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Banner Elk

Scottish Heritage USA Celebrates 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee on July 13th

June 19, 2025 Scottish Heritage USA is holding a special 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner on July 13 at the end of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games to celebrate the organization’s Diamond Jubilee. A festive dinner, traditional Scottish music and song by Tryon, NC Master Fiddler Jamie Laval and Scottish Heritage USA minstrel Colin Grant Adams, stories of Robert Burns from the National Trust for Scotland’s Learning Manager Chris Waddell, and recognition of Scottish Heritage USA’s decades of success will make this an evening to remember for all. The event will be held at the Best Western Mountain Lodge in Banner Elk from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. The reception and dinner costs $85 per person for members and $100 per person for non-members. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.ScottishHeritageUSA.org

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All Ears: Banner Elk Unveils First-Ever Summer of Music Featuring 90-Plus Live Performances

May 30, 2025 While the arts have always played a key role in Banner Elk, the town takes it up a notch in 2025 with its first-ever Summer of Music. Top-level national, regional and local acts take the stage at a variety of venues all summer long. The schedule features 90-plus live performances, highlighted by Country Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Fortune, bluegrass stars Jim Lauderdale and Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Oates and Gary Morris, who has five No. 1 country songs.

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Elk River Helping Hands Concert Featuring Rock Hall of Fame Member John Oates and Grammy Award-Winning Artist Jim Lauderdale Set for June 20th at Lees-McRae College

May 29, 2025 The Elk River Helping Hands Concert Series proudly announces its next event to be held Friday, June 20, 2025, at Hayes Auditorium on the campus of Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Doors at 6pm and concert at 7pm. This extraordinary evening of music and community will feature Rock Hall of Famer John Oates (Hall and Oates) and the Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Jim Lauderdale, with proceeds benefiting Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the area

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W.A.M.Y. Community Action’s Denim & Diamonds 2025 Event Shines Bright, Raising $119,000 to Support High Country Families

May 29, 2025 On May 22, the High Country community gathered at The White Crow Farm in Banner Elk for WAMY Community Action’s annual Denim & Diamonds gala. The enchanting evening welcomed over 250 guests and raised an incredible $119,000 to aid families in Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. Proceeds will focus on supporting low-income families, particularly those still recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

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Banner Elk Police Department Partners with Hurricane Creek K9 Foundation to Launch Town’s First-Ever K9 Program

May 27, 2025 The Banner Elk Police Department is proud to announce a new partnership with the Hurricane Creek K9 Foundation to bring the first-ever police K9 to the Town of Banner Elk—a historic step in rebuilding and strengthening public safety after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene in 2024. Banner Elk, a small mountain town known for its charm, resilience, and thriving tourism economy, suffered widespread damage during the storm. The town was completely cut off, with all entry and exit points washed out, and its residents went without water for over a month. Among the hardest-hit facilities was the Banner Elk Police Department, which was flooded to the point of being rendered uninhabitable. To this day, officers remain displaced, working out of temporary arrangements as recovery efforts continue.

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Banner House Museum Announces Hours, Tours, and Tickets for Summer 2025

May 23, 2025.  Experience 19th-century life in Banner Elk and the High Country in the home of Samuel Henry Banner, one of Banner Elk’s early settlers and his his wife, Jane Hyder Banner, and their seven children.  The circa 1870 house has been furnished with period heirlooms donated and loaned by area residents to tell the story of Banner Elk life from the 1870’s to the 1900’s. An exhibition room highlights local history from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.  In addition, visitors may see a volunteer weaver demonstrating traditional hand-weaving techniques on a floor loom.

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Nunsense Musical Comes to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church June 1st, 3rd and 4th

May 12, 2025 Lees-McRae Summer Theatre kicks off its 40th season with the hilarious musical Nunsense. In this zany musical revue, the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters. They are in dire need of funds for the burials, so they put on a variety show to raise money. This Broadway hit has been an international phenomenon for 40 years. Shows will be June 1 at 2 p.m., June 3 at 7 p.m. and June 4 at 7 p.m. Admission is free with “pay-what-you-will” donations going to Lees-McRae Summer Theatre.

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Bounce Back Continues as Art on the Greene Shows Return to Banner Elk

May 7, 2025 After serving as a staging ground for Hurricane Helene relief, Banner Elk’s town green gets back to its regular purpose with the return of community events. The first four events to return are the popular Art on the Greene summertime two-day art shows, which take place the following weekends: May 24-25, July 5-6, Aug. 2-3 and Aug. 30-31. Some of the best artwork in the Blue Ridge Mountains can be found as 40 to 60 local and regional artists display their wares on the manicured lawn of the Historic Banner Elk School.

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Helping Hands Concert Series Brings Big Names to Banner Elk at Hayes Auditorium

April 16, 2025 Stars from across the music spectrum will perform three benefit concerts this summer at Hayes Auditorium on the campus of Lees-McRae College. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Oates of Hall & Oates, Country Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Fortune of The Statler Brothers, and two-time Grammy winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale are among the star-studded lineup. All artists are donating their time to raise money for Hurricane Helene victims in the greater Banner Elk area.

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Ensemble Stage Professional Theater Announce Their 2025 Summer Season Line-Up

April 14, 2025 The Ensemble Stage Professional Theater has announce their 2025 summer season line-up of shows along with ticket information. There will be four productions at the 99 seat Summer MainStage located in Banner Elk. Season tickets go on sale April 14 and single tickets will be available beginning April 28. Season tickets are available only by calling 828-414-1844 or stopping by the box office at 185 Azalea Circle located at the Historic Banner Elk School.

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Community Good Friday Service Returns at Banner Elk Presbyterian April 18

April 2, 2025 A Tenebrae Service of music will be held on Good Friday, April 18, 2025, at 6 PM at the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The community is invited to join a powerful service of readings and songs entitled “Witnesses” with reflections from people who had interactions with Jesus. Meditations and scripture will be paired with music by the adult choir, handbell choir, soloists and guest musicians. The music, led by Choral Director Nina Allbert and Organist/Pianist David Soyars, will include “Agnus Dei” from High Lonesome (Bluegrass) Mass and beautiful arrangements of “When Jesus Wept”, “More Love to Thee”, and many more. Dr. Janet Speer wrote the powerful readings.

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Avery County Woman Will Use $466,415 Win to Help People Affected by Helene

March 13, 2025 Tracy Bell of Banner Elk wants to give back to her community after she won a $466,415 jackpot playing a digital instant game. “Everyone around here has been through a lot lately,” she said. “I want to help some friends who lost a lot in the storm.” Bell played a $10 ticket on Sunday and won the top level ‘Epic jackpot’ in the Wheel of Bonuses game, a digital instant game featuring a progressive jackpot that can be won at any time. The odds of that win are 1 in 3.1 million. “It was pretty amazing,” she said.

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Elk River Helping Hands Concert Series to Support Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts in Western North Carolina

February 28, 2025 The people of North Carolina most affected by Hurricane Helene will receive a much-needed financial boost from a series of summer benefit concerts presented by the Elk River Helping Hands organization located in Banner Elk, NC. Former music attorney, artist manager, and television producer Bill Carter created the non-profit along with members of the Elk River Club. The organization serves as a financial resource for residents of western North Carolina impacted by illness, loss, or unforeseen hardship. The current efforts of Elk River Helping Hands are focused on relief efforts in Watauga and Avery counties following Hurricane Helene. “We had no idea how timely our efforts would turn out to be,” Carter said. “The hurricane may have done its initial damage in September, but the need is still staggering.”

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Mountainfilm on Tour Returns to Lees-McRae College on Feb. 8 as Part of the High Country Film and Speaker Series

January 14, 2025. Mountainfilm on Tour, a collection of top-of-the-line outdoor adventure films from the annual Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado, is returning to Lees-McRae this winter as part of the college’s High Country Adventure Film and Speaker Series. Mountainfilm’s mission is to use the power of the film medium to inspire audiences to create a better world. To achieve this, they collect the most inspiring, culturally rich, and adventurous documentary short films each year to share with a national audience. Mountainfilm on Tour will come to Lees-McRae on Saturday, Feb. 8, and the films will be screened in Hayes Auditorium. The screening will begin at 6 p.m.

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Ensemble Stage 2024 Holiday Show is Back On Track with First of Seven Shows Starting Tonight

December 6, 2024 Thanks to the amazing work of countless volunteers, local and out-of-town contractors, many local businesses and non-profits, along with the superior planning and relief response of our town administration, it looks like the entire town of Banner Elk will be back up and running at full speed in record time. So, thanks to all those people and businesses, Ensemble Stage WILL be presenting its 2024 Holiday Musical Variety Show.

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Festive Community Carol Sing Returns to Banner Elk Dec. 7 at the Banner Elk Presbyterian Church

November 18, 2024 On Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 3 PM, join a joyous sing-along of familiar Christmas carols in the sanctuary of the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The fourth annual Community Carol Sing is a 45-minute casual service that includes a dozen favorite songs, ranging from “White Christmas” to “Joy to the World”, for all ages to enjoy. To allow the audience to rest their voices occasionally, the Lees-McRae Highlanders, church choir and soloists will sing beloved classics including O Holy Night, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and a jazzy Deck the Halls.

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Lees-McRae Theatre Arts Season to Return with 1960s Musical “Sweet Charity” November 21

November 8, 2024 Fans of romcoms, classical musical theatre, and Bob Fosse choreography will not want to miss the first production of the season from Lees-McRae Theatre Arts, “Sweet Charity.” While it was initially delayed due to Hurricane Helene, the show will make it to the stage Thursday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 24. The dance-forward musical tells the story of Charity, a taxi dancer in 1960s New York City who is looking for love in all the wrong places. “The tagline from the beginning of the show has been, ‘The adventures of a girl who wanted to be loved,’” junior Musical Theatre major LillyRuth Beck, who plays the titular role, said.

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Giving Thanks: Banner Elk to Reopen for the Holidays; Ready to Welcome Back Visitors

November 8, 2024 The Western North Carolina town of Banner Elk, a popular tourist destination closed since late September because of Hurricane Helene, reopens to visitors Thanksgiving week. Although the holiday season is always a special time in this mountain community, there’s an extra sense of gratitude in 2024. After weeks without power and more than a month without water and other services, the town cherishes a return to normalcy with a deep appreciation for all the help it has received. “Banner Elk is ready to welcome back visitors for the holidays,” says Mayor Brenda Lyerly. “The resilience in our special town has been amazing and Thanksgiving in Banner Elk should be on everyone’s calendar. Then, come enjoy our ‘Small Town Christmas’ celebration the first weekend in December with three exciting days of holiday activities.”

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Ensemble Stage Theatre Condition and Status of Upcoming Scheduled Shows Following Hurricane Helene 

October 14, 2024 Sorry it has taken so long for you to hear from us. For the first week after the storm we were without power, water, internet, or cell service. Since we were also unable to get to the theatre during that time, we decided to wait until we could provide you with as much accurate information as we could before sending this update. There’s some specific local hurricane information at the bottom of this email. First things first. If you, your friends and/or loved ones, live in any of the areas affected by Helene or Milton, we hope you made it through without any major issues. The building Ensemble Stage is in (the Historic Banner Elk School) did not appear to receive any structural damage, and is currently being used as the primary disaster relief station for the Banner Elk area.

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Wednesday Update from the Town of Banner Elk

October 10, 2024 Avery County and the Town of Banner Elk remain under a State of Emergency due to the extensive flooding and wind damage caused by Hurricane Helene.  Messages received here may not be responded to.  If your matter is urgent, please call Banner Elk Town Hall.

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Banner Elk Volunteers Ask for Cash Donations to Help Victims Get Back Up on Their Feet While Still Providing Basic Necessities

October 7, 2024 On Sunday afternoon the Banner Elk donation center was a hotbed of activity. Situated in the old Historic Banner Elk School, the Resource Center has been the place where local volunteers have been receiving donations. Volunteers were busy receiving, sorting and organizing donations of everything from toilet paper, to paper towels, to diapers, to canned soup, even MREs that have arrived from across the region. Nancy Owen of Banner Elk who directs the town’s Tourism Development Authority was on hand helping to coordinate the process Through purely exhausted eyes but with the vibrancy of the energizer bunny she remarked that, while overwhelmingly grateful for all of these donations, what the residents of Banner Elk and surrounding communities really need now was cash assistance. “We need cash. We are able to fill peoples basic needs of food and drinking water which they need in order to survive, but these folks are going to need money to move beyond this tragedy.” By Dolores Smith

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Luxury Castle in the Clouds is the Most Expensive Home in Banner Elk for $14 Million

September 24, 2024 120 Summit Park Drive, a one-of-a-kind architectural marvel perched within the prestigious gates of Elk River, has entered the market. Offered for $14,000,000, this exceptional estate is the most expensive home ever offered in Banner Elk and is truly a statement piece on grand luxury living. The property is marketed exclusively by Marilyn Wright of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s Asheville office. The listing details may be viewed here. Spanning 7.64 private, meticulously landscaped acres, this extraordinary mountain retreat showcases unrivaled craftsmanship and a design that harmonizes rustic charm with contemporary luxury.

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Local Ballot Includes Five County, Four Judicial, One State Senate, One State House Seats and Two Referendums

September 17, 2024 The 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5. Polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. According to the State Board of Elections, any voter in line at a polling place to vote after 7:30 p.m. may still vote.In addition to National and North Carolina statewide elections, Avery County voters can cast ballots in three county elections, including for three County Commission seats, Register of Deeds, and Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor, as well as in six district elections, including for four Judicial seats, one State Senate seat, one State House seat, and one Town of Newland Referendum, the latter of which only registered voters who live within the town’s limits may vote. By Tim Gardner

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Lee Rankin of Apple Hill Farm in Banner Elk Inducted Into the WNC Ag Hall of Fame

September 10, 2024 WNC Communities held the 32nd annual Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the WNC Agricultural Center – Davis Event Center in Fletcher.  Watauga County alpaca farmer Lee Rankin, a tireless advocate for agritourism in the Western North Carolina, was inducted at this year’s luncheon. Each year, this event serves as a testament to the hard work, innovation, and commitment of those who have shaped our agricultural heritage and future. It recognizes those responsible for agricultural advancement and aims to encourage, improve, and promote agriculture and agribusiness in the region. Lee Rankin, the visionary behind Apple Hill Farm in Banner Elk, North Carolina, has been a transformative force in agritourism and agriculture for over two decades.

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Avery County Sheriff’s Office Makes Arrest Involving Internet Crimes Against Children

September 10, 2024 On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Avery County Sheriff’s Office along with Sugar Mountain Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant on the residence of Maxcim Kori, located in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Kori was identified by authorities in Florida pursuant to an Internet Crimes Against Children CyberTipline Report showing his potential involvement with child sexual abuse material. Based on the investigation in Florida, warrants were issued against Kori for Possession, Control, or Intentionally Viewing Sexual Performances by a Child. During the investigation in Florida, officers learned that Kori had moved to North Carolina and was living in Banner Elk.

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