1000 x 90

Events

Never Alone Widows Group Supports Those Left Behind Next Meeting in Boone Friday, Aug. 16

August 14, 2024 Area widows have begun receiving much-needed support through a group known as Never Alone, which launched in Boone earlier this year. A branch of a nation-wide organization founded by a two-time widow, Rachel Faulkner Brown, Never Alone offers fellowship and a feeling of community for women who are living in a difficult and often-unexpected and misunderstood place in life. On Friday evening, Aug. 16, any woman, regardless of age, who has been thrust into the awkward state of widowhood is invited to join in the Boone-based chapter of Never Alone. The group will meet at 6 p.m. at Rhodes Motor Inn Restaurant in Boone. By Sherrie Norris

Read more

Don your Dirndl and Lace up Your Lederhosen for Sugar Mountain Resort’s 34th Annual Oktoberfest, October 12 & 13

August 14, 2024 Lace up your lederhosen and don your dirndl for Sugar Mountain Resort’s 34th annual Oktoberfest celebration, Saturday & Sunday, October 12 & 13. Take in Sugar’s cool and comfortable mountain temperatures, its beautiful fall foliage, and a weekend full of festival activities from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Be sure to bring the kids because Sugar’s Oktoberfest is yodels-n-yodels of fun for the whole family. Admission, parking, and shuttle service are free of charge.

Read more

Unveiling of the Hellbender Mural in Downtown Boone by Artist Josh Johnston on August 23

August 13, 2024 TThe vibrant community of Boone is thrilled to announce the unveiling of the highly anticipated Hellbender Mural by renowned artist Josh Johnston. This stunning piece of public art, the last in the Center For Biological Diversity’s “Endangered Species Mural Project” series, is located in the heart of downtown Boone on Howard Street. The mural celebrates the Hellbender, a long-lived giant salamander exclusively found in the eastern United States. These “living fossils” represent healthy and abundant streams across Southern Appalachia, and highlight the importance of preserving our local waterways. Like many aquatic species featured in the mural, Hellbender populations are on the decline throughout most of their range due to a combination of stressors such as habitat loss, sedimentation, pollution, and predation.

Read more

The 34th Annual Blue Ridge Brutal Bike Ride Will Be Held in Ashe County on Saturday, August 17

August 13, 2024 The 34th annual Blue Ridge Brutal Bike Ride will be held in Ashe County on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Hosted by the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce, the ride offers 25-, 50-, 70-, and 100-mile routes, each including scenic stretches, elevation changes, and stunning long-range views throughout Ashe. After completing one’s chosen course, riders may elect to take on the Assault on Mount Jefferson. Its 1,476-foot elevation gain within 3.4 miles makes for an unforgettable ending to an already memorable ride. In recent years, each Brutal ride has had approximately 400 participants, most of whom were visitors to the High Country

Read more

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum Announces the Seventh Annual Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival Show and Sale Beginning August 20

August 13, 2024 The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) will hold the seventh annual Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival from Aug. 20 through Aug. 24, 2024. The festival will culminate in the highly anticipated Show and Sale on August 24, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Held at BRAHM, the Show and Sale offers a unique opportunity to view and acquire works from more than 100 artists who have been painting the picturesque High Country Region of North Carolina. The Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival is a four-day, open enrollment plein air painting event in the area surrounding the town of Blowing Rock. The festival aims 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

Read more

Take A Look Back at App Summer’s 2024 Broyhill Classic Concert Series Series! Take Our Survey

August 12, 2024 It’s been two weeks since our audiences enjoyed music, dance, theatre, film and visual arts, and we are still reflecting on the incredible talent that graced our stages this year! Classical audiences and bluegrass fans alike came together when Béla Fleck performed with the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra on June 30 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Have you ever heard this performed on the banjo before? Only an artist of Béla Fleck’s caliber could do it with such virtuosity and perfection!

Read more

This Week at Edgewood Cottage

August 12, 2024 From August 12 through August 18 two artists, Scott Ballard, oil, and Randi Robeson, oil, will fill Edgewood Cottage with quality art from 10 – 5 p.m. daily, with a free artist reception on Thursday, August 15, from 5-7 p.m.  Scott Ballard believes in original art.  If you would like to consider original art in your home or are expanding your collection, this is the week to come to the Cottage because the landscape of the High Country is a wonderful muse for Scott. From the New River to Grandfather mountain and all the trails in between, the more Scott paints the more he sees nature in his brush strokes. Come see nature through Scott’s eyes.

Read more

The North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections Comes to Boone August 21st

August 8, 2024 On Wednesday, August 21st The North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe and Secure Elections will host the next town hall of the 2024 election cycle in Boone, NC. This event is part of a series that will feature dozens of events across the state to address public concerns around voting in North Carolina and to strengthen civil discourse. This event will be hosted at Appalachian State University in the Parkway Ballroom at the Plemmons Student Union from 6:30-8:00 PM. It will be moderated by Retired Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr. The panel will also feature Watauga County’s Elections Director, Matt Snyder, as well as Board of Elections Member Leta Councill from Watauga County, Carolyn Bunker from Guilford County, and former member of the Watauga County Board of Elections, Four Eggers.

Read more

BRAHM Offers Free Digital Catalog of Maud Gatewood’s Life and Work

August 8, 2024 The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) has created an iterative digital catalog of artworks by iconic North Carolina artist Maud Gatewood. The catalog is drawn from the scholarship associated with the Museum’s current exhibition, The Hard Edge & The Soft Line: A Retrospective of Maud Gatewood, on view in the Fort, Atwell, and Rankin East Galleries from June 28, 2024 through January 5, 2025.

Read more

Summer Winding Down At De La Cruz Farms, But Derby Day Is Just Around the Corner on Sept. 7

August 7, 2024 It’s been a busy summer down on the farm — in particular at De La Cruz Farms in Watauga County. Summer camps for youngsters of all ages and abilities have filled the calendar, as dozens of participants have enjoyed life-changing and enhancing experiences. There is rarely a dull  moment at the Deep Gap location and even more excitement is on the way. The inaugural Deep Gap Derby Day, benefiting De La Cruz Farms, is coming soon and promises a unique evening of fun with live entertainment, raffles, a catered meal and a chance to hear from families whose lives have been impacted by the ministry of the farm. By Sherrie Norris

Read more

Milepost Music brings Live Music to The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park on August 11 & 25

August 5, 2024 Milepost Music is bringing live mountain music to The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park, located at milepost 241 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Laurel Springs, N.C. Free outdoor concerts will take place from 2 to 4 p.m., on the second and fourth Sundays in August. The Almost Irish Band will perform Sunday, Aug. 11. Hailing from Mount Airy, N.C., the group plays Irish and other Celtic music, as well as oldies, The Beatles, and lots of other gems from past decades.

Read more

St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church’s 66th Blowing Rock Tour of Homes Great Success

August 1, 2024 St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church announces a successful 66 th Annual Blowing Rock Tour of Homes, thanks to the countless hours of volunteers from around Watauga County and beyond who donated Timeless Treasures, baked fabulous cakes, cookies and pies, drove, guided, arranged flowers, served lunches, organized, sold, and cleaned, as well as the four families who so graciously opened their lovely homes for over a thousand visitors from across North Carolina and beyond.

Read more

The Flood Brothers Musical Revue Coming to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church on August 25

August 1, 2024 Another “concert with a cause” is coming to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 25, at 3 p.m. The Flood Brothers, written and performed by local talents John Thomas Oaks and Rev. Dr. Tommy Oaks, is a humorous musical revue about the Biblical story of Noah. In the show, Noah’s sons Shem and Japheth sing about their dad’s mission from God—building the Ark. The audience will enjoy the journey with laughter, original blues music and new insights. Admission is free, and donations will be collected for student scholarships at a Guatemalan church aptly named for the Ark.

Read more

America’s Favorite Cowboys “Riders In The Sky” are Coming to Tweetsie Railroad August 10 & 11

July 31, 2024 Once again, Tweetsie Railroad is hosting Grammy Award-winning Riders In The Sky (a.k.a “America’s Favorite Cowboys”) for a weekend of Western music and comedy performances, August 10 and 11. “This is one music performance you don’t want to miss,” said Cathy Robbins of Tweetsie Railroad. “Riders In The Sky are very talented musicians. They bring lots of energy, laughs, and their spirit is infectious.”

Read more

BRAHM Receives America 250 NC Grant

July 31, 2024 The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) has been awarded a three-year grant totaling $29,950 from North Carolina’s America 250 NC initiative for a project that will celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial in 2026. America 250 NC is North Carolina’s commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary and is led by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR). BRAMH will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America through two of the commemorative themes, Common Ground and Gathering of Voices, established by America 250 NC.

Read more

Sharyn McCrumb at Watauga County Public Library, Aug 8 for High Country Writers Meeting

July 29, 2024 “New York Times” best-selling author, Sharyn McCrumb, will be speaker at the High Country Writers meeting at the Watauga County Public Library, 10 a.m., Thursday, August 8.  HCW meetings are co-sponsored by the library and are open to the public. Sharyn McCrumb is best known for her Appalachian “Ballad” novels, including the “New York Times” best sellers “The Ballad of Tom Dooley,” “The Ballad of Frankie Silver,” and “Ghost Riders,” which won the Wilma Dykeman Award for Literature from the East Tennessee Historical Society and the national Audie Award for Best Recorded Book.

Read more

App State Supports Sustainable Agriculture Education & Hosts Carolina Meat Conference

July 29, 2024 July 30 – 31, 2024, Appalachian State University will host the Carolina Meat Conference (CMC) on its campus and surrounding local farms. Boone, NC is an area with a rich history of small farms, livestock farming, and self-reliance—a fitting backdrop for this significant conference. The Carolina Meat Conference is a biennial event that brings together hundreds of attendees from across the nation. Organized by NC Choices, an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in collaboration with NC Cooperative Extension, the conference is a leading forum for sustainable agriculture, focusing specifically on local meats and cheeses.

Read more

Grandfather Mountain to Host Animal Enrichment Day on July 31

July 29, 2024 Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is hosting its annual Animal Enrichment Day on Wednesday, July 31 and invites guests to come see firsthand how Grandfather Mountain cares for its resident animals. The event, which allows visitors to watch enrichment demonstrations, talk directly with keepers and participate in family-oriented interactive games, is included with admission.

Read more

Dinner In The Gap Auction Raises  $13,700 In Support of F.A.R.M Café

July 26, 2024 Three years and counting and Dinner in the Gap has done it again —  successfully bridging the gap between local agriculture, growers, consumers, some of the best chefs in the state and the High Country community, in general.  During the 2024 annual farm-to-table gala, which from the onset has been a statewide collaborative with special emphasis on the High Country, a live auction raised the largest amount yet for F.A.R.M. Café in Boone. Organized by Daniel Brown and hosted by BFR Meats and the Brown Family on part of their farm in Deep Gap, the July 21 event welcomed 324 attendees, representing a wide spectrum of farmers, friends, food industry leaders and supporters from the mountains to the coast. By Sherrie Norris

Read more

Doc & Rosa Lee Watson Music Fest Brings Out The Best – Three Area Pickers Among Winners in the Inaugural Terry Baucom Banjo Competition

July 26, 2024 The 22nd Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest, July 19-20, saw hundreds of musicians, fans, vendors and volunteers crowding into the picturesque community of  Sugar Grove for a two-day event to remember. While most of the entertainment was on the Explore Boone-sponsored center stage, the inaugural Terry Baucom Banjo Championship, held in the adjacent Old Cove Creek School on Saturday morning, attracted much attention and thrust three local banjo players into the coveted winner’s circle. Plus, an impromptu workshop by the Kruger Brothers in the school’s Red Raider Room, also on Saturday, drew a standing-room only crowd. Their scheduled concert later in the afternoon sealed the deal for many fans, said Danny Platt, MusicFest chair and promoter. By Sherrie Norris

Read more

Newly-Renovated Lees-McRae College Historic Commons Buildings Rededicated and Celebrated with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

July 25, 2024 The celebration of one of the top milestones in the 125-year history of Lees-McRae College—the rededication of its Historic Commons buildings following the recent completion of their renovations and extensive physical upgrades–was held with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 18. A large and highly enthusiastic gathering of approximately 225 attended the celebration ceremony held at the North Carolina Building on campus, including school officials, employees, alumni, Town of Banner Elk and County of Avery officials, regional and state dignitaries, and other special guests and visitors. By Tim Gardner

Read more

Watauga County Habitat for Humanity Announces Their 34th Home Dedication

July 25, 2024 Watauga Habitat is thrilled to announce the dedication of their 34th home, which occurred on July 20, 2024. The Gay family of four invited Habitat supporters, their church community from the Harvest House, and their friends and family into their home for an official Home Dedication. The Home Dedication is a ceremony that functions as the symbolic passing of the keys from Watauga Habitat for Humanity to the homeowner, signifying the transfer of ownership.

Read more

+ More Articles