June 18, 2019. Mark your calendars for the 16th Annual Safety Fest BBQ Dinner in Seven Devils on Saturday, July 6. The event will also include a raffle, craft show, silent auction and lots of fun and games for the young and young at heart. Everyone is invited to eat in at Town Hall or stop by and grab a dinner to go. Dinners will include pork barbecue, roll, baked beans, cole slaw, drink and dessert. Adult dinners are $10, children 12 and under are $5. Meals will be served from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The craft show will start at 10 a.m. and will continue until 3 p.m. Silent auction items will be on display at Seven Devils Town Hall beginning on Monday, July 1. Silent auction bids will conclude at 2:30 p.m. on July 6. Grass County Line will be on hand playing some of their favorite tunes throughout the day so please bring a chair or a blanket and stay a while to enjoy the music!   / Read more…

June 18, 2019. A special event is planned for Thursday, June 20 at Watauga County Sheriff’s Office in Boone in an effort to kick off the newly formed High Country Law Enforcement Explorers Post #123. On behalf of all local law enforcement agencies, as well as partners on the state level, Watauga County Sheriff’s Office is hosting the event as a way to attract young people who have an interest in law enforcement careers. According to WCSO spokesperson, Lt. Toby Ragan, who is coordinating the program, young men and women, ages 14-20, are invited to attend the open house and meet with agency representatives who will explain the Explorer’s program and all it has to offer. By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

June 17, 2019. The music lineup for the 2019 Christmas in July Festival in downtown West Jefferson has been confirmed with many favorites once again returning to perform at the annual event, as well as some new performers making their festival debut this year. The festival has once again lined up a great variety of local and regional musical acts featuring a great mix ranging from traditional bluegrass to “newgrass,” country to classic rock hits, and a few other surprises sprinkled in which will surely entertain people of all ages. Live music is scheduled to begin during the afternoon of Friday, July 5 at 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. during the festival kick-off event of music, food vendors, farmers market & street dance. Music will continue all day on Saturday.   / Read more…

June 17, 2019. They bought tablespaces and they donated gently used treasures.  Then they came to the giant Banner Elk Community Yard Sale on June 15—all to support the Historic Banner Elk School. Sponsored jointly by the Rotary Club of Avery County and the Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce, supporters were up with the birds in pursuit of high sales and special bargains. “Many items ranging from household goods to furniture were donated by town businesses, groups and individuals to help raise money for the Historic Banner Elk School,” according to the chamber’s Allen Bolick. Bolick noted that visitors also had the opportunity to tour the school “to see all the renovations that have been made to the school.”  The Book Exchange, Ensemble Stage, the BE Artists Gallery, and a variety of small businesses occupy the building.  Mayland Community College also provides programming in several renovated classrooms.  / Read more…

June 17, 2019. Saturday, June 22, opens the 11th season of the Tour de Art, a coalition of galleries and artists’ private studios. These tours are held on the fourth Saturday, June through November. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm and maps are available at the gallery. Local artist, Arlene Mandell, plans to discuss her oil and pastel figurative work. New gallery artist, Karin Neuvirth, plans a painting demonstration from 1 to 3 p.m. The 37th Spring Group Exhibition is ongoing and features “New Beginnings with Jewels of Art” with new work in all media which can be viewed through July 15. This exhibition also features paintings by other new gallery artists, Allison Chambers, Mary Kamerer and Ralph James. / Read more…

June 17, 2019. Wahoo’s Adventures will be holding its annual Float Fest June 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., which includes a day of tubing in the New River and camping the night before and day of. Float Fest is a BYOB event and will take participants on a 3-hour leisurely float that loops and ends where it began. The water is knee-deep at some parts and waist-deep at others in this “slow-moving, natural mountain stream” as General Manager Jim Roberts said. The event will start at 10 a.m. with tubing and continue until 2 p.m. with live music from The King Bees, a blues band. Staff member Katrinka Walsh, who has sung blues all around the world, will also be giving her first performance at this event. By Laura Boaggio / Read more…

June 17, 2019. The ninth annual Doc Watson Day Celebration takes place at the Jones House Friday, June 21, starting at 4:00 p.m., featuring performances by Brooks Forsyth, Charles Welch, the Burnett Sisters, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Crouch, and The Jeff Little Trio. In 2011, Mayor Loretta Clawson declared the third Friday in June as Doc Watson Day, and the downtown statue of Watson picking his guitar on a bench was unveiled. Watson attended and gave one of his final performances in Boone, passing away the following spring. / Read more…

June 14, 2019. A day in the North Carolina mountains can be so magical you never want it to end – and the year’s longest day is just around the corner. Blue Ridge Mountain Club is thrilled to help families and fans of the High Country celebrate the occasion with Summer Soulstice 2019. Once each year, the BRMC community in Blowing Rock opens its gates to the public for a day of camaraderie and community – and next Saturday, June 22, is that day. Summer Soulstice will offer a host of exciting activities for guests of all ages, and it’s sure to be a memorable way to kick off the season. Best of all, the day-long event benefits the Boone Hospitality House, a non-profit agency devoted to helping those in crisis, poverty and homelessness rebuild their lives. For the adventurous, a full view of the property’s 6000+ acres and gorgeous mountain views can be enjoyed via guided UTV trail rides, and the new Lamborghini Urus SUV will be available on-site.  / Read more…

June 13, 2019. Singing on the Mountain has been welcoming one and all for the past 95 years, and this year is no different. On Sunday, June 23rd, all are welcome to join in a free gospel music festival set in MacRae Meadows at the base of Grandfather Mountain. The 95th annual Singing on the Mountain will return to Linville, N.C., with a full lineup of gospel music sensations, including: The Collective, The Cockman Family, Michael Combs, Patricia Smith, New Covenant and Adam Beard. Singing on the Mountain is not only about the music, but the gospel message, as well. This year’s message will be delivered by David Chadwick, host of the radio program, “The David Chadwick Show,” and accomplished author, who is passionate about sharing the gospel. / Read more…

June 13, 2019. The Lees-McRae College Summer Theatre will kick off the month of July with the premiere of A Whale of a Tale Saturday, July 6. A Whale of a Tale is the creative re-telling of the biblical story of Jonah. The show will kick off on Saturday, July 6 with additional showings July 20, 27, and August 3. All shows begin at 10 a.m. in the Shelton Learning Commons on the campus of Lees-McRae and cost $10. / Read more…

June 13, 2019. Virginia “Ginny” Stevens – a woman whose respect for Blowing Rock’s history was so sincere that she spent the last 3 decades of her life ensuring its preservation – will be leaving one more indelible mark on the town’s rich history. At 4 pm this Sunday, June 16th, the Friends of Ginny Stevens will commence the dedication of the street formerly known as Chestnut Street. As of Sunday, it will be known as Ginny Stevens Lane. Ever since she arrived in town with her husband David in 1985, Ginny Stevens had made her love for the town of Blowing Rock clear. In addition to co-founding the Blowing Rock Historical Society and leading its important work for many years, Ginny Stevens worked at the 1888 Museum (housed in the last remaining cottage of the historic Watauga Hotel), was active in Preservation North Carolina (in which role she helped to preserve many historically relevant buildings in Raleigh), and made herself heard often at Blowing Rock Town Council meetings. By Tzar Wilkerson / Read more…

June 12, 2019. Looking for a way to be active and spend time with your family? Run, walk or crawl your way to the summit at Sugar Mountain Resort is hosting their 3rd annual Summit Crawl on July 6. The Summit Crawl is a fun and competitive (if you want it to be) event via foot to the mountain’s 5,300’ peak where participants can find first aid and water stations sponsored by Lowes Foods. Once you’ve finished at the top, board the Summit Express and enjoy a relaxing and scenic ride back to the base. The event features a mass start on the gravel/dirt road directly in front of the base lodge at 10 a.m. The route follows Easy Street, Gunther’s Way and Northridge slopes and will be marked on event day. Kim Jochl says that “it’s tough, but it’s fun. You feel really good when you get to the top.” By Hailey Blevins / Read more…

June 12, 2019. Sponsored by the Blowing Rock Historical Society, Jerry Burns Day is Tuesday, June 18. An informal celebration will be held at Edgewood Cottage at 3:30 pm. A resolution to celebrate June 18th each year as “Jerry Burns Day” commemorating the town’s greatest cheerleader of his generation, and the man who is still remembered by many as the spirit of goodness in our village, was made in 2012. It’s been said that Jerry put the sunshine in every story for the Blowing Rocket; he was the editor for over 44 years. Jerry’s birthday is celebrated each year with a program highlighting a particular family’s history here in Blowing Rock.This year, Susie Greene will share her family’s history along with stories of the nightlife in Blowing Rock during the 40’s through the 80’s  / Read more…

June 12, 2019. Chetola Resort and artist/curator Brenda Councill have created an event filled weekend featuring renowned national artists, celebrities and star entertainment, including imaginative, family-friendly activities. August 9-11 from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. each night features continuous engaging entertainment for the entire family. Chetola Resort’s lakeside setting provides the outdoor venue that has achieved landmark status among travelers to the High Country. The lake provides a dramatic backdrop for juried exhibition of over 50 nationally renowned sculptors traveling from the west coast, the southeast and midwest. Monumental scale and mid-scale works of art curated by Ms. Councill will be temporarily installed along the path around the lake. / Read more…

June 11, 2019. The Lees-McRae Women’s Soccer program has invited boys and girls ages four to 14 to its annual recreational summer soccer camp to learn new soccer skills, tricks and moves from the women’s and men’s coaching staff and the women’s soccer team. “It’s very soccer intensive in the morning, but we are going to have different sections in there and we will be breaking them up based on their age groups to go over the specific points of soccer,” said Women’s Soccer Assistant Coach Erin Barca. Campers will be able experience age-appropriate coaching as the Lees-McRae College Athletic Complex harbors four different soccer fields.  By Gianna Holiday / Read more…

June 11, 2019. For nearly a century, the pastoral MacRae Meadows in Linville, resting in the shadows of Grandfather Mountain, have welcomed thousands of visitors to the daylong event known as Singing on the Mountain. Now in its 95th year of bringing people together from all ages and stages of life, the annual event is set to take place again on Sunday, June 23. Always held on the fourth Sunday in June, with rare exceptions, The Singing on the Mountain, will again offer a great line-up of gospel musicians and singers that delight the large audiences every year, scheduled along with a midday message of inspiration.  By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

June 11, 2019. The wait is almost over for the start of Beech Mountain Resort’s Summer Concert Series. This Saturday, the Steep Canyon Rangers will take the stage as the headliner for the first show of the summer. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and then the music will get underway at 7 p.m. with Acoustic Syndicate opening the show. Acoustic Syndicate considers themselves to be “newgrass legends” from western North Carolina. They have been playing songs and instrumental jams for 25 years. After a brief intermission at 8 p.m., the Steep Canyon Rangers will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m. and will play until 10 p.m. The Grammy-Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers are from Asheville. In addition to winning a Grammy Award for their album “Nobody Know You,” the group also won the International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the Year Award. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 11, 2019. Friday marks the silver anniversary of Watauga County’s fight for a cancer cure as the 25th annual Relay for Life kicks off at Watauga High School. Event chair, Brian Barker and his hardworking committee are ready to check off another historic fundraising event as part of the American Cancer Society’s efforts to eradicate cancer. Hundreds of cancer survivors, family members and friends are expected at this year’s event, including about 20 teams and dozens of volunteers who come together to celebrate and remember. It’s always a poignant time for all involved — from the opening ceremonies at 7 p.m., with the survivor’s lap shortly thereafter, through the luminaria ceremony two hours later..  By Sherrie Norris / Read more…

June 11, 2019. In celebration of their 27th anniversary, the Art Cellar Gallery is changing up their 2019 season. The current exhibit, opening today, is called “The Art of the Landscape.” Installed artwork at the exhibit includes new works by Scott Boyle, Trey Finney and Tony Griffin. Join the artists for the opening reception this weekend, June 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. Visitors will be able to enjoy exhibits, artist talks and other special events this year. The remaining exhibits this year are solo shows as the gallery is changing up their shows for the 2019 season. By Hailey Blevins / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

What’s Happening This Week at Lost Province Brewing

North Carolina Native Plant Society Blue Ridge Chapter is Meeting on Wednesday

Events Happening at the Banner Elk Artists Gallery

This Week’s Ranger Programs at Cone Manor

Community Yard Sale on June 15 to Benefit Historic Banner Elk School

Birds, Bugs, & Blooms Nature Walk is this Saturday

Baha’i Devotional Meeting on “God’s Love and Guidance” is Sunday

Summer Soulstice Happening June 22

Kent Paulette will be Painting Each Saturday Evening at Studio 140

Call for Artists and Crafters for “Art Around Caldwell Studio Tour” to be held July 13

Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

June 11, 2019. Blowing Rock is a quaint little town that’s always bustling with life. The setting is perfect for families looking to enjoy a Sunday evening concert in Blowing Rock’s Memorial Park. Sing, clap and dance along with The King Bees this Sunday at 4 p.m. The King Bees is a Blues and American Roots band. Rob “Hound Dog” Baskerville and Penny “Queen Bee” Zamagni call the mountains of NC home, but they also travel the world with their music. The band is in its 31st year this year and continues to bring fun as they share their love of Blues and American Roots music everywhere they go.  By Hailey Blevins / Read more…

June 11, 2019. The Stephenson Center for Appalachia at Lees-McRae College is kicking off a summer full of traditional mountain entertainment and insight into the area culture starting Wednesday, June 12. With additional events on June 19 and 26, the center will host everything from musicians and area nonprofit leaders, to writers and photographers. All events will begin at 7 p.m. in the Dotti M. Shelton Learning Commons and are free to the public. The event on June 12 will feature area musician Floyd Townsend and musicians from Avery JAM to perform a concert of mountain music. A longtime Banner Elk fixture as an educator and musician, Floyd has mastered everything from traditional bluegrass, and old-time mountain, to gospel and more.  / Read more…

June 10, 2019. The Wilkes Heritage Museum will host Candlelight Ghost Tours in historic downtown Wilkesboro on Saturday, June 15. Ghost tours are 90 minute walking tours that begin at 7:30 pm and 8 p.m. The tours are led by costumed guides. Cost is $10 per person. Reservations for Ghost Tours are suggested. Highlights of the tour include the Old Wilkes Jail, Cleveland Cabin, and Tory Oak. Learn all about the hauntings of Historic Downtown Wilkesboro. Additional dates for the 2019 Candlelight Ghost Tour season include July 20, August 17, October 19 and October 26t. / Read more…

June 10, 2019. Valle Crucis Community Park will offer a series of free nature programs for kids on Thursdays throughout the summer. Beginning next Thursday—the day after Watauga County Schools get out—the Park will kick off its programs for kids with a “Wonders of Wetlands” program led by Laura England, Park board member and faculty member in Appalachian’s Department of Sustainable Development. “We’re so excited to explore the fascinating natural world around us with kids of all ages,” said England. “We have a wide range of topics and experts who will be leading programs with us.” The Park’s summer environmental education programming will be held weekly from mid-June through mid-August. / Read more…

June 10, 2019. An Appalachian Summer Festival offers unique and enriching arts experiences to audiences across the Southeast, combining world-class performing and visual arts programing in a spectacular mountain location in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. During an Appalachian Summer Festival, the Turchin Center hosts a variety of visual arts exhibitions and programs that dovetail with the performing arts. The community is invited to a Summer Exhibition Celebration on July 5 from 6–10 pm. During this event, held in conjunction with the First Friday Downtown Boone Art Crawl, the Turchin Center will celebrate five new exhibitions and participating artists from as far away as Australia will be in the galleries. / Read more…

June 3, 2019 With June on its way, churches are readying themselves for this summer’s Vacation Bible Schools. These “schools” focus on making religion easy to understand and fun for kids, often introducing them to God for the first time. VBS is an easy way to get kids involved in church while giving you the opportunity to meet them people within the church too. Children learn stories from the Bible that go along with the theme of the VBS. Churches usually hold week-long events with classes, crafts, games and snacks for kids of various ages. Check out these VBSs in the High Country for your kids this summer. By Hailey Blevins / Read more…

June 10, 2019. Guitar maestros will be the theme of the day at the Jones House, as Italian acoustic guitarist and singer Beppe Gambetta and gypsy jazz aficionados Swing Guitars continue the 2019 Summer Concerts at the Jones House series on Friday, June 14, starting at 5 p.m. Gambetta, a native of Genoa, is a renowned guitarist, composer, teacher, author, and researcher of traditional music, and he was heavily influenced by the playing of Watauga County’s Doc Watson. “Beppe reached out to us because he had heard about the Doc Watson Day Celebration,” says concert organizer, Mark Freed. “I was already a fan and thrilled to hear from him, but his schedule didn’t allow him to come for our Doc Day festivities.” Swing Guitars will take the stage following Gambetta, featuring the jazz-guitar styling created and popularized by Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and 40s. The band features several busy local and regional musicians, who collaborate as Swing Guitars for a limited number of gigs to share their love for “Django music.” / Read more…

June 7, 2019. The 2019 Ensemble Stage Professional Summer Season gets underway on Friday night with the Deborah Zoe Laufer’s romantic comedy “Fortune.” “Fortune” will be performed from June 7 through June 15 at the Ensemble Stage Professional Theatre in Banner Elk. This is a special moment for Ensemble Stage as it is the season opener but it also marks the North Carolina premiere for “Fortune.” “Fortune” is the story of Maude, a lonely, surly, storefront psychic has accepted that love is not in the cards for her. She can see the future and knows this to be her fate. But when she takes pity on a love-hungry customer whom she tells is destined to the same fate, she decides fate is in need of a real butt-whipping. Thus begins a hilarious and clever, no-holes-barred, wrestling match, pitting love against predestination. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 5, 2019 Any classically trained chef will tell you that the best meals begin with good stock and those attending a benefit dinner given by the Avery High School Culinary Arts Club on Wednesday, June 12th, will experience some mighty fine cuisine. The dinner will start at 6:00 p.m. and last until 9:00 p.m. and is hosted by the Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville. Avery High culinary arts students will prepare the meal under the aid and supervision of the Grandfather Club chef. Tickets to the benefit dinner are $100 and may be purchased online at leadershipavery.org. A ticket includes two drink tickets and a 4-course meal prepared by culinary arts students at the high school. By Tim Gardner / Read more…

June 5, 2019. 60 years ago next Thursday, Wade Brown finally teed off for the first game of golf at the Boone Golf Club after 19 years of working tirelessly with landowners, stockholder, and course builders to make it possible. He was joined in that first game by Ellis Maples, the architect who designed the course. At the time, Maples was a young up-and-coming architect, but he had learned his craft from his father, who worked as construction superintendent for the celebrated architect, Donald Ross. Ellis Maples became one of the most respected architects, with many of his projects becoming the top ranked golf courses in North and South Carolina. The Boone Golf Club is one such masterpiece. The Boone Golf Club will be holding a membership dinner on June 13 to celebrate and remember 60 years of Boone golfing. By Tzar Wilkerson / Read more…

June 5, 2019. This July’s annual Appalachian Summer Festival will be one to remember. Appalachian State’s Office of Arts & Cultural Programs are clearly going all-out for the 35th season of the event. Listed in the Southeast Tourism Society’s “Top 20 Events in the Southeast” and consistently included in The New York Times “Summer Stages” issue, An Appalachian Summer Festival is a month-long celebration of the arts, with the stated goal of enhancing the Appalachian community’s “cultural life.” The performances take place in several venues around campus, and usually attract about 26,000 audience members of the course of the month. By Tzar Wilkerson / Read more…

June 5, 2019. On Friday at 6:30 p.m in Watauga High School, High Country Dance Studio is hosting their annual end of year show with the production titled “Never Grow Up,” which alludes to the Peter Pan showpiece that will be performed, said director Amber Hendley. Around the end of May or beginning of June, HCDS hosts an event to showcase dancers and what they have learned throughout the year. Every year has a different theme. There are over 100 dancers that will be showcased Friday night, with ages ranging from 3-year-olds to a spectacular 85-year-old dancer. While the HCDS originated with clogging, there will be multiple other dance styles exhibited in the performance, such as jazz, hip-hop and cheer. A group called the “Mini Mountaineers,” will be present, who are coached by the App State Dance Team and will perform a combination of dance styles influenced by the older girls. By Laura Boaggio / Read more…

June 4, 2019 This summer, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute will once again offer “Extreme Super Summer Camps” for kids ages 5 and up. However, this year the Kids in the Kitchen” summer camps have been expanded to Watauga County as well. The programs will feature week-long courses and daily activities Monday through Friday. Except where noted, cost for each session is $95 and includes early drop-off, late pick-up, two programs along with a snack between programs. Kids in the Kitchen camps are offered on both the Caldwell and Watauga campuses and are $175 for each camp. They will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m during the weekdays.. By Gianna Holiday / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

This Week’s Ranger Programs at Cone Manor 

Campus Emergency Siren Test to be Conducted June 5

Wordkeepers Next Meeting is June 15

Monthly Torch Meeting on June 10

SECU Hosts Community Shred-It Day

Free Mulch from Mountain Electric

Bipartisan Voter ID Accommodations Approved by N.C. General Assembly

New Treatment Option at AppOrtho

Looking to Launch or Expand Your Farming Business?

Local Non-Profit Connects Boone to Rural India

Weekly Events at Lost Province Brewing Company, June 4-9

Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham and Hailey Blevins

June 4, 2019. On June 22nd, Corey Nelson is giving a free, live 40-minute presentation regarding a major environmental health issue: electromagnetic fields. Corey is a freelance writer, quantum health and wellness coach, and personal trainer. He has provided guidance to well over 1000 clients in the past 10 years. In his writing and heath coaching career, Corey initially focused on pharmacology, endocrinology, biochemistry, and genetics, but he not focuses primarily on mitochondrial health, quantum biology, and the relationship between human environments, health and disease. / Read more…