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Boone in Blossom Benefit Festival Welcomes Warm Weather with Music, Community

By Bailey Faulkner

Flowers are blossoming and so is Boone! The bi-annual Boone in Blossom benefit festival begins tomorrow at noon at the Sugar Hollow Retreat Center in Butler, Tennessee. This year, the festival will be held from April 29 to May 1.

Boone in Blossom

Blossom
Boone in Blossom/gatiproductions.com

The bi-annual Boone in Blossom festival is one of two that Gati Productions hosts in the High Country. Along with the Harvest Boone festival, GP organizes its festivals as a “coming together of our community to experience healing, happiness and friendship in a conscious way.”

Boone in Blossom events will include “regional music, informative workshops, enlightening meditations and yoga, uplifting playshops and intentional ceremonies.”

The 11th event in the bi-annual series, this year’s Boone in Blossom festival will continue adding to the 10 tons of food that have already been raised at the events. All donated food goes directly to the Hunger and Health Coalition, which will then distribute it to community members in Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties.

In addition to helping feed the High Country, the festival series has generated more than 350 hours of community service. In lieu of ticket admission, many festivalgoers have participated in community service projects that have helped clean local waterfalls and assist in group homes and community gardens.

For a list of this year’s workshops, click here.

Music lovers in the High Country are very familiar with Boone in Blossom, a destination for many local bands. This year, up-and-coming Boone band Unaka Prong will have the chance to take the stage.

Unaka Prong

Blossom
Unaka Prong/facebook.com

Keyboardist Chris Pope is especially excited about performing at the festival.

“We got interested in Boone in Blossom after our good friend John Rush told us he could get us on the roster this year,” Pope said. “Most of us have been to Boone in Blossom, so we are very stoked for the chance to play.”

Unaka Prong’s style is best described as an entirely unique mix of jazz, prog rock, funk, reggae and blues. If you haven’t had the chance to catch one of the band’s shows in town, you can click here to listen to some of Unaka’s recordings. You can also like the band’s Facebook page to stay posted on upcoming shows.

With summer just around the corner, Unaka Prong is ready to start a season of music.

“Boone in Blossom will be the first of many festivals we will be doing this summer. So in a way, it kicks off festival season for us,” Pope said.

In addition to its already full repertoire of music, the band has planned a few new covers for the show. The band is especially excited to cover Snarky Puppy’s new single “Tarova.”

Unaka Prong will play from 3 to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, April 29.

Spice Creek Ramblers

Blossom
Spice Creek Ramblers/Kingdom Photography

HCP’s own Jesse Wood will perform with guitarist and vocalist Nate Harris in their band, the Spice Creek Ramblers. Filled out with Harris’ guitar and singing and Wood’s upright bass, the Spice Creek Ramblers “go beyond traditional, old time and bluegrass, venturing into blues and rock soundscapes.”

Since forming in 2012, the two musicians have made music that simultaneously reflects the High Country musical spirit and the works of great rock ‘n’ roll and Americana artists. The musicians list Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan among their greatest influences.

Recently, the duo released its first studio album, Painted Mountain. Harris’ talent for poetic lyricism shines throughout the album.

You can click here to learn more about the Spice Creek Ramblers.

The Spice Creek Ramblers will play from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 30.

Boone in Blossom

Blossom
Boone in Blossom/gatiproductions.com

Admission to the festival is $50, or $20 and 20 nonperishable food items. You can also attend the event for free by volunteering. Volunteers must place a deposit that will be reimbursed at the end of their shifts.

If you aren’t sure about everything you will need to bring to the event, click here.

If you have any other questions about Boone in Blossom, click here to visit the event’s webpage or send an email to gativisions@gmail.com.

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate the beginning of warmer weather with fun and music at Boone in Blossom this weekend!