By Nathan Ham
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has continued to force the cancelations and postponements of numerous annual events, weekly and monthly events across the High Country.
In Boone and Blowing Rock, some of the local events canceled include the always-popular Appalachian Summer Festival, Blowing Rock Horse Show Saddlebreds, Doc Watson Day, Art in the Park in Blowing Rock and Mountain Home Music. On Wednesday, it was announced that the 69th season of Horn in the West has been postponed for 2020 and will resume in 2021.
Despite being the final county in North Carolina to not have a positive COVID-19 test, Avery County is keeping its precautions in place by canceling the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Lees-McRae Summer Theatre and Land of Oz June Tours.
In neighboring Ashe County, they made the tough decision to cancel the annual Christmas in July Festival.
Wilkes County had already made the decision to cancel MerleFest and in Alleghany County, the weekly Concerts on Main have been canceled through August.
Other events in the High Country have been rescheduled or are still up in the air as to whether they will take place. The Fine Arts & Master Craft Festival in Avery County is now scheduled for June 17-19 and August 14-16. Stomp ānā Brew in Ashe County has been postponed until September 5 and the annual Ashe Fiddlers Convention is still undecided on whether or not it will be canceled. The event typically happens in early August.
Numerous local attractions are also closed including the Appalachian Theatre, Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Foggy Mountain Gem Mine, The Blowing Rock, The Jones House, Turchin Center, Tweetsie Railroad, Ensemble Stage, Linville Caverns, Wildcat Lake, Banner Elk Winery, Ashe County Arts Council and the Museum of Ashe County History.