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Weekend Roundup: Things to Do This Labor Day Weekend in the High Country; Check ‘em Out and Make Plans

by Madison V. Fisler

Aug. 30, 2013. The High Country has so many exciting events to offer its community and visitors, especially in over Labor Day Weekend! 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.

Weekend- Long Events

Fall Boone Bike Rally: On Labor Day weekend from Aug. 30-31, the fall installment of the Boone Bike Rally will take over the High Country Fairgrounds with bikes, music, fun and much more. Events for this year include a slow bike run, baby oil wrestling, dunking booths, burnout contests and plenty of live music. For more information on the Boone Bike Rally, check out our article here

Friday, Aug. 30

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.

Friday Concerts at the Jones House: Concerts being at 5 p.m. at the Jones House on King Street in Downtown Boone. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair to sit down on the lawn and enjoy great live music each Friday through the summertime. This week’s concert features Rodney Farthing; Tom Shirley; Worthless Son-In-Laws.

Bluegrass at Todd General Store: 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.

Music in the Valle at Valle Crucis Community Park: 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, Aug. 31

High Country Craft Food and Beverage Festival: Refreshing craft beers, delicious local food and breathtaking mountain views. That’s right. It’s almost time for the sixth annual High Country Craft Food and Beverage Festival, formerly called the High Country Beer Fest! The festival will take place at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center at Appalachian State University in Boone from 3-7 p.m. For more information on the High Country Beer Fest, click here

First Game of the Season: Appalachian State University’s football team will compete against the Montana Grizzlys on Saturday at Missoula, Montana. Kickoff for the game will be at 9 p.m.

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. The Farmers’ Market is located in the Horn in the West parking lot beside the Daniel Boone Native Gardens in Boone. 

Rock Fest in Emerald Village: Join your friends on Saturday, August 31st for RockFest at Emerald Village, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Little Switzerland. Celebrate the gem and mineral heritage of the mountains at historic mines in a spectacular setting, from 9 until 6! Enjoy free live music under the tent from 11 to 4, with 5 great original musical acts, including Celo Conley, Jesse Smith, Pete & Kim McWhirter, Glen Nance & Lenny Ski, and Paul Thomas & friends. Good food catered by the Switzerland Cafe will be available. Take a free guided hike to a hidden mine at 11:30 or 3:30. Children (12 and under) will enjoy the free Kid’s Treasure Hunt all day! At 1:30 there will be a special guided tour of the underground Bon Ami Mine with the owner of Emerald Village sharing little-known facts and stories ($5 adults/$4 students). Mine Tours, Gem Mining and Gold Panning will be offered all day, and the Discovery Mill exhibits will be open for free! Enjoy a fine dinner at one of our local restaurants and come back at 8:30 PM for a one-of-a-kind underground Black Light Mine Tour ($15 Adults/$10 Students; reservations are recommended). RockFest will be a great day and a fun way to celebrate the end of summer!

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.

BJ’s Annual Dog Show at Beech Mountain’s Bark Park: Bring your furry friends to the Beech Mountain Bark Park to celebrate man’s best friend! Come strut your mutt for some great prizes and awards. This is a great cause and everybody goes away with a special ribbon! There will also be a very high-flying, Frisbee-catching special guest, Roxy Greenlee, who will be showing her amazing tricks for all to enjoy!

Sunday, Sept. 1

Wooten Family Singers and Ice Cream Social at Todd Community Park: Sunday starting at 1:00pm, the 2nd annual TCPO Ice Cream Social will get under way in Cook Memorial Park. The Wooten Family Singers will be performing and if you haven’t heard them you are in for a treat! They all have incredible voices with amazing harmony that will delight and inspire the whole family with their Christian music! Plus, if you’re a baker or an ice cream maker there will be contests too!!! There will be prizes for the best homemade ice cream, best pie and best cake. The ice cream will be provided by the TCPO and is free, yes I said FREE ICE CREAM; just bring a topping to share! Hope to see you all there!!

High Country Praise Festival: The High Country Praise Festival, an annual event for youth and college students, will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Holmes Center on the ASU campus. Among those featured are Sanctus Real, Carl Cartee, Benton Blount and 7-Miles, Josh Thurman, Cam Hass, R.V. Brown and ASU coach Johnmark Bentley. Tickets are $5 and available by calling (828) 262-6603, visiting theholmescenter.com or from iTickets at (800) 965-9324. For more information, visit http://www.sonslightministries.com.

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.

New River Blues Festival: On Sept. 1 from 1-6 p.m., the River House Inn in Grassy Creek will come alive with music and excitement for a day of blues. Gates will open at noon with the first performers taking the stage at 1 p.m. and continuing on until 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 at the gate. For more information, see our article here

Mountain Home Music: A Labor Day Celebration: A Labor Day Celebration is a celebration in story and song that’s dedicated to those who helped build mountain communities: coals miners, railroaders, millworkers, truck drivers, and others. The Mountain Home Bluegrass Boys are Steve Lewis, Scott Freeman, Josh Scott, and David Johnson. Joining the Bluegrass Boys will be singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett and multi-instrumentalist Scott Manring, both from Greensboro. Admission.

Mile High Kite Festival: The 11th Annual Mile High Kite Festival takes place on Sunday, Sept. 1, in the Beech town meadow. Located more than 5,000 feet in elevation, the high-altitude meadow makes it easy for children of all ages to sail their kites up to a mile above sea level. For more information on this event, click here