March 28, 2018. Easter Sunday will take place on April 1 this year. For those who are deciding how to celebrate Easter, here is a list of Easter Sunday Services and egg hunts to attend. Some egg hunts are taking place this coming weekend, others will take place on Easter weekend.  By Kate Herman / Read more…

March 21, 2018. Easter Sunday will take place on April 1 this year. For those who are deciding how to celebrate Easter, here is a list of Easter Sunday Services and egg hunts to attend. Some egg hunts are taking place this coming weekend, others will take place on Easter weekend.  By Kate Herman / Read more…

Feb. 14, 2018. On Sunday Feb. 11, members of St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church gathered in celebration of the building’s 100th birthday. The congregation joined in the fellowship hall after attending the 10:10 a.m. service to celebrate the life of the church through food and fun! Members of the church brought a large spread of dishes which were served buffet style. By Kate Herman – Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

Jan. 29, 2017. St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church is planning a year long celebration of the 100th anniversary of its church on Main Street in Blowing Rock.  Though founded as a summer chapel overlooking the John’s River Gorge in 1891, the cornerstone of the current historic stone church on Main Street was laid on September 26th in 1918, and the first services were held there in the summer of 1921. / Read more…

Dec. 22, 2017. Churches across the High Country are inviting you to join them for special holiday services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year. Meet new friends as you join in communion for the true reason for the holiday season. Please note that several churches will not have a Christmas service on Monday, however plenty of other churches within the area will be open on Christmas morning.  By Kate Herman / Read more…

June 8, 2017. Jack Ballard Church Builders and volunteers are making progress on the new Foscoe Christian Church as the 12,000-square-foot building off N.C. 105 is now framed. The Foscoe Christian Church burned down on a bitter-cold night three years ago. The church caught fire after a furnace malfunctioned. Last summer, the totaled structure was demolished. After the site was prepped and the foundation was ready to go, Jack Ballard Church Builders arrived in May to begin framing the building. By Jesse Wood • Photos by Ken Ketchie

Jan. 5, 2017. As Green Street serves so many and in so many different ways throughout the year, we incur monthly costs in addition to our food costs. We could really use your help in 2017! Each month, Green Street has costs from paper products (takeout boxes, serving trays and even supplies to package scriptures and meals each week), electricity to run our donation coolers, freezers and warmers and even to support volunteer programs with others who help us with cleaning/preparing/delivering meals each week. / Read more…

Dec. 20, 2016. Take a break from shopping and remember the reason for the season! With many local churches offering special services open to the community, there are more ways than one for you to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas. Do you have a Christmas service you’d like to add to our list? Send the details to jessica@highcountrypress.com and we’ll update this information to include your event. Compiled by Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

Dec. 6, 2016. Placed sporadically throughout the parade lineup on Saturday were six floats that together shared the message of the gospel, each one depicting a different Bible story. The series of Bible floats was a project of the Three Forks Baptist Association’s Bethlehem and Beyond program. By Jessica Isaacs. Photos by Ken Ketchie. / Read more…

Nov. 9, 2016. The Three Forks Baptist Association will have their ‘Bethlehem and Beyond’ return to the High Country for the 2016 Christmas season! In addition to the live nativity scene, there will be an art contest, Christmas caroling, the ‘Bethlehem Bonanza’, and a parade. Be sure to read further about these events that Bethlehem and Beyond entails during December. By Emily Willis / Read more…

Oct. 19, 2016. This longstanding historic church will enjoy new life as a place for the community to share after a long process of transition facilitation by the nonprofit group Friends of St. Matthews Church. Sunday’s ceremony will give guests a chance to see this beautiful gem on the inside and will be led by the Rev. Cindy Banks. Also, the Friends board will discuss the intentions, restoration and preservation of the property, as well as its place in the community. By Emily Willis / Read more…

Oct. 19, 2016. Homemade chili and football go hand-in-hand in the High Country and at Grace Academy’s 8th annual Chili Cook-Off & Auction. As the school’s largest fundraiser, the Cook Off is set for 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2016, at Watauga High School. Literally dozens of chilis will be served, as well as homemade and bakery desserts. From spicy to mild, chicken, beef, vegetarian and gluten free, the Chili Cook-Off offers a variety of choices. Grace Academy is the High Country’s only Kindergarten through ninth grade Christian school. / Read more…

Oct. 17, 2016. Saturday’s crowd led to another successful year for the annual Valle Country Fair, through which Holy Cross and many kindhearted volunteers have been supporting those in need for generations. Local photographer Cindy McEnery was on hand to capture the day’s happenings. By Jessica Isaacs. Photos by Cindy McEnery. / Read more…

Oct. 12, 2016. Since its inception, the fair, operated by the Holy Cross Episcopal Church and a tight-knit network of caring community members, has been a fun-filled day of excitement for all, but it’s so much more than that. It’s also an opportunity to collect thousands of dollars in one afternoon, the total of which is set aside and later distributed through an annual grant cycle to local agencies in need. By Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

Aug. 19, 2016. “There are a lot of people in this area that don’t have the money to go to events like this, but they can come to enjoy this if they have something to donate or not,” said Robert Burleson. “It makes no difference. The money raised really helps the children’s home and Jack really wants to help them.” By Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

Aug. 9, 2016. All entertainers, popular local artists, are returning “regulars” in this series: Doris Bazzini & ColinCrothers, Turkey Tracks Trio, and the Junaluska Gospel Choir! Music kicks off at 4 p.m. and won’t slow down until 6 p.m., just in time for you to get home for supper. As always there’s no charge for this afternoon of community music. However, in the spirit of neighborliness, if you’d like to bring some classroom supplies to share with Valle Crucis and Cove Creek Schools, we’ll be most appreciative. / Read more…

Aug. 8, 2016. Hundreds of local people and many out-of-town friends and family poured into the National Guard Armory on Saturday to recognize, celebrate and enjoy fellowship with four longstanding pastors and their wives. The celebration was coordinated by the Rev. Charlie Martin of Bethel Baptist Church. By Jessica Isaacs / Read more…

Aug. 4, 2016. Between 1955 and 2012, he served as pastor at area churches including Baptist Home, Pine Mountain, Elk Knob, Zion Hill, Pleasant Grove, Bristol of Jefferson, Proffit’s Grove, Poplar Grove, Old Fields, Rutherwood, Friendly Grove, Setzer Creek, Meat Camp and South Fork. Today, he travels to preach at various churches across the High Country. No matter where he is, one thing remains unchanged: “I just enjoy turning loose and preaching the gospel.” Story and Photos by Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

Aug. 1, 2016. The Rev. Gordon Noble is one of four preachers who will be honored with their wives at a community-wide pastor appreciation event set for Saturday, Aug. 6 at the National Guard Armory in Boone. Click here to read more about the event and check out the July 2016 edition of High Country Magazine for the full story. Story and Photos by Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

July 29, 2016. The Rev. Delmar James is one of four preachers who will be honored with their wives at a community-wide pastor appreciation event set for Saturday, Aug. 6 at the National Guard Armory in Boone. Click here to read more about the event and check out the July 2016 edition of High Country Magazine for the full story. Story and photos by Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

July 26, 2016. Relentless prayer and obedience led this decorated military hero to the altar after more than two decades of service with the United States Army. It was an adventure that he didn’t see coming, but his unwavering faith and teachable spirit have allowed him to win souls for the Lord for more than a quarter-century since his last tour overseas. By Jessica Isaacs. Photo by Peter W. Morris. / Read more…

July 21, 2016. A large number of kids who attend public schools rely on the breakfast and lunch they receive every day during the academic year. When school’s out for summer, however, many parents struggle with how to afford those two daily meals on top of their other expenses. That’s why the folks at Green Street Catering, a local food ministry, are on a mission to distribute food products to families in need through its summer food program. Story and Photos by Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

July 7, 2016. Looking to get plugged in to the local faith community? Saddle up! There’s a new way to worship in Watauga County. Country Church USA is a brand new outreach ministry that offers 6 p.m. Saturday night services, free live music and a casual, welcoming environment right here in the High Country every week beginning July 9. By Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

June 6, 2016. Becca Eggers-Gryder of local bluegrass group Amantha Mill will kick off the show with a 30-minute concert. Her performance will be followed by popular local Christian groups like Mercy’s Sake and Bethel Road, as well as individual singers showcasing their favorite hymns. By Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

June 7, 2016. Music! Music! Music! Come, join your neighbors and listen to some traditional mountain music. There’ll be fiddling, guitar picking, banjo ringing, bass slapping, singing in “the old-tyme way,” and stories told ‘bout folks you know. It’s a leisurely afternoon of Vintage Valle Music at Baird’s Creek Presbyterian Church, June 19, 2016, from 4 to 6 p.m. Baird’s Creek Presbyterian Church is located at 2147 NC Hwy 194 S., Vilas NC 28692. There’ll be no passing the hat, no preachin’ ‘n prayin’, no dinner on the grounds; just pickin’ ‘n singin’, and lotsa grinnin’ at Vintage Valle Music. / Read more…

May 16, 2016. Ready for some serious laughs? Check out nationally recognized comedian Henry Cho as he brings his “funny but clean” comedy tour to the High Country this weekend. “I have been doing this for 30 years,” said Cho, who is proud to be one of few performers to offer good, clean humor. “I am full-blood Korean but I was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, so I like to say I’m South Korean.” By Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…

May 5, 2016. Believers in Christ and the power of prayer came together at the Boone Mall on Thursday for the inaugural High Country National Day of Prayer Festival. Orchestrated by Salvation Ministries, a Boone-based organization, the one-hour public prayer meeting drew a crowd of people who came together to pray for our country. Following this year’s “Wake Up America” theme, pastors, ministry leaders and elected officials took to the podium and urged the local faith community to step up and follow God’s commandment to turn the nation to Him in prayer. Photos by Jessica Isaacs. / Read more…