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Events

Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Announces Winners of the39th Annual Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition

July 22, 2025 BOONE, NC— The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts is pleased to announce the award winners of the 39th Annual Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition, one of the region’s most prestigious and long-running sculpture programs. This year’s selections were juried by artist, educator, and curator Joseph Bigley, who brought his extensive knowledge and insight to the review and selection process.

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BeanStalk Community Theatre Welcomes You to a World of Pure Imagination with Willy Wonka

July 16, 2025 BOONE, NC – BeanStalk Community Theatre invites you to unwrap a world of pure imagination with its upcoming production of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, presented by Andrea McDonough State Farm Insurance and sponsored by Mast General Store. This musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory promises a sweet time for the whole family. Performances will take place at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, July 24–26, 2025.

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Daniel Sherrill and The New Quintet Perform at the Jones House on July 18

July 16, 2025 BOONE, NC – The Summer Concerts at the Jones House series continues on Friday, July 18, with an evening of acoustic artistry and progressive roots traditions from two standout regional acts. The show begins at 5:30 PM on the Jones House lawn in downtown Boone and is free and open to the public. Opening the evening is Daniel Sherrill, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter newly based in North Carolina. Performing on clawhammer banjo, guitar, and vocals, Sherrill brings a blend of rhythmic precision and melodic warmth to the stage. Winner of the 2025 App State Banjo Competition, Daniel is known for his intricate fretwork and lyrical, meditative style. His albums From A Heritage Tree (2022) and Back to P.A. (2023) have both appeared on multiple Official Spotify Playlists and received praise for their calming, “zen-like” atmosphere.

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Kendra Danzer named overall winner in women’s heavy athletics at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games

July 16, 2025 Kendra Danzer finished first in four of the seven women’s heavy athletic events during the 2025 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, thereby claiming the top spot overall for the competition. This is Danzer’s first time competing at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.
The 41-year-old clinical social worker for suicide prevention who resides in Fayetteville, N.C., has been competing in heavy athletics for nearly six years. She has competed in multiple states including Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and California.

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Tribute Concert to Rock History Comes to Boone – A Night of Music, Community, and Conservation

July 15, 2025 BOONE, NC – July 26, 2025 – Music lovers and river stewards alike are invited to Appalachian Mountain Brewery for “A Watkins Glen Summer Jam Tribute Concert,” a one-night celebration of one of the most legendary rock festivals in history. The tribute honors the iconic 1973 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, a historic gathering that drew an estimated 600,000 fans to see The Band, The Allman Brothers Band, and The Grateful Dead—a concert that held the Guinness World Record for the largest audience at a pop festival for decades.

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Grandfather Mountain to Celebrate Animal Enrichment Day July 30th

July 15, 2025 LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, will host its annual Animal Enrichment Day on Wednesday, July 30. Visitors are invited to watch enrichment demonstrations, talk directly with keepers and participate in family-oriented interactive games. Included with park admission, the celebration will feature games, contests, crafts and surprises.

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Back 2 School Festival Returns August 9, 2025 – Community Support Needed Now More Than Ever

July 9, 2025 The 2025 Back 2 School Festival will be held on Saturday, August 9 at Watauga High School, continuing its mission to ensure every Watauga County student starts the school year confident and prepared.  Nearly 40% of Watauga’s 4,600 public school students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and in some schools that number is even higher. As the average cost of school supplies climbs above $150 per child, many families are forced to make impossible choices between essentials like food, rent, or getting their children ready for school.

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Watauga Arts Council and Downtown Boone Development Association Announce the Return of Buskers Fest 2025 on September 20th

July 8, 2025 The Watauga Arts Council, in collaboration with the Downtown Boone Development Association, is thrilled to announce the return of Buskers Fest in 2025. The event will take place on September 20th, 2025 from 2-7pm, bringing art, music, and creativity back to the streets of downtown Boone. “Every year, we strive to make the festival better and better,” says WAC Executive Director, Amber Bateman. “We found that people weren’t able to make it to all the activities in such a short window. By moving it to a Saturday and expanding the hours, we hope to improve the overall experience and make it more accessible, especially for those who couldn’t attend in previous years when it was held on a Friday.”

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App State’s Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies holds 23rd Annual Rosen Symposium July 10–16

July 8, 2025 The Appalachian State University Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Peace Studies (CJHPS) will host the 23rd Annual Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium from July 10–16 at Appalachian State’s Boone campus. The event is supported by the Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Martin and Doris Rosen Symposium Endowment and the local Jewish community. For over two decades, the Rosen Symposium has brought educators from across the country together to provide lessons, materials, resources and best practices for teaching about the Holocaust.

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Sammy Osmond and the No-Hellers with Redbud Perform at the Jones House on July 11

July 4, 2025 The Town of Boone continues its Summer Concerts at the Jones House series on Friday, July 11, with a night of powerful string band music and fresh bluegrass sounds from two of the High Country’s most exciting young acts. The show begins at 5:30 PM on the Jones House lawn in downtown Boone. As always, the concert is free and open to the public. Sammy Osmond and the No-Hellers will open the evening with their heartfelt songwriting, old-time grit, and high-energy stage presence. Following their set, Redbud will take the porch with their seamless blend of traditional and original bluegrass. With stunning harmonies, infectious melodies, and driving rhythms, Redbud brings both reverence and innovation to their sound.

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Holy Cross Valle Crucis Announces Public Events for July 19 Centennial Celebration 1842 Episcopal Mission Honors the 100th Anniversary of its Current Church Building

July 3, 2025 One hundred years ago, in 1925, the Episcopal faith community in and around Valle Crucis laid the foundation for the stone church and built a new spiritual home for the original mission that had been established in 1842. This is the centennial year of the current location of Holy Cross Episcopal Church and its signature red front door, and the parish will commemorate this blessed anniversary with a series of public events that celebrate its worship and ministry, plus four of its most cherished venues: the historic 1862 St. John’s Chapel on the lower Watauga River, the venerable 19th century Bishop Ives Cabin, the former 1910 mission school now known as the Valle Crucis Conference Center (VCCC), and the gothic revival architecture and adornments of Holy Cross Church itself, consecrated in 1925

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Town of Boone 1872 Award Recipients to be Recognized at the Boone 4th of July Parade

July 2, 2025 Recipients of the 2025 Town of Boone 1872 Award have been named and will be recognized this Friday at the Boone 4th of July Parade. The individual honorees are Kay Borkowski and David Jackson, and the organization recipient is Hospitality House of Northwestern NC. 1872 Award honorees will be recognized at the Town of Boone 4th of July Parade, which will take place in downtown Boone on Friday, July 4 at 11 a.m. Recipients will serve and grand marshals for the parade, and following the procession will be presented a handmade keepsake pottery piece, courtesy of Doe Ridge Pottery, on the lawn of the Jones House Cultural Center.

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Boone Pride Parade and Festival Grows to Over 1,000 Strong

July 1, 2025 June has been Pride month in North Carolina for many years, dating back to the “Our Day Out” march in Asheville back in 1981. It became an official month to focus on and proclaim LGBTQ+ rights in 2018 when then-Governor Roy Cooper officially declared it. Although the LGBTQ+ community in Boone and the High Country has fought and celebrated their rights for years, the first Boone Pride Parade started in 2022.  According to Todd Carter, a Boone Town Councilman and local LGBTQ+ activist and organizer, “That first year in 2022, there were 300 marchers and a small rally at the Jones House; to [now] have anywhere from 1,000-1,200 people attend the parade and/or the festival just shows how much Pride needs to be celebrated.” By Sam Garrett

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Tickets for “Grandfather Presents: Conor Knighton” Are On Sale Now for Oct. 2 Event

July 1, 2025 Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has announced that tickets for the final presentation of the Grandfather Presents 2025 speaker series are on sale now. “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent Conor Knighton will close out the 2025 series on Oct. 2, 2025. The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery’s Classroom in the Clouds will host the event. Guests will experience a “night at the museum” atmosphere, the speaker presentation and a book-signing/ “meet-and-greet” with Knighton.

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Gen X Hitmakers Joan Osborne and Lisa Loeb Celebrate Their 30-Year-Old Landmark Albums in Boone Concert Friday, July 11

June 26 2025 Appalachian State University’s annual summer arts celebration, An Appalachian Summer, presents Joan Osborne and Lisa Loeb, two unmistakable voices of the ’90s, for a special evening marking the 30th anniversaries of their breakthrough albums — Osborne’s Relish and Loeb’s Tails — Friday, July 11 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Revisit the songs that shaped a generation, alongside new music and career-spanning fan favorites. Both Relish and Tails were landmark albums that transcended genres, blending folk, pop, and rock with deeply personal storytelling. Osborne’s “One of Us” and Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” became defining anthems of the era, and their impact continues to resonate with longtime fans and new audiences alike. Tickets are $25-$55, with discounts for App State faculty/staff and local residents

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Boone Pride Parade and Festival Happening June 28; Parade Steps Off at 12 Noon with the Festival to Follow from 1 pm – 6pm

June 23, 2025 Boone Pride returns to downtown Boone on Saturday June 28 for a Pride Parade and Festival. What started in 2022 as a small march on the sidewalks of King Street and a rally at The Jones House, has grown to include a parade down King Street and a half-day festival with vendors, live music, drag performances and food trucks. “I remember that first year scrambling to pull something, anything together in just two weeks,” states Boone Pride co-founder and Boone town council member Todd Carter. “It is important to me that the Town of Boone recognize and celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month so that every single person who lives, works, plays, and visits our beautiful town knows that they are welcome here.”

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Highland Games Set to Return to Grandfather Mountain’s MacRae Meadows July 10 to 13

June 20, 2025 The long and storied tradition that is the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games returns to MacRae Meadows on Thursday, July 10, continuing through Sunday, July 13. This marks the 69th year for the beloved and historic celebration of Scottish ancestry and heritage, with the popular festival once again bringing a “wee bit o’ Scotland” to the High Country of North Carolina. “This year’s games are a great reason for folks to travel to the North Carolina High Country,” said Stephen Quillin, president of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.

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Will Easter and Midlife Trip Bring High-Energy Americana to the Jones House on June 27

June 20, 2025 The Town of Boone invites you to enjoy an evening of live music on Friday, June 27, as part of the ongoing Summer Concerts at the Jones House series in downtown Boone. Music begins at 5:30 PM with Will Easter, followed by an electric set from Midlife Trip. Raised in a porch-picking family in western North Carolina, Will Easter crafts songs that are both heartfelt and hard-hitting. His lyrics explore themes of home, memory, and emotional honesty with plainspoken depth. From rollicking dance tunes like “River Song” to soul-stirring ballads such as “Carolina Home,” Will’s performances leave a lasting impact.

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Scottish Heritage USA Celebrates 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee on July 13th

June 19, 2025 Scottish Heritage USA is holding a special 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner on July 13 at the end of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games to celebrate the organization’s Diamond Jubilee. A festive dinner, traditional Scottish music and song by Tryon, NC Master Fiddler Jamie Laval and Scottish Heritage USA minstrel Colin Grant Adams, stories of Robert Burns from the National Trust for Scotland’s Learning Manager Chris Waddell, and recognition of Scottish Heritage USA’s decades of success will make this an evening to remember for all. The event will be held at the Best Western Mountain Lodge in Banner Elk from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. The reception and dinner costs $85 per person for members and $100 per person for non-members. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.ScottishHeritageUSA.org

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Summer Experiences at Grandfather Mountain – Beat the Heat and Have Some Fun

June 19, 2025 Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is looking forward to the summer months on the mountain filled with daily programs, special experiences and an array of events. “The summer months are such a special time on the mountain,” said Jesse Pope, president and CEO of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “Our programming offers guests unique opportunities to experience the mountain, and we are especially excited to welcome visitors back to the mountain after Hurricane Helene. The N.C. High Country is open for business and we eagerly anticipate a busy summer season.”

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P.B. Scott’s Music Hall Reunion and Round-Up Taking Place at Boonerang Festival this Saturday, 6:30 at the Jones House

June 16, 2025 It’s time for another P.B. Scott’s reunion! The famous Blowing Rock music hall closed some 40 years ago, but those who experienced it during its seven years in operation still can’t stop talking about it. There have been a number of reunions over the these past 40 years and another is on its way at Jones House during this year’s Boonerang Festival, taking place this weekend, June 19th through the 22nd. The Boonerang Festival takes place in and around downtown Boone. Festival organizers added a spot on the calendar for the P.B.’s reunion and get together on Saturday June 21st at 6:30pm at the Jones House.

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On the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park to Open June 20

June 17, 2025 The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park, milepost 241 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, will reopen for the season on Friday, June 20. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday. Visitors can reach Doughton Park via US 21 as road repairs are now complete on the stretch of the Parkway north of the restaurant. Access from south on the Parkway via NC 18 is closed as the National Park Service continues extensive road work funded by the Great American Outdoors Act.

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Sculptures, Stories and Stunning New Exhibits at An Appalachian Summer

June 17, 2025 Engage, discover, and connect through the arts during the 41st season of An Appalachian Summer, presented June 28-July 26 by App State’s Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources. In partnership with the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, App Summer showcases the visual arts through intriguing exhibitions, a juried guided tour of captivating sculptures, and a series of behind-the-scenes chats with visual and performing artists. Each of these events is free and open to the public. For more information, visit appsummer.org.

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