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Weekend Roundup: Exciting Things to Do This Weekend; Check ‘em Out and Make Plans Aug. 29-31

Aug. 29, 2014. The High Country has so many exciting events to offer its community and visitors, especially on summer weekends! Check our site every Friday for something new and exciting to look forward to while you’re watching the hour hand crawl to 5 o’clock. Find live music down the street, explore a nearby town’s local secrets or try out a new square dancing class. There’s always something fun to do in the High Country.

To check out this week’s movie trailers and this week’s movie review of If I Stay, click here.

Friday, Aug. 29

Concerts at the Jones House: On Friday, Aug. 29, the Jones House presents David Childers and the Dashboard Hula Boys, beginning at 5 p.m. The Jones House Community and Cultural Center presents a free outdoor concert every Friday night from June 6-Sept. 12. The Jones House is located at 604 West King St. in downtown Boone. For more information, call 828-268-6280. 

Music on the Lawn: On Friday, Aug. 29, the Best Cellar presents The Harris Brothers. The Best Cellar hosts a free outdoor concert each Friday night through the summer, and is located at 203 Sunset Dr. in Blowing Rock. For more information, call 828-295-9703.

Music in the Valle: Valle Crucis Community Park will host Music in the Valle on Friday, Aug. 29 featuring Red June. The concert will take place at Valle Crucis Community Park located at 2892 Broadstone Rd. in Valle Crucis starting at 7 p.m. For more information about this event, call 828-963-9239.

Wilkesboro’s Weekly Open Air Market: The Open Air Market is scheduled May 2 through September 19, 2014 on a weekly basis. The regular market is open every Friday from 4:00-8:00 pm. The vendor selling are farmers with locally grown fruits, vegetables, plants and local art & craft vendors, baked goods, plus many other vendors. This market will take place in the town owned parking lot across from the 50’s Restaurant and Royall’s Framing on Main Street in downtown Wilkesboro.

Happy Valley Fiddler’s Convention: 10th Annual Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention in Happy Valley, NC. Labor Day weekend each year visitors pay homage to the legends and stories of the Yadkin River Valley at the Historic Happy Valley Old-time Fiddlers’ Convention.

Southern Fried Funeral: Dewey Frye is dead, and his wife Dorothy is left behind trying to pick up the pieces and hold her family together. Her daughters are at each other’s throats, Ozella Meeks from the SonShine committee at the church is trying to take over the funeral, and Dewey’s older brother is trying to take her house. Funerals bring out the best, the worst and the funniest in people and the Frye family is no exception. A big-hearted comedy about family, Southern-Style. Make your plans now to join us at the Ashe Civic Center in West Jefferson August 28 – 31. Tickets are $16.00 adults and $5 students are available at the Ashe Arts Center or by phone at 336-846-2787.

Saturday, Aug. 30

Coffee Talk: On Saturday, Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. until noon, The Art Cellar Gallery in Banner Elk will host the last of many coffee talks of the summer season. This Saturday’s coffee talk will feature noted painter Zoey Brookshire. For more information about this event click here.

ASU Football v. Michigan Wolverines: Appalachian State University football begins a new era at The Big House, the site of the most notable upset in college football history, when it opens the 2014 campaign against the Michigan Wolverines, the nation’s all-time winningest program. For more information click here.  

High Country Beer Fest: The High Country Beer Fest, now in its seventh year, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 30 from 3-7 p.m. With the change of venue from previous years, more tickets than ever are available for the event, which has sold out for many years. This year, there are still a few hundred tickets left. This festival is still in high demand though, so don’t wait! For more information about this event, click here

Watauga County Farmers Market: Join us for the 40th anniversary season of Watauga County Farmers’ Market! The farmers’ market has been Boone’s Town Square since 1974.

Elk Knob Volunteer Trail Work Day: Warmer weather has finally returned along with the Volunteer Trail Work Days at Elk Knob State Park. Every Saturday beginning April 5 and running through the middle of November (except June 28 and September 13), staff and volunteers will meet at the Summit Trailhead at 9 am and work until approximately 3:30 pm, weather permitting. Tools are provided but volunteers should wear close-toed shoes and bring work gloves, lunch and water. Most of the time will be spent building our new one mile loop trail, the Beech Tree Trail, although we may include some repair work on the Summit Trail. If you would like to be involved in a fulfilling project that will fill you with a well-deserved sense of pride, then join us on Saturdays at Elk Knob State Park. For more information please call 828-297-7261.

Rock Fest: Join your friends on Saturday, August 30, 2014 for RockFest at Emerald Village, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Little Switzerland. Celebrate the gem and mineral heritage of the mountains at historic mines in a spectacular setting, from 9 until 6! Enjoy free live music under the tent from 11 to 4, with 5 great original musical acts, including Celo Conley, Jesse Smith, Pete & Kim McWhirter, Glen Nance & Lenny Ski, and Paul Thomas & friends. Good food catered by the Switzerland Cafe will be available. Take a free guided hike to a hidden mine at 11:30 or 3:30. Children (12 and under) will enjoy the free Kid’s Treasure Hunt all day! At 1:30 there will be a special free mining presentation. Mine tours, Gem mining, Mineral collecting and Gold panning will be offered all day, and the free Discovery Mill exhibits will be open for free. Enjoy a fine dinner at one of our local restaurants and come back at 8:30 PM for a one-of-a-kind underground Black Light Mine Tour ($15 Adults/$10 Students; reservations are recommended). RockFest will be a great day and a fun way to celebrate the end of summer!

Johnson County Farmers MarketThe main work of the Johnson County Farmers Market is to help strengthen a sustainable local agricultural and food economy. We do this by providing education, engaging in community and economic development, and promoting the availability and benefits of local food and agriculture.

Night Hike: Saturday, August 30 at 7:30 pm, come explore the park with a ranger at night. While some critters are settling down to sleep, many are waking for their day. Learn about nocturnal adaptations and how you use your senses at night. Meet at the trailhead parking lot.

Sunday, Aug. 31

Mile High Kite Festival: The 12th annual Mile High Kite Festival takes place on Sunday, Aug. 31, in the Beech Mountain Town Meadow. Located at more than 5,000 feet in elevation, the meadow makes it easy to sail kites more than a mile above sea level. The festival includes kite-flying music and announcing provided by Terry Murray and Will Smoot of the Richmond Air Force Kite Club from Virginia. Prizes will be awarded for the biggest kite, smallest kite and best decorated kite. For more information click here

New River Blues Festival: The lineup for the 2014 New River Blues Festival is stellar as usual and features keyboardist Johnny Neel of The Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule, the legendary harmonica player Charlie Sayles and, among others, the New Orleans blues mama herself Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen. For more information about this event click here

Mountain Home Music: On Sunday, Aug. 31, Mountain Home Music will host a Labor Day Folk Revival starting at 7:30 p.m. The show will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone.

Music on the VerandaOn Sunday, Aug. 31, the Green Park Inn’s Music on the Veranda will present The Harris Brothers starting at 5 p.m. For more information about this event, call 828-414-9230.

Sunday Jazz Brunch: On Sunday, Aug. 31, Canyons in Blowing Rock will host the weekly Sunday Jazz Brunch with Todd Wright. Starting at 11 a.m., the event will feature live jazz music at Canyons located at 8960 Valley Blvd. in Blowing Rock. For more information about this event, call 828-295-7661.

Baha’i Devotional Meeting: There will be a Baha’i devotional meeting at 11 a.m. until noon on Sunday, Aug. 31, in Stony Fork. The theme of the meeting will be “All Things Made New.” All are welcome. For more information and directions call 268-2191.

Concert at St. John’s: Sunday, Aug. 31, St. John’s Episcopal Church will present its final concert of the season with the return for the fourth time of the a capella choir from Trinity Cathedral in Colombia, South Carolina. These exquisite voices, with an extensive repertoire that includes early chants, the renaissance and wonderful old spirituals, have thrilled audiences each year. Bring along a picnic to share after the concert and meet with our guest musicians. St. John’s is located on Herb Thomas Rd. just off of Mast Gap Road. Signs will be posted. For more information, call 828-963-4609.