May 2, 2018. Watauga High School senior Hayes Henderson is planning on spending the next four years of his life playing baseball at Guilford College. Henderson made the signing official on Monday afternoon at Watauga High School. The baseball standout made his verbal commitment to Guilford earlier in the year. Henderson played more of a utility role for the Pioneers this season, spending time at second base, third base and first base. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

April 24, 2018.  Valle Crucis Community Park will offer masks and snorkels for visitors to explore local waterways this summer, thanks to a grant from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. The snorkels were provided by Two World Divers of Boone, and will be available for checkout from the park office. According to Kevin Hining, Northern Mountain Education Specialist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, “The snorkels will provide an excellent opportunity for park visitors to better explore the many unique aquatic critters in the Watauga River.” Snorkel users should exercise caution when moving rocks or other aquatic habitat so as not to disturb these vital ecosystems. “Moving too many rocks can change the environment in ways that could potentially harm delicate species such as salamanders and insect larvae. Carefully turning over rocks to see what lies beneath is the goal,” according to Andy Hill, Watauga Riverkeeper and Valle Crucis Community Park Board Member. / Read more…

April 18, 2018. Join the Mayland Community College Foundation for a FREE ScieNCe Festival Celebration Star Party at the Bare Dark Sky Observatory on April 21. Free daylight activities and tours for the Earth to Sky Park and observatory begin at 5:30 PM at the observatory located at 66 EnergyXchange Drive in Burnsville. / Read more…

April 17, 2018. A long-standing tradition of presenting an annual musical production enters its 30th year for the Watauga High School drama department. This year, the Playmakers will be presenting “Cinderella Enchanted” starting this Thursday, April 19 and lasting through Saturday, April 21. The musical will take place each night at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at the school’s front office from now through opening day. Saturday’s showing will also feature an open gala celebrating 30 years of theater at Watauga High School. Those who have performed in the past are invited to attend. The gala will also honor the directors of the show, Sarah Miller and Zach Walker, who were presented with the North Carolina Theater Conference Excellence in Teaching Award. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

April 6, 2018. The “The Schaefer Center Presents…” performance series, a program of Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts and Cultural Programs, continues its 2017–18 season with a collaborative production of the Tony Award-winning best musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” at 7 p.m. on April 13 and 14, and at 2 p.m. on April 15 at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for Appalachian faculty/staff and retired faculty/staff, and $10 for students. / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Mayland Community College Courses

Public Water and Sewer System Development Fee Act

Grandfather Mountain State Park 2018 Annual Wildflower Walks Free and Open to the Public

Public Comment Period on Proposal to Move Confederate Monuments to Close, 4/12

Mayland Community College Plant Swap, 4/28

Announcing: The First Ever Fundraising Event For Spirit Ride, 5/5

Watauga County Public Library, Author Visit Program: “Kirk’s Raiders”, 4/19

JAM Day Planned at Blue Ridge Music Center, 5/19

Ashe County Marathon Jam, 5/19

Caldwell Arts Council Call for Artists for “Art Around Caldwell Studio Tour” to be Held 6/23

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

April 4, 2018. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

April 4, 2018. Where can you get all you can eat country breakfast for only $7?   Eggs, pancakes, bacon and country ham will be on the menu when the Boone Area Lions Club holds its annual Country Breakfast on Saturday, April 7 from 7:00 – 11:00 am in the Fellowship Hall of the First Baptist Church of Boone on King Street. All are invited to eat in or take out. Tickets are available at the door for $7 for adults and $4 for children 6 and under. / Read more…

April 4, 2018. Join Lees-McRae College in celebrating spring’s return to the mountains during the eighth annual Appalachian Heritage Week April 9–13. Sponsored by the Stephenson Center for Appalachia, the College will highlight coal mining and other unique aspects of mountain heritage throughout the week. / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

MerleFest Announces 2018 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Finalists

Town of Boone Outside Agency Funding Notice

Invisible Theatre Pop Up Play, 4/6

Mayland Community College Star Party, 4/21

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Prestigious Full-Tuition Elizabeth McRae Scholarship Recipients Announced

Camp GOTR (Girls on the Run)

Watauga County Parks and Rec Pickleball for Seniors

High Country Local First Memberships- New!

Weekly Events at Lost Province Brewing Company, 4/4- 4/14

App State Emergency Siren Test, 4/4

Tweetsie Railroad Opening Day, 4/6

BRAHM’s Upcoming Events: Gentle Yoga, 4/6

Boone Area Lions Hold Country Breakfast, 4/7   

Watauga Humane Society’s Tour for Life Adoption Event, 4/8

BRAHM’s Upcoming Events: Traveling Smithonian through 4/28

Spirit Ride’s Kentucky Derby Fundraiser, 5/5

Upcoming Sparta Events, Starting in June

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

March 28, 2018. Easter Sunday will take place on April 1 this year. For those who are deciding how to celebrate Easter, here is a list of Easter Sunday Services and egg hunts to attend. Some egg hunts are taking place this coming weekend, others will take place on Easter weekend.  By Kate Herman / Read more…

March 29, 2018. Groundbreaking for the Watauga County Veteran’s Memorial on King Street started this week with a little over two months until the memorial will be dedicated on July 4. The High Country Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (HCCMOAA) still needs your help in completing the fundraising effort for the memorial. The sixth annual Military Officers Association of America Pancake Breakfast will take place on April 7 from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at Applebee’s Restaurant. Tickets will be available at the door. The proceeds fro this event will go towards the veteran’s memorial. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

March 28, 2018. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

March 28, 2018. As the result of the dedication of hundreds of runners and community sponsors, The High Country Triple Crown donated $12,000 to Girls on the Run of the High Country at the annual Luck o’ the Lassie Celebration on March 18.  Local auctioneering legend Jesse Miller was honored as the sixth recipient of the Leigh Cooper Wallace Making a Difference Award during the celebration.
/ Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Writers Advocate to Speak in Boone, 3/31

Get a Taste of Technical Theatre with Wilkes Playmakers: Backstage Courses Series, March-May 

Appalachian Gastroenterology Will Join Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, April 1

Boone Area Lions Hold Country Breakfast, 4/7 

High Country Writers Guest Speaker, April 12

Day Trips With Watauga County Parks and Rec, April 18-May 25

Men’s Senior Softball League Signup, June- September

Caldwell County – Call For Artists – Caldwell Visual Artists Competition, Submission Deadline Mid June

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

March 26, 2018. Thanks in part to a heap of early-spring snow, the annual Meltdown Games at Appalachian Ski Mountain this weekend were a success, according to marketing director Drew Stanley. By Luke Weir / Read more…

March. 26, 2018. Susan Rivers will be the featured speaker at the regular meeting of the High Country Writers at the Watauga County Public Library on Thursday, April 12, 2018, at 10:00 am.  She will also be doing a reading and book signing at the library at 2 pm on April 12. The programs are free and open to the public. Her talk is titled Be Secret and Exult…Writing through the Doubt and the Difficulties.  “For the fiction writer toiling away in anonymity, the publishing world can often seem like a rigged game, inscrutable and impenetrable,” she said.  / Read more…

March 21, 2018. Easter Sunday will take place on April 1 this year. For those who are deciding how to celebrate Easter, here is a list of Easter Sunday Services and egg hunts to attend. Some egg hunts are taking place this coming weekend, others will take place on Easter weekend.  By Kate Herman / Read more…

March 21, 2018. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

March 16, 2018. For those who wish to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, you can thank your lucky stars! By the luck of the Irish, slots are still available for floats and parade participation. The Town of Boone’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled to take place this Saturday, March 17 at 2 p.m., on King Street. All are encouraged to watch the parade. Candy and other goodies will be distributed by parade participants. By Kate Herman – Photos by The Jones House / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Notice of Special Meeting, 3/21

The Banner Elk Easter Egg Hunt, 3/24

Banner Elk Seventh Day Adventist Health and Wellness Expo, 4/15

The Award-Winning Virginia Creeper Fest Returns to Abingdon, 4/28

Joint Kiwanis-Rotary Meeting, 6/12

Watauga County Democrats Saw Historic Increase in Precinct Meeting Attendance in 2018

High Country United Way Accepting Applications for Funding

NC Science Olympiad Results

Mayland Community College Classes

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

March 14, 2018. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

Mar. 9, 2018. For those who love to shred, Appalachian Mountain Brewery’s Daniel Boone Rail Jam is taking place on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. ‘Rail Jam’ is an outdoor skiing and snowboarding competition in which the proceeds go to the Revamp the Amp project. There will be food and beverages available for purchase.  All are welcome to participate or spectate at the event. By Kate Herman / Read more…

Feb. 28, 2018. Who has the hottest lips in the High Country? During the first few weeks in February, Haircut 101 invited the community to compete in their Hot Lips Competition. Competitors paid one dollar, and kissed a napkin. A variety of lipstick colors and styles were used in order to select the most outstanding kiss. By Kate Herman – Photos by Ken Ketchie / Read more…

Feb. 28, 2018. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Studio 140 is Show Casing Art at Sorrento’s Bistro on Weekends in March

Asheville Welcomes Elizabeth Smart, Where There’s Hope, There’s Healing, 3/8

High Country Lifelong Learners Movie Screening, 3/12

S.N.I.P.S of Watauga Humane Society Presents ‘Everything but the Kitchen Sink’, 3/17

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Weekly Events at Lost Province Brewing Company, 2/26- 3/10

Watauga Humane Society Event: Saint Paw-trick’s Day, 3/15

2018 BRAHM Gala: An Evening in Venice, 6/23

Watauga County Arts Council Vocal Music Scholarships Available

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

Feb. 26, 2018. Black Mountain College was structured differently than most educational institutions at the time. In 1933, it was founded out of a desire for a more progressive education through the use of art, hands-on learning, close student-faculty interaction and critical thought. As an early example of a liberal arts college, this model has since spread throughout the U.S. and is used at Appalachian State University today. / Read more…

Feb. 26, 2018. March is Youth Art Month and the Watauga County Arts Council is kicking it off with a morning of celebrating the art of K-3 area students! A free painting lesson will be offered to kids in grades K – 3 on Saturday, March 3 from 10:00 am – 11:30 at the Blue Ridge ArtSpace at 377 Shadowline Drive in Boone.  For the Home Sweet Home lesson kids will paint their homes and Watauga County scenes.  They are asked to bring pictures of their home or their favorite mountain/village scenes. / Read more…

Feb. 23, 2018. This weekend, Feb. 23-25, The Pioneer Playmakers will present “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder. The performance is a not a musical and has three acts. The play focuses on love, marriage, eternity, daily life and death. Showtimes will take place at 7 p.m., on Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s show will take place at 2:30 p.m. All shows will take place in Watauga High School’s auditorium. / Read more…

Feb. 23, 2018. On Feb. 24, the Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance will host a day of theatre workshops to celebrate Theatre in Our Schools (TIOS), a month-long national event each March. The event is open to students in grades 9 through 12 and to private and public school teachers. / Read more…

Feb. 23, 2018. During the month of February, help W.A.M.Y have a heart for our community! For only one dollar, you can purchase a heart from one of the participating vendors. Your heart goes right back into supporting your community and helping to break the cycle of poverty in the high country. / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

Apple Growing Short Course for the Homeowner, 2/27

CCC&TI Watauga Campus Calendar Briefs, 3/6-3/15

Boone Town Council Meeting, 3/15

Casting for Hope 5K, 3/21

NC Gravity Games Revs Up for 2018, 4/28

American Pickers to Film in North Carolina

Turner Syndrome Month Proclaimation

Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman

Feb. 21, 2018. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Kate Herman