October 21, 2020  Don’t miss your chance to view and purchase the fabulous handmade creations of the women of the Blue Ridge Fiber Guild, during the last two weekends of October. In celebration of American Craft Week and in partnership with Doe Ridge Pottery, Watauga Arts Council is hosting this expansive exhibition of handmade fiber art by 16 members of the Blue Ridge Fiber Guild. Featuring more than 100 works in quilting, weaving, knitting, felting, crochet & fabric collage, the works span the range of the creative possibilities of fleece, yarn, and cloth. You will find handmade items such as framed fabric and felt landscape scenes, dish towels, rugs, Christmas ornaments, aprons, shaws and wraps, handbags, blankets, bookmarks and more. / Read more…

October 20, 2020  The coronavirus pandemic is making everything look a lot different this year and that includes the High Country Turkey Trot 5K. The annual Thanksgiving Day event, benefitting Hospitality House of Northwest N.C., has been taking place on the Boone Greenway Trail since 2011. This year, its tenth anniversary, the High Country Turkey Trot will take place virtually, from wherever the racers, runners and walkers are. “Pivoting to a virtual event was really the only option,” states Hospitality House director of development Todd Carter. This year’s event has gone from a single day, to what’s being billed as, ‘High Country Turkey Trot Week.’ Taking place across multiple social media platforms, including contests and prizes, the event will run from November 19 through November 26.  / Read more…

October 20, 2020  The second event in The Schaefer Center Presents (SCP) virtual performing arts series, presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs, features a streamed production of North Carolina Black Repertory Company’s dramatic play The Resurrection of Alice, about a young girl trapped in an arranged marriage in mid-20th century South Carolina, Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8pm. The award-winning, Winston-Salem, NC-based theatre company filmed the play on the stage of the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts especially for the virtual series. The event is free of charge, but advance registration is required at TheSchaeferCenter.org.. / Read more…

October 19, 2020  In a winner-take-all virtual woolly worm race Saturday afternoon, it appears that we could be in for a cold and snowy start to the 2020-21 winter season. The two leading sponsors for the annual Woolly Worm Festival, the Avery County Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk, each had one worm competing for the top spot, the Chamber Charger and the Kiwanis Kicker. Even with the annual festival being canceled because of COVID-19, the race had to go on. “We use this festival not only to raise money for the Kiwanis Club and Avery Chamber, but the winning worm is used to predict the winter weather,” said Adam Binder, who handled the play-by-play call for the race. “One of the most important things and one of the biggest reasons why it was so difficult to cancel this festival is that we raise about $125,000 and that goes back into the community. Half of that money is used by the Kiwanis Club and we give Woolly Worm grants and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce uses the funds to promote tourism in our area so losing a festival for a small county and a small town like this is very serious. Obviously, there was no question with what is going on, having that many people together was not the right thing to do.” By Nathan Ham / Read more…

October 19, 2020  Ski season is just around the corner and the Alpine Ski Shop is ready for customers with the 23rd year of its annual preseason sale. The sale began on Friday and will continue through Sunday, October 25. “The response from our customers has been extremely positive and there has been lots of excitement about getting on the slopes this winter! We have made numerous changes this year to be COVID compliant to make things safe for our staff and customers for our preseason sale,” said Brenda Speckmann, who operates the ski shop. Each year, the Preseason Sale and Swap at the Alpine Ski Shop is located in the downstairs lobby at the base lodge. The sale offers customers some great deals on clothing, ski and snowboard equipment, and accessories. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

October 12, 2020  OASIS will be hosting a virtual 5k fundraiser event during the week of Oct. 18-24, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month Week of Action. OASIS offers free and confidential services to victims and survivors of intimate partner violence ranging from immediate emergency shelter to comprehensive, wrap around services and referrals. The virtual 5k fundraiser is designed to raise awareness about intimate partner violence. While completing the 3.1 miles, participants can reflect on the realities of intimate partner violence, consider their roles in breaking the cycle of violence, think about ways to support survivors and spend time with themselves to heal and grow.  By Harley Nefe / Read more…

October 12, 2020  Guests can celebrate the 2020 holiday season at Tweetsie Railroad, as the attraction will transform into a winter wonderland for Tweetsie Christmas. Tweetsie Railroad will be opening to host Tweetsie Christmas beginning Nov. 13, and the event will take place every Friday and Saturday and select weekday evenings through Dec. 31. Guests will be able to enjoy a nighttime 3-mile ride in the Blue Ridge Mountains among thousands of dazzling light displays and scenes while being in an open-air train car pulled by a historic narrow-gauge steam locomotive for about 20 minutes. Tickets for Tweetsie Christmas will go on sale beginning tomorrow, Oct. 13 at 9 a.m.  By Harley Nefe / Read more…

September 30, 2020  On Saturday, October 10, 2020, Carolina Ramble Productions will host the Carolina Ramble Saturday Drive-In benefit concert. The live music event will take place from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the High Country Fairgrounds, located at 748 Roby Green Road in Boone. Performers at the Carolina Ramble Saturday Drive-In include regional Americana favorites and ASU alums Possum Jenkins, Boone-based sextet Soul Benefactor, and Greensboro-based singer-songwriter Molly McGinn, accompanied by renowned instrumentalist Charlie Hunter, DaShawn and Wendy Hickman, Sam Fribush and Brooke Stokes. Masking and social distancing will be required of patrons when moving outside the immediate vicinity of their vehicle. / Read more…

October 5, 2020  Guests will have many reasons to grab their beer steins and put on their lederhosen or dirndl to visit Sugar Mountain this upcoming weekend, as the resort will be holding its 30th annual Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10 and 11. Held annually in the fall, Oktoberfest is a world famous German folk festival. It is considered one of the world’s most fun-filled celebrations. Admission, parking and shuttle service are free for the event, and the festival will go on no matter the weather. Families can take in the fall foliage, cool and comfortable mountain temperatures and festival activities from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. By Harley Nefe / Read more…

October 5, 2020  Carlton Gallery begins its 38th Autumn Group Exhibition with “The Intuitive Presence of Art” on Saturday, October 10, 11 to 4 p.m. Social distancing is maintained throughout the gallery to ensure everyone’s wellbeing. An “Artist Spotlight” is on Andrew Braitman who is an artist of national stature with one-man and group shows from Santa Fe to Chicago to New York, and internationally from Holland to Brazil. He earned a BA in Fine Arts with minors in Physics and Art History from the University of Maryland. Braitman plans talks on the “Intuitive Presence of Art” at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Autumn Group Exhibition. / Read more…

October 7, 2020  Due to the success of its first event and back by popular demand, the 18th annual New River Blues Gathering will present a part two event at the River House Inn on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 1-5 p.m. In previous years, the event has been held as a festival; however, this year it is considered a gathering, as all aspects are following Governor Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 guidelines. There is a limited amount of tickets available for the exclusive outdoor event, as seating has a reduced capacity of 50 people to ensure safety. Attendants, who are also asked to bring masks, will be able to social distance over the spacious lawns and expansive meadow by the river of the venue.  By Harley Nefe / Read more…

October 2, 2020  Since 1979, the Valle Country Fair has been known for superlative handmade Appalachian crafts, homegrown Blue Ridge Mountain music, sweet, silky homecooked apple butter, and raising money for those in need in the High Country. Although conditions in 2020 prohibit welcoming 10,000 fairgoers into the hayfield on Highway 194, members of the Church of the Holy Cross in Valle Crucis, NC, are making hay another way…by hosting a virtual Valle Country Fair! Valle Country Fair committee members adapted their traditional fall festival into a cyber fundraiser by employing the help of Conner Strickland of Dogwood Creative to develop an eCommerce site with that simulates components of a real-world Valle Country Fair. / Read more…

October 1, 2020. Thirty-five years ago, the United Nations General Assembly took an important step in promoting the idea that everyone deserves a decent place to live by declaring that the first Monday in October would be World Habitat Day. On October 5th, 2020, Watauga Habitat for Humanity joins with our partners locally and around the world to rededicate ourselves to recognizing the basic right to adequate shelter. Watauga Habitat for Humanity asks that we all come together as one communicating that: Every one of us deserves the opportunity for a better future. A decent place to live can remove barriers to opportunity, health and success that might have been part of a family’s life for years and in many cases for generations. It is unacceptable that even before the COVID-19 crisis, more than 18 million U.S. households were paying half or more of their income on housing. Now, as the significant economic impacts of COVID-19 continue to unfold, the number of families struggling to make ends meet is only growing. / Read more…

October 1, 2020. Watauga Arts Council in partnership with Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff would like to invite the public to the Watauga Arts Council Collection Show, hosted in Cheap Joe’s workshop and gallery. The Arts Council has selected favorites from the art we have collected over the years from the gallery, the gift shop, and Board Members. The collection includes paintings, photography, pottery, greetings cards, and more. The Watauga County Arts Council also wants to invite artists of the High Country to apply  an Artist Support Grant of up to $1,000. The Artist Support Grant of Northwest North Carolina is a partnership between the  Arts Councils of Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Wilkes Counties and the North  Carolina Arts Council. Its goal is to provide support to a broad range of visual,  performing, literary, and inter-disciplinary artists that will have a significant impact  on the advancement of their careers.  / Read more…

September 30, 2020 This election season’s Meet the Candidates Forum sponsored by the Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce will have a different feel to it this Thursday. The forum will not be open to the public, however, there will numerous places to watch or listen to the candidates speak. The forum will last from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Appalachian Theatre. The forum will be broadcast live on AppTV which is available on Spectrum and Skybest TV in Watauga County. It will also stream live on the Boone Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The forum can be heard live on WATA Radio (96.5 FM, 1450 AM). Races that will have candidates speaking will include the U.S. House of Representatives, Watauga County Commissioner, N.C. Senate, N.C. House of Representatives, and Watauga County Board of Education. All candidates have confirmed their appearance except for Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx who may not be able to attend due to potential active congressional session. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

September 30, 2020  As the Blue Ridge Mountains begin to burst with fall color, Grandfather Mountain invites leaf-lookers to see the brilliant change from one of the best leaf-looking destinations in the South. Grandfather Mountain is home to myriad species of plants and hardwood trees that range from pumpkin-colored beech trees to blood-red sourwoods and rusty red oaks. For a surefire glimpse of the autumnal brilliance, leaf-lookers can partake in Grandfather’s Fall Color Ramble, a series of guided walks through the mountain’s most colorful locations to be held Oct. 3-11. / Read more…

September 30, 2020  The Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance continues its virtual fall season at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4 with dramatic readings selected from Elizabeth Rush’s Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore, an enlightening story with first-hand accounts of the tragic experiences communities are confronting as a result of global warming. Rising is presented free of charge (although donations are accepted) with readings broadcast via the department’s YouTube channel. Audience members can access on the department’s channel at https://theatreanddance.appstate.edu/ beginning thirty minutes prior to each reading.  / Read more…

September 29, 2020  World champion taxidermist Ken Walker has embarked on his defining project: either find a Bigfoot… or make one. The quirky film Big Fur, which documents Walker’s quest, will be presented in a special online screening by the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. The film’s producer and director, Dan Wayne, will present a pre-recorded discussion following the screening. The public is invited to view these events online at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2020. Big Fur is the second event presented by BOONE DOCS, the newly-launched year-round film series at the App Theatre featuring 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. / Read more…

September 22, 2020  The 2020-21 season of “The Schaefer Center Presents…” performing arts series, presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs, announces its fall series, which will be presented in an all-virtual format Oct 9-Dec. 4. The series traditionally offers students, faculty, staff and the community a diverse array of music, theatre and dance designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the campus and surrounding area, showcasing some of the finest artists around the globe, the nation, and the region. The virtual experience will be no exception, featuring a varied lineup that includes livestreamed and pre-recorded theatre, music, and other events — from American Shakespeare Center and Watkins Family Hour to the university’s own Hayes School of Music and a special event with world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall. / Read more…

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…