundraiser! This live and silent auction event will be hosted at Appalachian State University’s Grandview Ballroom on October 23th, from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Auction-goers can expect to be greeted upon entry, and can enjoy adult beverages with drink tickets provided for every ticket holder, and food catered by Appalachian State’s Grandview Catering and Events, while browsing silent auction items.

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