September 18, 2020. When an MIT researcher discovered that most facial recognition systems are less accurate with the faces of women and people of color, it brought to the forefront the issue of bias in technology that increasingly runs our society. Described by Variety as a ‘”thought-provoking wake-up call,” Coded Bias, a documentary film on the issue, will be presented in a special online screening by the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country at 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 20 and will be followed by an online taped discussion with the film’s director, Shalini Kantayya. Please note the change in start time from the previous announcement about the documentary film series. / Read more…

September 16, 2020  Lees-McRae College will be hosting its first ever Virtual 5k on Saturday, Sept. 19 in honor of its 120 year anniversary. Participants can run, walk, or jog their favorite 3.1 mile route outside or on a treadmill. The registration fee for the event is $25 per person, and the money will be used to support the Montibus Scholarship Trust or the Bobcat Club. Participants may choose between the two. Participants will also receive a Lees-McRae face mask with each registration. The masks can be worn to show pride, as participants will be making an impact on the community by benefiting students and their Lees-McRae experience. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

September 15, 2020  Appalachian State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance opens its virtual fall season on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. with The COVID Chronicles: Monologues Created During the Pandemic, an original series of fresh, original works created and performed by the university’s students. The chronicles are presented free of charge (although donations are accepted) in four different “acts,” at 7 p.m. on Sept. 18, Oct. 2, Oct. 16 and Oct. 23, each of which is a free-standing episode live streamed via Zoom. Attendees can access each performance via a Zoom link on the department’s web page https://theatreanddance.appstate.edu/ 15 minutes prior to each performance. / Read more…

September 11, 2020  Hickory Ridge Living History Museum is offering an educational adventure for homebound kids and overworked parents. On Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m., families can enjoy a “High Country Rendezvous” – a commemoration of the days when mountain men gathered to exchange and replenish supplies needed to survive the harsh winter months. Kids may be surprised that pioneers couldn’t order what they needed online or pick up items from a store. It was a time when every tool, every piece of clothing had to be made by hand and craftsmanship was held in high esteem. Not only were these mountain men skilled in the tools of their grade, they were raconteurs. Young people will learn the meaning of this word when they meet Steve Ricker, Director of Interpretation for the Overmountain Victory Trail. / Read more…

September 9, 2020 The Watauga County Public Library is partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) High Country for an inclusivity grant that provides opportunities for communities to be inclusive and offer mental wellness programming to all. On Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. the Watauga County Public Library will be presenting the PlayWell Collaborative, an in-person COVID-19 sensitive event exploring movements to relieve chronic stress, to have fun and to discover the power of play. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

September 9, 2020  The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country (ATHC) is hosting a special online FUNdraising event, Lights, Camera… AUCTION! from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2020. It will be broadcast live from the stage of the venerable landmark in downtown Boone. The event will include onstage performances by Soul Benefactor with a silent auction broadcast in real time to thousands of High Country homes via Facebook, YouTube and the theatre’s website, www.apptheatre.org. Four-time Emmy Award-winning actress Laura Linney is serving as honorary chair for the event. Linney has been nominated three times for an Academy Award, four times for a Tony Award, six times for a SAG award, once for a BAFTA Award, and five times for a Golden Globe.  / Read more…

September 4, 2020  BOONE DOCS at the Appalachian Theatre is a newly launched year-round film series featuring independent and documentary films that spark community conversation by presenting an independent lens to view our world. Showcasing emerging and award-winning filmmakers and distinct perspectives from across the globe, BOONE DOCS celebrates the creative power of independent film beginning September 20, 2020. Executive Director Laura Kratt said BOONE DOCS is a collaborative initiative to bring together film fans and community partners to create a High Country home for independent film. “Given our community’s love for good storytelling and the quality and  creative depth of the Southern Circuit Filmmakers, partnering with South Arts was a natural first step for BOONE DOCS. We are thrilled to have been selected to be one of  their newest host sites and be a part of this distinguished regional film network.” / Read more…

September 4, 2020  The Memorial Park Playground in Blowing Rock is now complete with renovations and will be open today, Sept. 4, at 5 p.m. and through Labor Day weekend. The official ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. Blowing Rock Mayor Charlie Sellers said it’s the first major renovations the park has been through since the early 50s. He further said that it is one of the silver linings of COVID-19. “We were able to do construction and not have to worry about people getting in the construction area because people weren’t allowed to use playgrounds,” Sellers said. The opening of the park comes after Gov. Roy Cooper’s Phase 2.5 has gone into effect, which allows for playgrounds to open. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

September 4, 2020  AppFamily Medicine in Boone will offer extended hours, same-day appointments, and a Saturday walk-in clinic beginning September 14. Monday-Friday, same-day appointments will be available 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. for new and established patients, and walk-ins are welcome 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Regular appointments are also available for family medicine, pediatric and adolescent care, chronic disease management, behavioral health, women’s health, and more. On Saturdays, the walk-in clinic will operate 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / Read more…

September 2, 2020 Appalachian State University’s annual fall celebration, Founders Day, honoring its founders and the first day of classes held in 1899 at Watauga Academy will take place Sept. 3 virtually. To kick off the Founders Day 2020 events, individuals can attend the livestreamed Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the Thunder Hill and Raven Rocks Residence Halls. The Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will start shortly after, at 11 a.m. and go until 12 p.m. Later in the afternoon, Chancellor Sheri Everts will commemorate the day and induct the 2020 Bell Ringers Society members. Lastly, Appalachian State Alumni Trivia will be held in the evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

August 31, 2020  Faced with the uncertainty of holding in-person performances during the fall, the Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance has created its own virtual stage and a slate of seven unique performance opportunities for students. By partnering with other organizations to develop new performances and selecting original work from other artists, faculty are offering a line-up that includes the timely COVID Chronicles monologues, a throw-back radio drama of Dracula with WASU-FM, a student dance showcase and an internationally curated dance film festival. / Read more…

August 31, 2020  Personally invited guests were able to attend a reenactment of Daniel Boone’s wedding on the grounds of the Hickory Ridge History Museum on Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. The Southern Appalachian Historical Association, whose mission is to explore, preserve and share the region’s rich cultural heritage, held this event as a fundraiser to help restore one of the cabins on the property where rain and water damage has started to rot the logs. The cabin that is needing to be restored is the Tatum Cabin, which is the oldest cabin on the property. It is estimated to date back as early as 1785 and was originally located near Elk Crossroads in what is now Todd. The cabin was donated to the SAHA by the Tatum family in the 1950s. It is typical of the times and represents a home Daniel Boone would have lived in. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

August 27, 2020. The Avery County Chamber of Commerce announced its Avery Chamber Golf Classic, which is a fall golf tournament to benefit the Avery County Chamber of Commerce. The morning event will be hosted by the Mountain Glen Golf Club on Friday, Oct. 16 in Newland. The price of registration is $140 per player and $560 per four-player team. The cost to be a hole sponsor is $100. The format of the play is scramble, in which everyone plays and moves to the best ball played. The 2020 Avery Chamber Gold Classic is sponsored by SkyLine SkyBest & Carolina West Wireless. The team player gifts are sponsored by The Lodges at Eagles Nest. The breakfast goodies and box lunches are sponsored by Stonewalls & Crossnore School & Children’s Home. The on-course activities are sponsored by Friendship Honda of Boone. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

August 19, 2020 The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival 44th World Tour event that was originally scheduled for March 2020 and canceled due to COVID-19, was tentatively re-scheduled to be screened in-person this fall. However, organizers of the event have decided to cancel the re-scheduled event that was to take place in September 2020. The Banff Film Festival is an international film competition and annual presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports and the environment. “While we explored almost every option including outdoor venues, there is just too much uncertainty with the pandemic,” wrote Rich Campbell, associate director of University Recreation, in an email.  By Harley Nefe / Read more…

August 14, 2020 The Avery County and Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce have some weekend events taking place throughout Aug. 14-16. Art in the Park was created in 1962 by a handful of area artists and craftspeople to showcase local talent. Today, Art in the Park is host to 94 fine art and craft vendors at each show. Some of the best local and regional artists and craftspeople showcase their handcrafted jewelry, pottery, fiber, glass, photography, painting and more. Blowing Rock’s Concert in the Park Series is an annual set of free outdoor concerts. Always on Sundays following Art in the Park, the performances offer entertainment from a variety of musical genres. Family-friendly and casual! Bring a lawn chair or blanket to Memorial Park on Main Street to enjoy the music.  / Read more…

August 10, 2020 Festival organizers announced today that MerleFest, presented by Window World, will be moving to the weekend of September 16-19, 2021. MerleFest, dubbed by Rolling Stone as “the gold standard for bluegrass, Americana, and string-music festivals,” is normally held the last weekend of April, but the 2020 festival was canceled due to public safety concerns amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Officials stressed that this would be a one time only move to the fall and they plan to return to the traditional April weekend in 2022 / Read more…

August 5, 2020  As part of their Summer Saturday Theatre for Kids Series, Ensemble Stage’s “Appalachian Jack” will be presented again this Saturday, Aug. 8, in the courtyard of the Historic Banner Elk School at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with free admission. “Everybody has been having to make compromises, and everybody has been having to make sacrifices, and so this is what we can do to support the community and doing what we do on a regular basis and what we do best,” said Gary Smith, Ensemble Stage Artistic Director. “We want people to be able to come and enjoy the show and not have to worry about paying.” These two showtimes come after a successful performance of the show on July 25. This performance acts as a little taste of live theater in the High Country that is kid oriented and family friendly. “Theater is about connection and is a living, breathing organism, and you’ve got two main components to that living, breathing organism, and that’s the audience and that’s the actors on stage,” Smith said. “And when you don’t have that, something is lost when it comes to theater, and it basically becomes television, and I think people have had enough of watching TV.” By Harley Nefe / Read more…

July 31, 2020 Holston Presbytery Camp and Retreat Center announces a STUDENT DAY CAMP. The camp will meet from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday for 9 weeks. This program coincides with the Avery and Watauga County school system’s 9-week virtual learning schedule from Monday, August 17 to Friday, October 16, 2020. HPCRC will provide adult supervision for students to accomplish their class assignments on their own computer devices. Holston Camp will enroll at least 24 elementary-age students (K-5) which will be divided into two groups according to grade, in two separate buildings. Both buildings will have Wi-Fi, bathroom access, and classroom furnishings. / Read more…

July 31, 2020  The Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival is a four-day plein air painting event. It takes place August 19 – 22, 2020 in the beautiful mountainous area surrounding the town of Blowing Rock in western North Carolina. Its aim is to bring painters together from around the world to paint outside in the fresh air while getting to know each other and sharing their work. The event prompts applicants to explore the unique Blowing Rock architecture, spectacular Blue Ridge Mountain views, and overall Appalachian feel of one of the most scenic areas in the country.  / Read more…

July 28, 2020  Carlton Gallery began its 38th Mid-Summer Group Exhibition with a drop-in reception on Saturday, July 25th. Art in all media by the gallery’s standing artists is a visual feast not to be missed. During this time “social distancing” is maintained throughout the gallery. This exhibition can be viewed through September 15th. This Mid-Summer Group Exhibition offers new abstracted landscapes by Andrew Braitman, traditional landscapes and interiors by Connie Winters, plein air landscapes by Sharon Rusch Shaver, figurative paintings by Kate Worm and Arlene Mandell, equine and mixed media by Vae Hamilton, along with mixed media collage by Marion Cloaninger.  / Read more…

July 24, 2020  Due to ongoing issues from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Back 2 School Festival has announced that this year’s event will be drive-thru only. The 2020 Back 2 School Festival will be held at Watauga High School over two days; Friday, August 7, and Saturday, August 8, with each school being assigned a specific time for their families to come pick up supplies. For the safety of children, families, and volunteers, the school building will not be open, and families will pick up their supplies in a drive-thru fashion. Students are not required to attend the festival with their parent/guardian; representatives from each Watauga County school will be present at their school’s assigned time to check-in and register attendees. In order to serve everyone in a timely and efficient manner, the festival will only able to serve families at their school’s designated time, and requests that attendees do not arrive before their scheduled time slot, as they will not be able to join the line until that time. / Read more…

July 22, 2020  As part of their Summer Saturday Theatre for Kids Series, Ensemble Stage’s “Appalachian Jack” will premiere this Saturday, July 25 in the courtyard of the Historic Banner Elk School at 11 a.m. with free admission.
“Everybody has been having to make compromises, and everybody has been having to make sacrifices, and so this is what we can do to support the community and doing what we do on a regular basis and what we do best,” said Gary Smith, Ensemble Stage Artistic Director. “We want people to be able to come and enjoy the show and not have to worry about paying.” This performance acts as a little taste of live theater in the High Country that is kid oriented and family friendly. “Theater is about connection and is a living, breathing organism, and you’ve got two main components to that living, breathing organism, and that’s the audience and that’s the actors on stage,” Smith said. “And when you don’t have that, something is lost when it comes to theater, and it basically becomes television, and I think people have had enough of watching TV.” By Harley Nefe / Read more…

July 21, 2020  The 2020 Back 2 School Festival will be held on two dates this year — Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8 at Watauga High School. This is to allow the Back 2 School Festival to create a socially distanced environment. “While we are still uncertain about how the children will learn, the Back 2 School Festival remains committed to making sure every Watauga County student returns for the 2020/2021 school year confident and prepared with the tools they need to succeed,” stated Back 2 School organizers in a press release. The Back 2 School Festival is an annual event that aims to help any Watauga County families struggling to afford the high costs of sending their children back to school, according to its website. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

July 21, 2020  Entering its final stretch, the all-virtual monthlong incarnation of Appalachian State University’s annual summer arts event, An Appalachian Summer Festival, presents visual artist showcases, award-winning films, classic theatre with a modern spin, a popular sculpture walk, and a variety of livestreamed music ranging from orchestral and classical to standards and bluegrass. All events are free. The all-virtual festival runs daily through July 31. Take your seat at appsummeronline.org. / Read more…

July 20, 2020  It was a good feeling for both the staff at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce being able to see a pair of events find success this summer despite COVID-19. The Blowing Rock Chamber held its first Art in the Park of 2020 while the Avery County Chamber was able to host the Fine Art and Master Crafts Festival on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Both events took place with face-covering and social distancing requirements for guests, vendors, and artists. “Following the COVID-19 measures, we had no opposition whatsoever. It was a great weekend with great weather,” said Avery County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melynda Pepple. “We sat out some tables for people to eat and we never saw any group come in that was not being safe. We had large tables and sanitation dispensers on each table so they got used regularly.” By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 16, 2020 Beginning Friday, July 17, Tweetsie Railroad will open with limited weekend operations, Friday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Guests will be able to enjoy Main Street, Junction stores, and the Wild West Train ride aboard the park’s historic steam engine. During this phase of operation, the park will be limiting capacity. Therefore, all Guests need to pre-purchase tickets for a specific date and train ride time. / Read more…

July 14, 2020 For the past 97 summers the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show and the Town of Blowing Rock have attracted horse lovers from across the nation to celebrate the connection between these regal animals and their human partners. The COVID-19 restrictions have placed severe challenges on the show this year, but the event will be held over two weeks beginning on July 21 with a full schedule of Hunter and Jumper classes. There will, however, be no spectators permitted. Only exhibitors, attendants, management and crew will be permitted on the grounds. / Read more…

July 14, 2020 Appalachian State University’s annual summer arts event, An Appalachian Summer Festival, enters its third week of the all-virtual month-long series with a stellar genre-spanning lineup: a highly decorated foreign film, thought-provoking visual art, live streamed local bluegrass, an award-winning regional theatre company, a Tony-winning playwright/comedienne, and a piano performance brought to you live from somewhere in Europe. All events are free. The all-virtual festival runs daily through July 31. Take your seat at appsummeronline.org. / Read more…

July 10, 2020 Previous Art in the Park events have had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the one scheduled for next Saturday, July 18, will go on as scheduled with some changes to how the event operates. “We are in the 58th season of Art in the Park,” said Suzy Barker, the event and communication specialist for the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce. “This show has a limited number of artists, so we will have about half of the artists we typically do, meaning about 40 artists will be here.” Barker says that booths will be spaced out 10 feet apart and masks will be required by artists and visitors. Masks will be available for those that do not have one when they arrive. “I encourage folks to expect something a little different than what we are used to, but we have some really high-quality artists coming and we’re really excited to have a sense of normalcy in Blowing Rock right now. We are ready to do events again,” said Barker. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 10, 2020 With special safety measures in place, the nearly 30-year tradition of the Avery Fine Arts and Master Crafts Festival will proceed as planned on the weekends of July 17-19 and August 14-16. The event, sponsored by Famous Brick Oven Pizzeria, will be happening at Sugar Mountain Resort and will feature some wonderful works of arts and crafts from local artists and crafters as well as other artists from all across the country. Sugar Mountain Resort is a new location for the festival. Everything will be set up in the parking lot below the resort lodge. Melynda Pepple, the Executive Director of the Avery County Chamber of Commerce, says that the festival will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 17. Sugar Mountain Resort will also be open during this time with golfing, mountain bike activities, the chair lift ride, and dining throughout the weekend. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

July 10, 2020 It’s the height of summer, but with summer camps canceled across the United States, kids and parents alike are looking for something to do with the long summer vacation. This is why Inspire EdVentures, in partnership with WAMY Community Action Center, has established an exciting new program for the summer: Virtual Summer Camp, a program created for 3rd to 5th graders (but open to all ages) to find adventure, joy, and discovery in the natural wonder of their own backyards! / Read more…

July 8, 2020 This week continues another busy round of virtual shows and performances for An Appalachian Summer Festival 2020, concluding with a performance by Canadian Brass on Sunday Afternoon. The online festival features numerous live-streamed and specially pre-recorded concerts, live chats with artists, film screenings, and virtual tours. All events are free and will be streamed via the website as well as the festival’s YouTube and Facebook channels. Film screenings require pre-registration, as registration capacity is limited. Some events will be archived for later viewing; others are only available for the scheduled date and time. Full descriptions about each event and how to access them are available at www.appsummeronline.org. / Read more…

July 2, 2020 Despite several 4th of July events being canceled due to the coronavirus, there are still some fun events taking place throughout the HIgh Country for folks to enjoy this weekend. On Friday evening, the Blowing Rock Country Club will be holding a fireworks display at dusk. Parking at the club will be for members only, however, the fireworks will be able to be seen from other places in the town. There will be a drive-in fireworks show near the parking lot of Minneapolis Baptist Church in Avery County around 9:30 p.m. on Friday night Onlookers are asked to stay in their vehicles to watch the show. Sugar Mountain Resort will host its fourth annual Summit Crawl that will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 4. That kicks off a day of events at the mountain where families can enjoy chair lift rides to the top of the mountain, food and refreshments, live music, mountain biking and more. / Read more…

July 2, 2020 Appalachian Summer Festival 2020 has started its month-long list of virtual events to give folks some entertainment throughout the summer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online festival features numerous live-streamed and specially pre-recorded concerts, live chats with artists, film screenings, and virtual tours. All events are free and will be streamed via the website as well as the festival’s YouTube and Facebook channels. Film screenings require pre-registration, as registration capacity is limited. Some events will be archived for later viewing; others are only available for the scheduled date and time. Full descriptions about each event and how to access them are available at www.appsummeronline.org. / Read more…

July 2, 2020 Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music welcomes friends and fans to join in a virtual celebration of traditional music, song, and dance with a series of greetings from members and artist friends. The first batch of the “Mountain Home Music Virtual Greeting Cards” will premier this Friday, July 3rd on Independence Day weekend. In lieu of our traditional July 4th Bluegrass and Brass Concert – an idea Joe Shannon conceived many years ago to combine bluegrass musicians with a patriotic brass band – the first series will feature photographs from Lonnie Webster set to an audio recording from a Bluegrass and Brass performance from years ago / Read more…