by Madison V. Fisler
April 11, 2014. The High Country has so many exciting events to offer its community and visitors. 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, click here.
High Country Wine Festival: The annual Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival will be here before you know it. The highly anticipated annual event is slated for April 10-13, and will include three full days of wine, food and fun in beautiful Blowing Rock. The festival, like every year, will feature many events that are sure to please wine and food lovers alike. Perfect your wine-tasting skills with events like How to Taste Wine Like a Pro. Learn how to find the best buy in wines with Hidden Treasures – Best Values. Learn about common and unorthodox wine pairings with cheeses and chocolates and expand your knowledge with a wine dinner courtesy of Casa Rustica and Grandfather Vineyard. And all of that is just on the first day! For the schedule of events, click here.
Kiss Me, Kate: In a collaborative effort between Appalachian’s Performing Arts Series, Department of Theatre and Dance and the Hayes School of Music, Kiss Me, Kate is closing out the 2013-14 Performing Arts Series. From April 11-13, 104 students from 38 different academic programs at Appalachian will perform on the Schaefer Center Stage. Performances on April 11 and 12 begin at 8 p.m. and April 13 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the Schaefer Center and Valborg Theatre Box Offices by calling 800-841-2787 or online at PAS.Appstate.edu.
Downtown Boone Spring Story Walk: The Downtown Boone Development Association and the Watauga County Library are delighted to once again host a downtown Boone Story Walk. The downtown Boone spring Story Walk started on April 1 and will continue until May 12. Families, school and church groups are encouraged to participate in this community event. The Story Walk Project was first created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg Hubbard Library. The goal of the story walk project is to encourage families to enjoy being outside and increasing exercise while at the same time promoting reading throughout the community.
Friday, April 11
Tweetsie Railroad Opening Day: Full steam ahead! Tweetsie Railroad, North Carolina’s first theme park, is set to open its doors on Friday, April 11, 2014 for its 58th season of Wild West adventure. Guests of all ages are invited aboard to enjoy a ride on Tweetsie’s legendary steam locomotives and to experience first hand the long-ago era of the Wild West. For more information, click here.
Motown in the Mountains: The Boone Service League’s third annual Motown in the Mountains fundraiser takes place Friday, April 11, at the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock. Doors open at 6 p.m. with music by funk, soul and classic rock band Soul Benefactor cranking up at 6:30 p.m. In addition to music and dancing, the evening includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and live and silent auctions of fabulous offerings from area and regional businesses. Tickets are $40 each. The live auction begins at 8 p.m. with more music to follow.
Jonny Kaplan Concert: On Friday, April 11, American musical artist Jonny Kaplan will play a special acoustic set as part of the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival taking place next week. Jonny Kaplan is a travelling troubadour in the truest sense. Whether sailing to a far off island, playing sold-out shows in Europe with his band, riding motorcycles up and down the West Coast or wandering around a developing country with his acoustic guitar in hand, it’s all part of the same journey. And it’s the journey of a true artist. For more information, click here.
4-H Plant Sale: It is not too late to get fruit plants at the 4-H fruit plant sale. Plants will be on hand on Friday, April 11 from 12-6 p.m. and Saturday, April 12 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Agricultural Conference Center on 252 Poplar Grove Rd. Blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry plants are available as well as heritage apple trees. For more information about the varieties, visit www.watauga4h.blogspot.com.
Poverty Awareness Day: The purpose of this free conference is to discuss and collaborate with fellow community members on how poverty affects children in Watauga County. It is an excellent opportunity for parents, professionals, local governmental officials and staff, care-givers, educators, faith based leaders, and other community members to gain knowledge about the available resources in our area that can be used to assist children and families facing poverty related issues. This conference will also serve as a platform for sharing and exchanging ideas on how our community can better serve families and children dealing with poverty in Watauga County.
Saturday, April 12
CD Release Party: The Linville Falls Winery hosts world-class thumbpickers Wayne Henderson and Clay Lunsford at a CD release party on Saturday, April 12, from 3 to 6 p.m. The event is free to attend. Henderson and Lunsford recently recorded an album, Thumb to Thumb: The Museum Recordings, in Henderson’s workshop in Rugby, Va. Henderson is a celebrated luthier and fine guitar picker, who has developed is own hybrid picking style by picking down with the thumb like a flat pick and up with his fingers on the same string. For more information about this event, click here.
Downtown Boone Easter Egg-stravaganza: The Downtown Boone Development Association, the Town of Boone, the Jones House Community and Cultural Center and the Watauga County Public Library are delighted to announce the thirteenth annual downtown Boone Easter Egg-stravaganza. The event will take place on April 12 from 2-4 p.m. The fun begins at the Watauga County Library at 2 p.m. where children and families can enjoy live entertainment and arts and crafts followed by an Easter parade to the Jones House Community and Cultural Center. For more information about this event, click here.
Appalachian Shriners Fish Fry: The Appalachian Shrine Club will be having their Spring Fish Fry on Friday, April 11, 2014 from 11:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Snow Masonic Lodge on Temple Drive in Boone, North Carolina near the Old Watauga High School. Tickets are $10 for adults and $4 for children 5-12. Children under 5 eat free. All proceeds go to benefit the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. Menu includes Catfish, Slaw, Hush Puppies, Fries, as well as an option for chicken or hotdogs for non-fish lovers.
Chick-fil-a Easter Celebration: Join Chick-fil-a for their 3rd annual Easter Eggstravaganza at Chick-fil-A of Boone on April 12th, 12 p.m.-2p.m. JUMP will be present at the celebration with the Dalmation Dog, Combo. Easter Egg hunts will be at noon 12:45 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. weather permitting.
Memorial Park Easter Egg Hunt: The annual Easter Egg Festival & Hunt at Memorial Park in Blowing Rock will offer tons of fun for kids and the entire family with games and activities for all ages starting at 10 a.m. Egg hunt begins at 11 a.m.
Banner Elk Easter Celebration: Banner Elk is having an Easter Celebration on Saturday, April 12. Sponsored by the Tourism Development Authority of Banner Elk and the Town of Banner Elk. To start the day, Banner Elk Cafe will host Breakfast with the Easter Bunny from 9-11 a.m. Then off to Tate-Evans Park for a Children’s Easter Egg Hunt. The egg hunt will start at 11:30 a.m. Children under 12 are invited to join. Magician Jacob McCormick will perform in the park and there will be a bounce house and other children’s activities. Starting around 1:30 p.m., My Best Friend’s Barkery will host a Pet Egg Hunt in Tate-Evans Park. All dogs are invited. Please have dogs on a leash and up to date on current vaccinations.
Family Fun Festival: The halls, gym and auditorium of Watauga High School will be filled on Saturday, April 12, not with students making up snow days, but instead with carnival games, popcorn, live music and an auction to support local after-school programs. The inaugural “Family Fun Festival” benefit for Watauga County Extended Learning Centers will be held Saturday, April 12 from 1-8 p.m., featuring entertainment and activities for all ages. For more information, click here.
Boone Country Dancers Contra Dance: The Boone Country Dancers returns to the Apple Barn in Valle Crucis for its next community contra dance on April 12. The evening will begin with a workshop from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. After the workshop, the regular dance will run from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., with a waltz break at 9:30 p.m.
Children’s Playhouse BuildFest: A free event for kids aged 2-12, Build Fest will be a day long celebration of creativity and problem solving, offering more than 25 hands-on STEM and art activities and engaging demonstrations. There will be all ages activities as well as activities specifically designed for preschool, grades K-3 and grades 4-6. For more information, click here.
Tom Moore 5K: Appalachian State University’s Recreation Management Program and Tom Moore are partnering to “provide help for today, and hope for tomorrow” with Huntington’s Disease Society of America. Proceeds from the 9th Annual Tom Moore 5K/Run/Walk, on Saturday, April 12, 2014, at the Clawson-Burnley, will be invested in the research on treatments and a cure for Huntington’s Disease. There is a $20 pre-registration fee postmarked by Wednesday, April 9, 2014, with a $25 entry fee on race day; however, additional donations are accepted.
Free Tax Assistance at Watauga Library: The Watauga County Public Library is proud to participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (V.I.T.A.) program. V.I.T.A. is an I.R.S. grant supported initiative which offers free income tax help to people making $52,000 a year or less. All volunteer tax preparers are certified and have received training to prepare basic tax returns.
ASU Spring Open House: Spring Open House at Appalachian State University will be held on April 12th from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Holmes Convocation Center. Come meet faculty, tour campus and learn more about financial aid. There will be a 30-minute family session beginning at 9am and an information fair until 12:30 p.m. Ambassadors will be offering tours from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Solar Decathlon Fundraiser: This is a fundraiser for the Solar Decathlon, which is a team made up of graduate and undergraduate ASU students designing, building, and operating a row style house that is cost effective, energy efficient, and attractive. Team Reciprocity will be competing in France this summer to represent the United States, Appalachian State, and Boone, N.C. Tickets are $5 at the door which will include food and one raffle ticket. Each additional raffle ticket is $2.
Sticky Bun Run: 4 Miles. 4 Buns. 4 Grace Academy. Join us this year for the Sticky Bun Run as a bunner (eat 4 sticky buns after 2 miles), runner (eat your buns after the race) or walker. We will also have a 1 mile fun run for kids 12 and under. Registration is $20 before April 1st and $25 after that date. Participants will receive a tshirt and a pack of sticky buns. We have lots of door prizes to give away also. Don’t miss the fun!
Sunday, April 13
Friends of the Library Annual Meeting: Joseph Bathanti, North Carolina Poet Laureate, will be the speaker and the Watauga County Friends of the Library’s annual meeting on Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. in the library’s meeting room. Bathanti is the author of numerous books of poetry, several novels and a short story collection. He will read from his poetry and short fiction, then close his remarks by answering questions from the audience. For more information, click here.
Blowing Rock Jazz Society Concert Canceled: Please be advised that the Blowing Rock Jazz Society Concert has been cancelled for Sunday, April 13.
New River Brass Quintet Performance: The Hayes School of Music’s Faculty Performance Series will present the New River Brass Quintet April 13 at 8 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. Admission is free. The quintet members are James Stokes, trumpet; Brent Bingham, trumpet; Karen L. Robertson, horn; Drew C. Leslie, trombone; and Christopher J. Blaha, tuba. All are members of the Hayes School of Music Faculty.
Tour for Life: Tour for Life, the world’s largest mobile pet adoption fair, sponsored by North Shore Animal League of America and Watauga Humane Society comes to Boone on April 13 from 1-4 p.m. at Walmart Super Center in Boone.
Shakespeare Workshop: The Caldwell Arts Council is pleased to host a free workshop on acting Shakespeare by professional actor and director Karen Sabo on Sunday, April 13 from 3-5 p.m. In this fun and fast moving class, participants will explore rhythm, meter and dramatic structure and be shown how to use artistic impulses to make Shakespeare’s language understandable, relevant and powerful to modern audiences.
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