1) Bonfire and Singing Tonight in Crossnore
The Town of Crossnore invites you to attend the Crossnore Bonfire and Singing on Friday, December 18, 2015!
The bonfire will be in front of The Crossnore Meeting House. Hot chocolate, hot cider, cookies and other goodies will be served. The festivities will begin at 6:30p.m.
Come our for a fun evening of Christmas celebration!
Please call 828-733-0360 for more information.
2) Grandfather Mountain Hosts New Year’s Day Sunrise Opportunity
There are sunrises, and then there are Grandfather Mountain sunrises.
And then there are Grandfather Mountain New Year’s Day sunrises.
Ring in an epic New Year on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, for Grandfather Mountain’s first sunrise opportunity of 2016.
Sunrise opportunities allow guests the rare chance to visit the popular Linville attraction before regular operating hours.
“These events are popular among photographers of all skill levels, as well as nature lovers hoping to see the Blue Ridge Mountains in a new light,” said Frank Ruggiero, director of marketing and communications for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that oversees the attraction. “Sunrise on Grandfather Mountain is nothing short of magnificent.”
Sunrise is at 7:38 a.m. Jan. 1, and Grandfather’s gates will open at 6:30 a.m. Due to safety regulations, participants may only visit the Mile High Swinging Bridge area during the event.
Guests are encouraged to bring a flashlight and to wear heavy winter jackets, hats, gloves and rubber-soled shoes, as there may be slick surfaces on the mountain. The event may be cancelled upon short in notice in case of inclement weather.
Admission to the New Year’s sunrise opportunity costs $10, in addition to general admission. Guests are free to remain in the park all day, but those who leave before the mountain’s 9 a.m. opening time will have their general admission charge refunded. Bridge Club members, who receive free admission to the mountain, will only pay $5 for the sunrise.
The event is open to no more than 30 participants, and registration is required. To register, contact Mickey Shortt, director of Grandfather Mountain’s Department of Education and Natural Resources, at (828) 733-4326 or mickey@grandfather.com.
The not-for-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, call (800) 468-7325, or visit www.grandfather.com.
3) CCC&TI Angel Tree Serves 50 Local Kids
The North Carolina Association of Education Office Professionals (NCAEOP) chapter on the campus of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute in Hudson distributed Christmas toys and gifts for 50 local children on Monday, Dec. 14. For 15 years, NCAEOP members have collected donations from CCC&TI faculty, staff, retirees, students and friends for its annual Angel Tree drive. The project provides gifts for the children of qualifying CCC&TI students. Thanks to the effort, 21-year-old student Taisha Perez, who recently moved to Lenoir from New York, was able to grant some of her two kids’ wishes. “This is going to be a really big help,” she said. “They are going to love it, especially the older one because he really wanted a bike.” Pictured (from left to right): Connie Wilson, Christina Guzman, Martha Minton, Taisha Perez and Stacy Styles.
4) Pack the Pantry Food Drive Collecting Items Through Dec. 21
Help the Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge feed hungry families in Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties by bringing nonperishable food items to the “pack the pantry” food drive van. Collected items will be distributed by the Hospitality House, the Hunger and Health Coalition, Ashe Sharing Center and Feeding Avery Families. Collection takes place through Dec. 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day in the back of the van located at Yadkin Bank, 2111 Blowing Rock Road in Boone.