728 x 90

Boone

Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and Watauga County Schools Host Inaugural Trades Signing Day

April 30, 2026 Boone, NC – April 30, 2026 – Ceremony speakers included Boone Area Chamber Summit members Jay Harrill of Foscoe Realty and Development and Talia Freeman of Beech Mountain Resort, both Watauga High School alumni who returned to speak to students about career pathways in the region. Dr. Tierra Stark, Director of Student Services and CTE for Watauga County Schools, and Dr. Scott Strickler, Principal of Watauga High School, also addressed attendees and presented students with a certificate and graduation cord.

Read more

Watauga County Farmers’ Market Kicks Off Main Season with Full Vendor Lineup and Expanded Weekly Programming

April 30, 2026 Boone, NC – April 30, 2026 – After a steady start to the spring season, the market now welcomes back its full vendor community, offering a wide range of locally produced goods—from fresh flowers, garden starts, and seasonal produce to pasture-raised meats, eggs, and cheeses, artisan treats, small-batch pantry staples, handmade crafts, and original artwork.

Read more

Jones House Announces 2026 Summer Concert Series Lineup

April 22, 2026 Boone, NC – April 22, 2026 – “We love being able to bring free live music to the community each summer,” says Brandon Holder, Cultural Resources Coordinator for the Town of Boone. “It’s a great way to support local artists and create a welcoming space for folks to gather and enjoy downtown Boone.”

Read more

Getting Wild at Boone’s Art Crawl: Footsloggers Hosts an Earth Day Celebration on April 17

BOONE, NC – On Friday, April 17, Footsloggers is teaming up with Friends of the Blue Ridge and Rock Dimensions to bring the April Art Crawl’s Earth Day Celebration to a higher level. Held in the Footsloggers Courtyard at 139 Depot Street, this free community event blends outdoor adventure, local art, and environmental stewardship. The courtyard will be packed with interactive experiences, including: Event Details:● What: Earth Day & Art Crawl Celebration● When: April 17, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM● Where: The Courtyard between Footsloggers and Rock Dimensions, 139 Depot Street, Boone, NC● Cost: Free and open to the public More Information: Footsloggers Earth Day Celebration (https://tinyurl.com/booneearthday) or call at 828-355-9984.

Boone Sunrise Rotary Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Boone, NC – April 21, 2026 – The Boone Sunrise Rotary Club is proudly celebrating 40 years of service to the High Country community this April. Founded on April 21, 1986, by a group of local business leaders committed to community service, the club has spent four decades living out Rotary’s guiding principle of “Service Above Self.”  A founding Boone Sunrise Rotary Club Member, John Cooper, stated, “The Boone Rotary Club, at that time, had a very long tradition of service and strong membership consisting of the business leaders in Boone and surrounding areas. Because meetings were held during evening hours, tearing members away from their families, many wanted a morning club. The Boone Sunrise Rotary Club was established with a morning breakfast meeting, and quickly set about making Boone a better place, through service and contributions to many of the local non-profits that met the needs of our community. It has continued that good work for over 40 years.”  Today, the club has about 60 active members, both working and retired, who represent a wide range of local businesses and industry including education and nonprofit.    To mark this milestone, Boone Sunrise Rotary members have joined Mark Norris, with …

Read More

Boone Sunrise Rotary Invites the Public to a Free Viewing of the Film Colossus: The Forbin Project at the Appalachian Theater

Boone, NC, —  Part One of a Two-Part series will examine a growing public curiosity and concern about artificial intelligence and offer the community an opportunity to use examples from science fiction and modern technology to explore how imagined ideas often become reality.  Every day, the acronym AI can be found in media publications, on television and in private conversations.  Most people know it refers to Artificial Intelligence and generally only deal with it in the context of how they use it, many commonly using platforms like Chat GPT or Claude to help with day-to-day tasks, writing projects or research.   We also hear stories about how AI has entered everyday life events or how AI helps medical diagnostics and worry about whether AI may or may not take over certain jobs now held by human workers.  We also recognize that AI can very convincingly dispense information or advice that is untrue or even illegal.  Even so, how many of us really understand what AI is, how it works, and what dangers may accompany the benefits that can exist?  The complexities and possibilities of AI are both fascinating and alarming.   Sometimes the best way to motivate ourselves to think about complex …

Read More

High Country Power of Women

April 16th 2026 Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Location: Mark E. Ricks Athletic Complex  425 Jack Branch Dr, Boone, NC 28608 We are bringing together an incredible panel of women who are leading at the highest level in collegiate athletics: Alaura Sharp – Head Women’s Basketball Coach Annie Richards – Women’s Distance Coach Aimee Haywood – Head Women’s Soccer Coach Together, they’ll share real, impactful insights on: This is more than just an event — it’s an opportunity to connect, grow, and be inspired alongside other amazing women in our High Country community. We would love to see you there!

Parkers’ Mandolin to Perform Concert at the Jones House Cultural Center

April 9, 2026 Boone, NC – April 9, 2026 -For this special performance, the duo will be joined by guitarist Andy Page and bassist Adam Booker, rounding out the ensemble with a rich and dynamic rhythm section. Both musicians are respected educators who teach in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, and bring a depth of experience and musicality that enhances the group’s already compelling sound.

Read more

Appalachian State University Announces 2026 Football Schedule

BOONE, N.C. — The Sun Belt Conference on Friday announced the complete 2026 regular season schedule for App State Football. The schedule has five Saturday home dates to go along with one midweek home game in league play: a nationally televised Thursday home contest against James Madison on Oct. 22, six days after App State plays a Friday night game at Coastal Carolina.  The nonconference schedule is made up of four September games all played in the state of North Carolina, and the Mountaineers’ league schedule starts with six East Division matchups before concluding with a pair of games against West Division foes. ULM visits Boone before App State ends the regular season at South Alabama. With head coach Dowell Loggains entering his second season in Boone, the Mountaineers began Spring Ball 2026 practices earlier this month. There are 66 newcomers currently on the 2026 roster, including 35 transfer portal newcomers from NCAA institutions and 29 December signees. The first full signing class for Loggains became the highest-rated class in App State history and the highest-ranked class in Sun Belt history via 247Sports.  2026 SCHEDULESat., Sept. 5 vs. MaineSat., Sept. 12 at East CarolinaSat., Sept. 19 vs. CharlotteSat., Sept. 26 at NC StateSat., …

Read More

Western Youth Network’s (WYN) mentoring program rolled strikes at its bowling party at High Country Lanes on February 9, 2026!  

February 17, 2026 Boone, NC – February 17, 2026 -Angela McMann, WYN Director of Mentoring, called the event “A beautiful opportunity to share with the community what mentoring is all about. This brought together so many aspects of the mentoring relationships. We are hopeful that some of the perspective volunteers will be able to pair up with some of the youth that were in attendance. This event was a tremendous success.”  

Read more

Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Announces 2025 Watauga County Businesses of the Year

January 8, 2026 Boone, NC – January 8, 2026 -“Each of these businesses hold high the value of community partnerships,” said David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “While their individual missions and reach are diverse, their commitment to community is their unifying trait, and nothing short of inspiring. All three have relied on the local market to build their workforce, they’ve sought unique ways to partner with local individuals and businesses to support and advance projects, and they each excel in providing a touch of High Country hospitality in how they operate. We are excited to celebrate with these businesses and showcase their successes and positive impacts on our community.”

Read more

Watauga County Public Library to close for Staff Training and Christmas Holiday

Provided by: The Watauga County Public Library All Watauga County Public Library locations will open at 1 PM on Thursday, December 18 to allow for morning staff training. All Watauga County Public Libraries will be closed for the Christmas holiday on the following dates: Wednesday, December 24 Thursday, December 25 Friday, December 26 Thursday, January 1 All Watauga County Public Libraries will close at 5 pm on: Wednesday, December 31

“A Carolina Snowbelle Christmas” Returns December 5–7, 2025

December 4, 2025 Boone, NC – December 4, 2025 -Performances are scheduled to “kick off” (pun intended) the 2025 holiday season at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, beginning with an 8 p.m. curtain on Friday, December 5, continuing with two Saturday shows at 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. on December 6, and two Sunday shows at 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. on December 7.

Read more

Boone Junior Appalachian Musicians Announce Recital at the Appalachian Theatre

December 3, 2025 Boone, NC – December 3, 2025 -This semester’s recital features over 100 students from Boone JAM group classes, sharing the region’s deep musical traditions on guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele. The community is invited to enjoy an evening of lively, heartfelt music from the next generation of old-time and bluegrass musicians.

Read more

New Mercy Urgent Care location in Boone now open

December 3, 2025 Boone, NC – December 3, 2025 – “With 125 years of history in Western North Carolina, Mercy’s mission has always centered around providing compassionate, affordable care,” said Rachel Sossoman, president and CEO of Mercy Urgent Care. “We’re thrilled to soon join the Boone community and do our part to eliminate barriers to care so people can get the help they need, when they need it.”

Read more

High Country Photography Showcase Spotlights Local Talent

November 26, 2025 Boone, NC – November 26, 2025 -The free event is hosted by the High Country region of the Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association (CNPA). It will be held in the library’s community meeting room at 140 Queen Street. The public is invited to attend.

Read more

Town Council honors Amy Davis for over 25 years of service to Boone

November 26, 2025 Boone, NC – November 26, 2025 – “It has been a true privilege to work alongside Amy throughout my eleven years with the Town of Boone. Her kindness, steady leadership, and unwavering support for Town staff have made a lasting impact on the Town of Boone. Amy will be deeply missed, and I am grateful to also call her a friend.” – Nicole Harmon, Town Clerk

Read more

Lawsuit filed in federal court against Watauga County Board of Elections

November 5, 2025 Common Cause North Caolina, Watauga County Voting Rights Taskforce and a group of citizens, including former members of the Watauga County Board of Commissioners, filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging state lawmakers’ changes to Watauga County voting maps. The lawsuit alleges that republican lawmakers, lead by state Senator Ralph Hise of Mitchell County, gerrymandered voting maps for Watauga County commissioners and Watauga County Board of Education.

Read more

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).

Read more

One Card, Endless Possibilities: Celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month this September

September 2, 2025 (Boone, NC) This September, Watauga County Public Library invites you to celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month and discover how a single card can open the door to endless opportunities. With a library card, you can do more than check out books. From free classes and job resources to homework help, streaming media, and cultural events, today’s libraries connect communities to information, inspiration, and each other.

Read more

+ More Articles