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Weekend Round Up: Things to Do This Weekend in the High Country; June 21-23

June 21, 2013. The High Country has so many exciting events to offer its community and visitors, especially in the summer months. Check our site every Friday for something new and exciting to look forward to while you’re watching the hour hand crawl to 5 o’clock. Find live music down the street, explore a nearby town’s local secrets or try out a new square dancing class. There’s always something fun to do in the High Country.

Friday, June 21

Watauga County Humane Society Rummage Sale: Watauga Humane Society Rummage Sale: will be held Friday and Saturday, June 21 and 22, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the National Guard Armory. Donors are invited to take their donations to Blue Skies Storage, located at 482 State Farm Road in Boone, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Mondays. After pulling into the Blue Skies parking lot, make an immediate right and continue around the building to door No. 5. Signs will be posted to mark the door where volunteers will help you. For more information, contact Dee Dundon at (828) 264-9116.

Writing Workshop- High Country Festival of the Book: Whether you are already published or just beginning, this workshop will have something for everyone. From screenwriting to publishing secrets, this day-long event includes a variety of speakers, a breakfast snack and lunch. Registration is $40 of which, $30 is your tax-deductible contribution to the Friends of the Library. Tickets available at the library or on our web site.

Mile of Flowers Garden Tour and Symposium: The Blowing Rock Garden Club is pleased to announce that we will host our 3rd Mile of Flowers Tour and Symposium (please note that the event will be on Friday this year). Rain or shine!

Wilkesboro’s Weekly Open Air Market: Wilkesboro hosts a weekly Open Air Market on West Main Street in the heart of historic downtown, offering farm-fresh fruits, vegetables and plants, as well as handmade crafts. The market’s focus is on supporting and sustaining the local farm and artisan community. The market takes place every Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., from April 19 through Oct. 18. Admission is free. The town of Wilkesboro will also provide an open mike opportunity during the regular Open Air Market Fridays for local and regional musicians. Open mike signups will be available weekly April through October, not including the Third Friday Events, which are held April through August. To sign up, or for more information, contact Andrew Carlton at Wilkesboro Town Hall at (336) 838-3951.

Concerts at the Jones House – Doc Watson Celebration: Concerts at the Jones House – Every Friday in downtown Boone. FREE! Bring your own chair or blanket. Concerts start at 5:00 p.m.

Biscuits, Book and Ballads: Fund-raising dinner with author Sharyn McCrumb and folk singer Mary Greene to support the Friends of the Library’s Book Festival. Tickets will be available at the Watauga County Library or on our web site at www.highcountryfestivalofthebook.com. $50, of which $35 is tax-deductible. Wine and beer sold separately.

Bluegrass at Todd General: Join us every Friday from late May until Thanksgiving and listen to a variety of live Bluegrass Acts. Dinner will be served at 6pm and music starts at 7pm. Come early to be sure you get a seat. The event is free but tips and donations for the band are appreciated.

Music in the Valle: Join Valle Crucis Community Park as we celebrate the 11th anniversary season of Music in the Valle! All concerts begin at 7:00 and end at sundown. Admission is free, but a $5 donation per person to the park is recommended. Pets are welcome but must be leashed. There is absolutely no smoking allowed in the park. Bring a picnic, a blanket or chairs, and enjoy!

Saturday, June 22

15th Annual Blood, Sweat and Gears: This event is always held the fourth Saturday in June. It begins at 7:30 AM. The start and finish is at Valle Crucis Elementary School in Valle Crucis. Registration is full for the cycling event. The BSG is a challenging to strenuous full English century – 100 mile loop ride starting and ending at the Valle Crucis Elementary School, approximately 5 miles south of Boone, North Carolina. The route roughly circles Boone through the outskirts of Watauga County, the heart of North Carolina’s High Country. The terrain is constantly changing with hills of all lengths and curves too numerous to count. The cumulative climbing elevation is 13,000+ feet, with the climb up to the gap at Snake Mountain, milepoint 63, reaching an 18-20% grade near the top.

Watauga County Farmers’ Market: Every Saturday morning from May to November you will find quality locally farmed meats, fresh produce, artisan cheeses, dried and fresh cut flowers, hardy local plants, delicious edibles, and a wide variety of quality crafts. Join PHARMN at the Kids’ Corner for Mini-Markets where kids 12 and under can set up as vendors to sell their original arts and crafts, plants, produce and flowers they have helped grow.

Watauga Humane Society Rummage Sale: Watauga Humane Society Rummage Sale: will be held Friday and Saturday, June 21 and 22, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the National Guard Armory. Donors are invited to take their donations to Blue Skies Storage, located at 482 State Farm Road in Boone, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Mondays. After pulling into the Blue Skies parking lot, make an immediate right and continue around the building to door No. 5. Signs will be posted to mark the door where volunteers will help you. For more information, contact Dee Dundon at (828) 264-9116.

High Country Festival of the Book: Celebrate reading, books, and authors for all ages! Award-winning authors discuss their books. Exhibit area with authors, publishers, and community organizations. Children’s activities include crafts, story time with authors,and a free book for every child. Come and spend the day! Breakfast and lunch available through Mountain Alliance.

The Beech Mountain ClimbMAX: 10K-5K & Fun Run/Walk- Beech Mountain Takes It To The MAX! Eastern America’s highest elevation township’s road race to take advantage of its rarified altitiude differentails to push you to the MAX!

Lenoir Downtown Farmers’ Market: The Lenoir Downtown Farmer’s Market is a local producers only market. All goods are grown, made, designed or processed by the market vendors. Our vendors include vintners, local grass fed beef and pork, free range eggs, goats milk soaps and lotions, honey, alpaca wools, various produce, local arts and crafts, heritage eggs, herbs and spices, both living and dried, Herbville and Crane teas and sauces, just to name a few. We also feature a variety of live music including Celtic music, classic acoustic rock, Jazz saxophone, and many more. Need another reason? Here it is. Our market often features a specific product from one of our vendors, and we’ll be grilling up something almost every weekend, chicken wings, 100% beef hot dogs, grilled corn, tomatoes, and asparagus! Don’t miss this chance to meet and support your local farmers and producers, and help keep North Carolina foods close to home.

Siren Mountain Jam: Siren Mountain Jam is a two-day women’s music and art festival held at the beautiful High Country Fairgrounds in Boone, North Carolina, on June 21-22, 2013. Siren Mountain Jam brings together some of the best women musicians and female-fronted bands, world-class women artists, and non-profit women’s organizations for a weekend of fun celebrating women’s contributions to the arts. In addition to a dozen musical acts and thirty artist vendors, the festival offers a healing arts village, workshops on a variety of topics, and activities that promote women’s art, causes, and concerns. Food vendors will provide vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. On-site camping and nearby hotel accommodations are available. For information on tickets, lineup, and other festival details, check our website at www.sirenmountainjam.com.

Avery County Inaugural Beer Fest: Be a part of the first ever Beer Festival to be held in Plumtree on June 22nd. Come out for beer tastings as well as food, music, and lots of fun!

Blue Heaven Resort and Spa Open House: We invite you to join us to celebrate when we open this destination spa for relaxation and healing. With breath-taking views, comfortable rooms, holistic dining and a specialty in Eastern treatments with natural oils, Blue Heaven Resort and Spa will be a special addition to the High Country. Our address is 911 Rock Cliff Rd, near Heavenly Mountain. For directions, please visit the Blue Heaven website. RSVPs are encouraged, though people can drop by at anytime on Saturday from 1-5. You can contact us at (800) 368-5168.

Sunday, June 23

89th Annual Singing on the Mountain: Free, all-day gospel sing and fellowship held in MacRae Meadows. Camping (without hoookups) available.

Alpen Summer Concerts: Join in the summer fun at the Alpen Inn Pavilion on Beech Mountain for free outdoor concerts every Sunday from 5:00 to 9:00 (weather permitting), Memorial Day thru Labor Day. The event is free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair, blanket, or use seating provided. Food and beverages are available for purchase on the lawn through the Alpen Inn Restaurant. Events are family and pet friendly (permitted on leash). Musical acts scheduled to perform: The Lucky Strikes, Shane Chalke BE Jazz, Smokey Breeze, The Mercury Dames, Sound Traveler, Echo Park, Klee Liles/Klee and Mike Show, Liz Hayes and the Common Threads, Amantha Mill. Music ranges from Jazz, Swing, Old-time Americana, Blues, Beach, Classic Rock-n-Roll and more.