1) Flex Package Added to ASU Football Tickets Options
Appalachian State University athletics announced on Thursday that a flex package has been added to be list of options for fans wishing to purchase football tickets for the Mountaineers’ inaugural season in the Sun Belt Conference and NCAA Division I FBS in 2014. Flex packages allow fans to purchase tickets for two or more home games of their choice. It is the perfect solution for Appalachian State faithful that aren’t able to commit to a full-season of fixed-date half-season ticket package but still want to secure their seats at The Rock before single-game tickets go on sale on Aug. 5. Prices range from $27-42 per seat per game based on the games and section of the stadium chosen. All 2014 season-ticket packages (full, half and flex) are on sale now and can be purchased online at appstatesports.com/tickets or by phone at 828-262-2079.
2) Blue Ridge Parkway Ranger Programs
- Informal Upstairs Tour at Cone Manor: On Wednesday, June 18, from 10-11 a.m. the second floor of Cone Manor will be open for a do it yourself tour. Rangers will be on hand to answer questions.
- Lostproofing 101: On Saturday, June 21, at 3:30 p.m., Julian Price Amphitheater will host this program. So you’ve wandered far from hearth and home. You don’t know where you are. Everything looks different now. So stop and do not roam! Join a ranger to learn some basic skills to use if you are ever lost in the woods.
- Upstairs Tour at Cone Manor: On Saturday June 21 and Sunday, June 22 at 10, 11, 2 and 3 p.m. ranger led tours of the second floor of the former home of Moses and Bertha Cone. Tour is approximately 45 minutes long and reservations are required. To reserve a tour call 828-295-3782 or sign up at the NPS information desk at the house.
3) First Annual Craft Fair Held in Crossnore July 4
HandMade in America has brought their Appalachian Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program to the women of Crossnore to teach them business skills and provide tools to create their very first craft fair. In partnership with the Crossnore Community Enhancement Committee (CCEC) and volunteer fire department, this craft fair will be an important addition to the town’s annual Family Fun on the FOurth celebration, which will take place from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on July 4. The craft fair, located in the parking lot of the Blair Fraley Sales Store, will allow the small town of 192 people to showcase and sell their locally made wares as an added attraction to the festivities.
4) St John’s Summer Concerts
St. John’s Episcopal Church, a mission of Holy Cross Episcopal Church of Valle Crucis, will once again present a Summer Concert Series. Located on Herb Thomas Road, off Mast Gap Rd, historic St. John’s is the perfect venue for music with its acoustically perfect wooden walls. All concerts are free of charge. On July 6 you will find Ensemble 322, a quintet consisting of faculty from ASU’s Hayes School of Music for Bow and Strings. Playing together for the past 15 years, Ensemble 322 boasts a repertoire that includes works from the renaissance to venues as Appalachian Summer Festival, Blowing Rock Arts Theatre, Raleigh Arts and Sounds Museum, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Caracas Philharmonic, Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall and others. They are planning to take you on a romantic musical journey through Spain. The Aug. 3 show will present nationally recognized hammered dulcimer artist and old time fiddler Ken Kolodner and his son Brad who is an award winning clawhammer banjoist. Brad plays the fiddle and provides vocals as well as composing parts of their repertoire. The duo, who excel in traditional Appalachian music, began playing together in 2009 and released their first recording that time “Otter Creek” which became the most played instrumental recording on the international Folk DJ Radio charts. Several albums have been released since, all in the top 20 on Folk and Roots Music Charts. Concert appearances have included the Kennedy Center, The Birchmere, Helicon’s Winter Solstice and many Folk Festivals all over the country. In addition to performing both Ken and Brad regularly teach and are avid supporters and developers of the old time community in their home town of Baltimore.
5) Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star Wash Ashore at Tweetsie Railroad June 27-29
Get ready to say hello to SpongeBob because two of the popular stars of Nickelodeon’s hit animated series will be returning to Tweetsie Railroad June 27-29. Spongebob himself and his best pal will be entertaining guests of the park and taking photos daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 43 p.m. An optimistic and earnest sea sponge once said, “if you believe in yourself and with a tiny pinch of magic all your dreams will come true.” For years, Spongebob and his friends have been inspiring kids of all ages with their nonsensical adventures mixed in with learning lessons on the series. Now guests of Tweetsie Railroad will be able to experience the phenomenon firsthand as they enjoy live appearances from Spongebob and his best friend Patrick Star. Park guests can take advantage of this special event in addition to a full day of Wild West family fun at North Carolina’s first theme park. Hop aboard the famed steam-powered Tweetsie locomotive for an unforgettable three-mile adventure through the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. Spend the day exploring the streets of a Western town, experience the long-ago era of cowboys and Indians, take a spin on exciting amusement rides, visit the animals at the Deer Park Zoo, be a part of the toe-tappin’ live entertainment and shows, and take a scenic chair lift ride to Miner’s Mountain and pan for gold. Tweetsie Railroad is open seven days a week from May 30 through August 17. The park returns to the weekend schedule from August 18 through November 2, including Labor Day Monday. The 2014 season ends Sunday, November 2. The park’s regular hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but will be open until 9:00 p.m. on July 4 for the Fireworks Extravaganza and July 5, 12, 19 and 26 for Cool Summer Nights. Daily admission to Tweetsie Railroad is $39 for adults and $26 for children ages 3 through 12. Children 2 and under are admitted free. The Ghost Train® Halloween Festival will take place Friday and Saturday nights September 26 through November 1 from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., when admission is $31 for adults and children. Tickets and Golden Rail Season Passes are available at Tweetsie.com. Tweetsie Railroad is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains on U.S. Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. For more information about the 2014 season at Tweetsie Railroad, visit Tweetsie.com or call 877.TWEETSIE (877.893.3874). Find Tweetsie on Facebook or follow Tweetsie on Twitter @TweetsieRR.
6) Book Club Beginning June 18
The Lois E. Harrill Senior Center will be starting the book club again on Wednesday, June 18. The book club will meet the third Wednesday of each month, June through October from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The first meeting the club will talk about one of their favorite books and will choose the list of books for the upcoming months. Please call 828-265-8090 with questions or for additional information.
7) University Housing Bike Auction Held June 20
The ASU University Housing Department will hold the sixth annual bike auction on June 20 from 5-7 p.m. The preview for the auction will be on June 19 from 4-7 p.m. The auction will be held at the APH Residence Hall located at 949 Blowing Rock Road beside BB&T Bank. All proceeds support the University Housing Scholarship Fund. For more information contact Amanda Giles at 828-262-7587 or email gilesar@appstate.edu. In the event of a needed tiebreaker, a live auction will take place for the bikes in higher demand.