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Weekend Roundup: Exciting Things to Do This Weekend; Check ‘em Out and Make Plans Aug. 22-24

by Madison Fisler Lewis

Aug. 22, 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.

Weekend-Long Events

To check out this week’s movie trailers and this week’s movie review of Let’s Be Cops, click here.

Completely Hollywood (Abridged): The final installment of Ensemble Stage’s summer theatre lineup, Completely Hollywood (Abridged) will hit the stage starting Aug. 23 and will continue through Aug. 31. Completely Hollywood (Abridged), by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, is a rapid-fire comedy that stuffs the experience of 186 movies into one 90-minute show. For more information about this event click here

Friday, Aug. 22

Steve Katz at the Jones House: Many will remember the tunes of the iconic band, Blood, Sweat and Tears, the jazz-rock group that rocked its way through the 60s and 70s after originally forming in New York City. Lovers of Blood, Sweat and Tears rejoice! On Friday, Aug. 21, the Jones House in downtown Boone will host original member Steve Katz for a one-man show featuring music and stories from throughout his career. For more information about this event click here

Music on the Lawn: On Friday, Aug. 22, the Best Cellar presents Lucky Strikes. 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.

Artfull Palette: A delightful smorgasbord of the arts awaits you on Friday, Aug. 22 at the Harvest House in Boone. The Watauga County Arts Council’s annual fundraising event is fast approaching. Tickets are available for $75 and there are still tickets available. Tickets can be purchased at the door of the event, but the council recommends purchasing tickets in advance. The Artfull Palette, one of the oldest events of the Arts Council, has enjoyed a recent updating and the new location at Harvest House is perfectly suited to this newly revised event. For more information about this event click here

Music in the Valle: Valle Crucis Community Park will host Music in the Valle on Friday, Aug. 22 featuring RP3 Reggae. 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.

Hospitality House Luncheon: The Hospitality House Board of Directors and Hearts of Hospitality Ladies Auxiliary will be hosting the annual Hope Luncheon Aug. 22 at 11 a.m. Held for the third consecutive year at the picturesque Wats Gap Pavillion at Blue Ridge Mountain Club; this year’s luncheon, 30 Years of Hope, will celebrate thirty-years of Hospitality House providing a safety net for people in need while honoring the six founding churches for their leadership, vision and dedication. For more information about this event click here

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.

Saturday, Aug. 23

Watch for Me NC: The Watch Me for NC Campaign kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 23 with a Bike Rodeo. The event will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Hardin Park School located at 361 Jefferson Rd. The event will feature helmet fit and safety checks, bike inspection and safety checks, bicycle safety lessons, fun activities, healthy snacks and prizes. For more information about this event, click here.

Coffee Talk: On Saturday, Aug. 23, The Art Cellar Gallery will host the first of the final two coffee talks of the year. On Aug. 23, the gallery will host sculptor Jane Jaskevich from 10 a.m. until noon. “Jane is a stone carver, so she will talk about her specific approach and technique and how she creates her stone sculptures,” said Liz Brown, Gallery Director of The Art Cellar. For more information about this event click here.  

Greater Avery Tour de Art: The sixth annual Avery County Tour de Art will continue with its August installment on Saturday, Aug. 23. As usual, many local galleries and studios in the Watauga and Avery County area will open to the public with special art events, exhibitions and much more. For more information about this event click here. 

Tubefest: On Saturday, Aug. 23, Green Valley Park will host TubeFest 2014. This is an opportunity for members of the community and visitors to enjoy floating down the scenic New River and help support Green Valley Park. For more information about this event click here

Shag at Sugar: After being postponed due to rain earlier this month, the annual Shag at Sugar Mountain will finally take place on Saturday, Aug. 23. The event will be held from 4:30-9 p.m. at Sugar Mountain Golf Clubhouse located at 1054 Sugar Mtn Dr. in Sugar Mountain. “The first one was in 2010 to celebrate our 25th anniversary as a township,” said Tammy Floyd, Clerk at the Village of Sugar Mountain. “But people loved it so much and asked for it again and again so we obliged and made it an annual event.” For more information about this event click here

Candle Light Vigil: The Watauga branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will hold a candlelight vigil and peaceful prayer for Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9. For more information about this event click here

Grandfather Mountain Family Day: On Saturday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Grandfather Mountain State Park will host the fourth annual Family Day event at Foscoe Grandfather Community Center. “We have a little bit of something for everyone and I think it will be a great time for anyone,” said Sue McBean of Grandfather Mountain State Park. For more information about this event click here

Mountain Home Music: The South Carolina Broadcasters roll into town on Saturday, Aug. 23 for a lively performance of honest-to-goodness old-time Appalachian music. The concert is presented by Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music and it takes place at the Harvest House Performing Arts Venue at 7:30 p.m. For more information about this event click here.

Library Presentation: On Saturday, Aug. 23, at 2 p.m., the Watauga County Public Library in association with the North Carolina Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities will welcome Road Scholar Bob Plott. Plott is an award-winning North Carolina native who has published several books on hunting and the premier big game hunting dog breed in America – the Plott Hound. For more information about this event click here.  

Valle Crucis Park Auction: The 30th annual Valle Crucis Community Park Fundraising Auction will be held at Valle Crucis Elementary School on Saturday, Aug. 23. For more information on this event click here

Brookshire Family Park Day: Join your neighbors for a mid-day break on Saturday, Aug. 23, from noon – 3 p.m., at the Brookshire Park picnic shelter, for a community event celebrating voter participation and the newly formed Watauga County NAACP Branch. A free hot-dog lunch will be offered at 11:30 a.m. at Hospitality House and free refreshments will be offered at the park as well. For more information about this event click here. 

Watauga Lake Triathlon: The tenth annual Watauga Lake Triathlon will be held in Butler, Tenn. on Saturday, Aug. 23 beginning at 8 a.m. The USA Triathlon-sanctioned event includes a 1,000 meter swim, a 35 kilometer bike ride and an 8 kilometer run. The event also features a separate race, the Appalachian Challenge Stamp Up Paddleboard Race, to be held at 9 a.m. For more information about this event click here

An Evening with the Kruger Brothers: The Temple of the High Country is having a musical fundraising event, “An Evening with the Kruger Brothers” on Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held at Rosen Concert Hall at Appalachian State University. General admission is $25, and a $75 ticket provides prime seating, prime parking, post-concert champagne and dessert party with the Kruger Brothers. Tickets for the concert can be purchased at the Box office at the Schaefer Center at ASU. To do so, call 800-841-2787, go to the box office at 733 River Street in Boone or go online here. Please note that there is a $2 service fee for purchasing tickets online or over the phone.

Family Fun Horse Show: Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy a great outdoor day. Join the fun at the “Family Fun Horse Show” on Saturday, Aug. 23. The Horse Show will host fun games, classes for Traditional and Racking horses and events for riders and non-riders of all ages. Some of the planned events include barrel racing, Texas barrels, pole bending, egg race, ride a “buck,” apple bobbing, a rubber duck race and much more. There is a $10 entry fee for speed events and $5 each non speed event. There will be fun and games for kids with horses or without. One of the show highlights will be a mounted shooting demonstration by crack rider Danny Lambert of Burnt Hill Stables. This family oriented show will be held at the Baker Farm at 3460 Dick Phillips Rd. in West Jefferson. This show is sponsored by Happy Trails Cowboy Church of Ashe. The Cowboy Church is know for events such as the Annual Wagon Trail Revival and Ride, the Rough Cut Cowboy Race and the dozens of horses featured in the West Jefferson Christmas Parade each year. Cowboy Church Pastor, Roger L. Blevins said, “We are pleased to have the opportunity to bring this event to our community. Even if you aren’t a ‘horse person’ you can enjoy the atmosphere. There will be lots of fun and games for those who don’t ride also. It’s great for the whole family!” There will be concessions available and camping for those who want to bring a horse trailer or tent. The doors open at noon and the show starts at 2 p.m. Rain date will be the following day on Aug. 24. For more information please call Lt. Donnie Goodman at 828-406-7996 or Laurel Baker at 336-977-6544.

Canning Class: On Saturday, Aug. 23 from 1-4 p.m., N.C. Cooperative Extension will offer a hands-on canning class. We will learn how to safely can using a pressure canner and a boiling water bath. Class will be held at the Agricultural Conference Center located at 252 Poplar Grove Rd. Space is limited, so register by paying $10 in advance at the N.C. Cooperative Extension at 971 W. King St. in Boone or call 264-3061.

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. The market takes place from 8 a.m. until noon in the parking lot of Horn in the West. 

Grandfather Mountain Sunrise Opportunity: Grandfather Mountain’s sunrise and sunset opportunities are back by popular demand! Photographers and sightseers can take advantage of this rare opportunity to marvel at the nearly 360-degree views available from Grandfather Mountain’s peaks as the sun rises and sets.

Boone Rotary Annual Yard Sale: The Boone Rotary Club is having their annual yard sale Saturday, August 23rd from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the old Dollar General location at Boone Mall. Sale includes household items, furniture, clothing, raffles, refreshments and much more!!

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.

Sunday, Aug. 24

Music on the Veranda: On Sunday, Aug. 24, the Green Park Inn’s Music on the Veranda will present The Todd Wright Jazz Quartet starting at 5 p.m. For more information about this event, call 828-414-9230.

Sunday Jazz Brunch: On Sunday, Aug. 24, 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.