1) Wilkes County Agricultural Fair
The Wilkes County Agricultural Fair will begin on Tuesday. Oct. 1 and will run through Saturday, Oct. 5. The North Wilkesboro Rotary Club sponsors the event, which is held at the Rotary Fairgrounds beside of West Park in North Wilkesboro. On Saturday, a special event at the fair will be a lawnmower race. This year’s fair will feature more than 25 rides, a bicycle gie away- E-Z ride, petting zoo, Buffalo Barfield’s unheard of style of music and comedy shows, miniature bull races (yes, bull races), 4-H exhibits and games and food on the midway. N.E.W. Wrestling will be held on Thursday and Friday. No Joe’s Circus Clown and Trapeze act will be performing everyday. The 4-H exhibits, coordinated by Wilkes Cooperative Extension Service, will be on hand in the Exhibit Hall. This year, the fair will also feature a hay bale decorating contest on Tuesday, a junior beef heifer/steer show on Tuesday, a junior market lamb show, a junior goat show, both on Friday, as well as a tractor driving contest and ugly pickup contest on Thursday. Gates open at 5 p.m. on weekdays and noon on Saturday. Gate admission to fairgrounds also allows admission to lawnmower race on Saturday.
2) Relay for Life Scarecrow 5K Run/Walk
Join us for the 7th annual Relay for Life Scarcrow 5K Run/Walk benefiting the American Cancer Society. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 5, at 8:30 a.m. to be able to participate in the 7th annual Relay for Life 5K Run/Walk taking place on the Greenway Trail in Boone. Registration fee is $15 with a deadline of Sept. 25, $20 after. Family rate is $40 deadline Sept. 24, after Sept. 25 the rate is $45. Meeting the Sept. 25 deadline guarantees you a long sleeved tee shirt, after this date it will be on a first come, first served basis. Cash prizes will be awarded to the Overall 1st Place male/female and to the Master’s male/female. Awards will also be given to the top 3 male/female age group winners. Refreshments will be served and all participants will be eligible for door prizes. Plan to join us for a great time while raising money for a wonderful cause. For information you can contact Paula Ward at 828-297-4876 or wardpy@appstate.edu or you can go to the website at www.wataugarelayforlife5k.com.
3) High Country Audubon Society Meeting
HCAS will have its next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Boone. The monthly meeting will feature Richard Gray, professor of Astronomy at Appalachian State University. Richard will be speaking about his experiences birding in Great Britain. Richard will describe birding in Otmoor in England, Pembrokeshire in Wales and the Isle of Mull in Scotland. The talk will be illustrated with his own photographs. HCAS covers Avery, Ashe, Alleghany, Watauga and Wilkes counties. HCAS invites the public to attend the monthly meetings and field trips. Announcements about meetings and field trips can be found on their website at www.highcountryaudubon.org.
4) Watauga Employees Recognized for Service
Employees of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation and Blue Ridge Energies, LLC, were recently recognized for their years of service during the company’s annual employee awards dinner at the Walker Center on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro. Recognized from the company’s Watauga offices were: Ben Hurley, crew leader, 35 years; Kenny Teague, vehicle mechanic, 35 years; Richard Butler, line technician A, 25 years; Wayne Reese, construction layout technician, 15 years; Susan Jones, district manager, 10 years; and Marty Woods, field service technician, 10 years. Blue Ridge Electric is a member owned electric cooperative serving some 74,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Avery and Alexander counties. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, is Blue Ridge Electric’s propane and heating fuels subsidiary with offices and appliance showrooms in the district offices of Blue Ridge Electric.
5) Horse Helpers Fourth Annual Silent Auction
Horse Helpers of the High Country’s fourth silent auction, eat.drink.bid, will take place on Friday, Sept. 20 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the High Country Home Builders Plaza in Boone. Tickets are $25 each or four for $85 and can be purchased online at www.horsehelpersnc.org or from the following locations: Footsloggers, Mo’s Boots, The Pet Place and Animal Emergency and Pet Care Clinic. Silent auction items include numerous pieces of fine art, gift certificates from local restaurants such as Vidalia and 1861 Farmhouse, gift baskets of pet items and wine, gift certificates from clothing stores and a trip to Chetola Resort. Come on our and join Horse Helpers for a fun-filled evening, including sweet and savory hors d’oeuvres from Reid’s Catering, live music and our fourth annual silent auction. In addition to silent auction items, there will also be local celebrity auctions, featuring a fishing trip and a canoeing trip with a gourmet lunch. This is a great opportunity to do early Christmas shopping all while helping the High Country’s only local horse rescue, Horse Helpers of the High Country. Horse Helpers of the High Country, incorporated in 2004 as a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, is the only equine rescue serving Watauga, Ashe and Avery Counties in North Carolina, as well as Johnson County, Tennessee. The mission of Horse Helpers is to give sick, abused and unwanted horses a second chance. They provide treatment and rehabilitation for horses seized by law enforcement and animal control. They also provide a forum for education on anumal care and humane communication. For more information, visit www.horsehelpersnc.org or call 828-297-1833.