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Weekend Roundup: Exciting Things to Do Weekend; Check ‘em Out, Make Plans June 6-8

by Madison V. Fisler

June 6, 2014. The High Country has so many exciting events to offer its community and visitors, especially on Memorial Day Weekend! 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

Check out this week’s movie trailers and our weekly movie review of Maleficent, click here.

June Issue of High Country Magazine: Well, hello there summertime! As the High Country welcomes the first few weeks of the summer season, High Country Magazine is celebrating with the official release of the brand new June issue! This month, we welcome back our summer residents with a huge section introducing you to the “12 Dates of Summer.” In this section, we have mapped out 12 dates for the 12 weeks of summertime with something for every taste. Start of your date with a free outdoor concert, check out a festival or two, take a tour of a winery and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve gone ahead and done all of the hard work for you, all you have to do is get out there and do it! For more information, click here

Thomas the Train at Tweetsie: Preschoolers will get the thrill of their lives when Thomas the Tank Engine steams across the country this year. When Thomas arrives in Blowing Rock for the Day out with Thomas: The Thrill of the Ride Tour 2014, he will not only take his fans for a ride, but also talk to them for the very first time on the tour! The event, which takes place June 6-15 will be hosted by Tweetsie Railroad and presented by HIT Entertainment and sponsored by MEGA Brands, a leading toy company and all inclusive Hard Rock Hotels. For more information click here

Toe River Studio Tour: For 21 years, the Toe River Arts Council has hosted the Toe River Studio Tour, showcasing the art of the region’s many talented artists. This year’s June tour will be held from June 6 to June 8 and will feature 104 participating artists and craftspeople, which includes 95 individual artists and nine galleries. For more information, click here

Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show: Starting on Thursday, June 5, the 91st annual Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show: American Saddlebred Division will take place at the L.M. Tate Horse Show Grounds at the Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve. Ticket cost at the gate for spectators is just $10 per day per person and admission supports the Blowing Rock Rotary Cub. Children under 12 receive free admission. For more information about this event click here

The Remarkable Rhododendron Ramble: The vivid fuchsia blooms o the Catawba rhododendron are beginning to emerge at Grandfather Mountain in Linville, revealing a spectacular annual show sure to impress even the most seasoned observer. To showcase and describe the beauty and significance of the plant, Grandfather Mountain will host the Remarkable Rhododendron Ramble from June 1-16. For more information about this event click here

Friday, June 6

First Friday Art Crawl: On Friday, June 6, downtown Boone will be taken over by the First Friday Art Crawl. Like always, this month’s crawl will feature food, drinks and live music with work and exhibitions from local artists. And as usual, everyone is invited to come out and enjoy some Friday night fun. If you’ve never experienced First Friday Art Crawl, here is your chance to get in on what the locals already know! Head on down to downtown Boone and enjoy a Friday night out on the town. Here’s what is happening this month. For more information, click here.

Blues, Brews, BBQ and Canoes: On Friday, June 6, Wahoo’s Adventures will host the fifth annual Blues, Brews, BBQ and Canoes event from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This event, which provides a venue for those who work in the High Country’s tourism industry to get to know each other, will take place at Wahoo’s Outpost on the New River. For more information about this event click here.  

Summer Concerts at the Jones House: When a bunch of veteran music friends get together for the sheer joy of recreating the sounds that inspired them to become musicians in the first place, good things happen. The members of Soul Benefactor first joined to simply play for a party, crafting a set list of funky and soulful classic rock and R&B. It sounded good, and perhaps no one had more fun than the band. They collectively decided that once was not enough. For more information about this event click here

Music on the Lawn: On Friday, June 6, the Best Cellar in Blowing Rock will present Smokey Breeze as part of this week’s installment of the Music on the Lawn at the Inn at Ragged Gardens. 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. 

Sound Traveler at Appalachian Mountain Brewery: On Friday, June 6, Appalachian Mountain Brewery in Boone will host Sound Traveler. Join in for a fun Friday night with friends, great live music and craft beer. Appalachian Mountain Brewery is located at 163 Boone Creek Dr. in Boone. For more information about this event, call 828-236-1111. 

Music in the Valle: Valle Crucis Community Park will host Music in the Valle on Friday, June 6 featuring The Neighbors. 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 p.m. 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, June 7

Dinosaurs of the Blue Ridge Mountains: The Blue Ridge Parkway will host an evening program on Saturday, June 7 at the Linville Falls Campground Amphitheater at Milepost 316. At 7 p.m. Dinosaurs and the Blue Ridge Mountains will begin. Can you find dinosaur fossils in the mountains around here? This is a frequently asked question by our park visitors. Learn the answer and more about dinosaurs, fossils, geology and paleontology of the mountains of western North Carolina at this ranger-led program. All programs are free and open to the public.

Boone United Trail Grand Opening: A grand opening of the Boone United Trail takes place Saturday, June 7. The event includes free barbecue, bounce houses, guided hikes and a ribbon cutting at Boone United Methodist Church. The 2.5-mile trail begins behind the church and loops halfway up the summit of Howard’s Knob. For more information click here

New River Canoe Race: Since its inception in 1981, the New River Canoe Race has become a popular event. This year’s Canoe Race will be held on June 7, beginning at 9 a.m. The race will begin at Zaloo’s Canoes in Jefferson and end at New River State Park, Wagoner Access. Boats will enter the water from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, click here

Appalachian Rollergirls V. The French Broads: The Appalachian Rollergirls will host their second semi-home bout in Hickory on Saturday, June 7 at Skateland USA. Currently, ARG is 0-3, most recently losing to Rogue Rollergirls of Fayetteville by 14 points. For more information on this event click here

Mountain Home Music: Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music will bring to the Blowing Rock School stage a multicultural celebration on Saturday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m. The concert, which is billed as Old Time Music East and West, presents three local groups who represent widely diverse traditions. For more information click here

Land Trust Day: The Mast General Store celebrates Land Trust Day with the Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) and the National Committee for the New River on Saturday, June 7. Recognized for the twelfth year at Mast Store, Land Trust Day is a friend-raising event encouraging new memberships in local land trusts, as well as an educational opportunity to learn how these groups are preserving our land heritage. For more information about this event click here

Blue Ridge ArtSpace Birthday Celebration: As hard as it is to believe, the Blue Ridge ArtSpace has been around for a whole year already! To celebrate, they are hosting an arts festival in the parking lot of the building on Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The parking lot will be closed to traffic and will instead be filled with fun activities. For more information 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.

Ashe County Farmers’ Market: We will have everything from fresh produce and meats to plants and crafts all under one roof!

Hickory Ridge Living History Museum: Hickory Ridge Living History Museum, located on the grounds of “Horn in the West,” is an eighteenth-century living history museum highlighting the daily lives of our mountain ancestors. See live demonstrations of a various pioneer skills, such as hearthside cooking, flintlock rifle, blacksmithing, spinning and weaving, etc. Open Saturday mornings, May – October (during Farmers Market on site), and evenings before “Horn in the West,” Tues. – Sun., late-June through mid-August. Admission to the museum is by donation.

Horticultural Symposium: The second annual Horticultural symposium sponsored by College of Arts and Science with the Department of Biology from Appalachian State University is slated for June 7, 2014, in Boone, North Carolina. The theme, “Designing Your Garden,” features noted speakers in addition to a tour of Daniel Boone Native Gardens.

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.

Johnson County Farmers’ Market: The 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.

Nuwati Trail Hike: Join a Ranger for a hike on the Nuwati Trail. Details of the event will be posted closer to the date of the hike.

Critter Crawl 5K: The third annual Critter Crawl 5K starts in MacRae Meadows and gains more than 900 feet in elevation as it climbs Grandfather Mountain to end at the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The $35 entry fee includes a Critter Crawl T-shirt, parking pass and free day pass to return June 8-July 31, 2014.

Sunday, June 8

Music on the Veranda: On Sunday, June 8, 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.

Jazz Brunch: On Sunday, June 8, 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.

Alpen Inn Summer Concerts: On Sunday, June 8 starting at 5 p.m., Beech Alpen Inn will host the weekly Alpen Inn Summer Concert.The event will be held at the Beech Alpen Inn Pavilion located at 700 Beech Mountain Parkway in Beech Mountain. For more information about this event, call 828-387-2252.

Blowing Rock Jazz Society: On Sunday, June 8 beginning at 5 p.m., the Blowing Rock Jazz Society presents The Lovell Bradford Trio. The Blowing Rock Jazz Society presents concerts every secpmd Sunday from April through October at the Meadowbrook Inn. To make reservations or for more information about this event, call 828-295-4300.