Cove Creek Farm Heritage DaysOn September 17 the Historic Cove Creek School was the scene of the annual Cove Creek Farm Heritage Day celebration. Local farmers and craftspersons demonstrated techniques and products needed more than ever in our community. |
Jones House Concerts on the LawnOn Friday August 26 visitors gathered at the Jones House Community Center in downtown Boone to hear local musicians Rick Ward and the Dashboard Hula Boys. The concert series, sponsored by the Mast General Store, is in its 19th year. |
Watauga Lake TennesseeJust 45 minutes from Boone is the easternmost Tennessee TVA lake, Watauga Lake. Billed as one of the cleanest lakes in America, this 16-mile long lake is never crowded with boat traffic and its warm summer water temperatures make it ideal for swimming and boating. Learn more about one of the best kept secrets in the area . . . |
Relay For Life Spring Thaw 5k RunOn a cold, wet early April morning more than 100 runners and walkers turned out the the Watauga County Relay for Life Spring Thaw 5k run. The event raises money for the Watauga Counth chapter of the American Cancer Society. . . . Click here to learn more . . . |
2010 Hickory Ridge Apple FestivalThe 30th annual Apple Festival was held at the Hickory Ridge Homestad Museum on Saturday October 9, a beautiful Fall day. The festival had games, crafts, tours food and some hints of Halloween to come. . . . Click here to learn more . . . |
Health Care in the High Country: Running, Biking, Hiking & MoreWhile the nation as a whole has increasing numbers in the overweight and out-of-shape categories Boone hosts filled-to-capacity mountainous marathons, 100-mile bike races, triathlons and more. . . Click here to learn more . . . |
55th Farm City Day at
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Blowing Rock Farmers MarketEach Thursday from mid-May to mid-October you can shop for local vegetables and fruits under the trees near the park in Blowing Rock. Local farmers make it easier for Blowing Rock residents and visitors to "shop local" by coming here each week. . . Click here to learn more . . . |
Zydeco Moon Farm
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MusicFest 'n Sugar Grove
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Blood Sweat and Gears 2010The main race is 100 miles long and includes 13,000 feet uphill. It winds through rural western Watauga County past gardens, horses, farms and some breathtaking scenery . . . Read more . . . |
A Day on Watauga LakeRemarkably, one of the area's best assets remains one of its best kept secrets. Just across the Tennessee border lies Watauga Lake, the easternmost of the TVA lakes. This 16 mile lake has a 100-plus mile shoreline over half of which is in the Cherokee National Forest. Public marinas, boat ramps and beaches are easily accessible from Highway 321 and the views are spectacular. It is the best place in the area for boating, fishing or just getting away. Read more . . . |
Farm to Market: Springhouse FarmStill buying produce shipped over 2,000 miles from California while our local farms produce just-picked seasonal vegetables and fruits in astounding varieties? If so, it's time to take a closer look at what you are missing. As Americans reawaken to the benefits of fresh, local foods we find that we live in an area with farmers experienced in sustainable and organic farming practices ready to meet our needs. Springhouse Farm owner, Amy Fiedler Johnston, has quickly developed her farm as a significant provider of vegetables, herbs and honey and is working with other farmers to make it easy for us to buy local. Read more . . . |
The Old Hampton Store and Grist Mill in Linville NCOnce a stop of the original Tweetsie Railroad, the Old Hampton Store has become a place noted for its fresh barbeque sandwiches and its annual Cornbread Cookoff. . . Read more . . . |
2010 Watauga County Farmers' MarketMay 2010Buying local may be a new trend for some but the Watauga County Farmers' Market has been selling local produce for 37 years. This vibrant market is thriving as many people reevaluate their food sources and quality . . . Read more . . . |
Local Sculptor Richard Hallier Dies
April 2010Renowned sculptor Richard Hallier, whose sculptures of dancers, children and mothers are seen throughout our area, died last Saturday in Florida. At left is a photo of his sculpture "Blessed Be The Tie That Binds" at the Crossnore School in nearby Crossnore, NC. Hallier was 65 years old. His obituary reports that he specialized "in life-size figurative bronze, he produced more than 200 life-size-sculptures in his body of work. His dedication to the female form, dancers and athletes won him high honors, and his work found placement in private and public collections throughout the world." |
ASU 9th Annual Diversity Celebration
The 9th Annual Diversity Celebration was held on the ASU campus on March 23rd. The Plemmons Student Union was crowded with people of all ages walking among the wide range of performers, exhibits and food halls. Click here to learn more . . . |
March 23 - 28: Black Banjo Gathering
This week hundreds of musicians will gather in Boone for a reunion of the Black Banjo Gathering. Five years ago, the first "gathering" took place here and resulted in expanded opportunities for musicians involved with African American banjo music. Most famously, it led to the formation of the popular group The Carolina Chocolate Drops. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the reunion will take place at ASU Wednesday through Saturday, March 24 to 27. The event will open with a concert on Wednesday, March 24, at Farthing Auditorium. Click here to learn more . . . |
Biltmore Estate in Asheville NC
December 2009Just 2 hours from Boone, a visit to the George Vanderbilt Biltmore Estate makes for a memorable day trip. See the house that is billed as the largest private home in America with 250 rooms. Visit the Biltmore winery, the River Bed Farm and the Deer Park. . . . Click here to learn more . . . |
A Tribute to Armanti EdwardsDecember 2009Armanti Edward's last game with Appalachian State provided all of the excitement that ASU fans have come to expect from him if not the desired outcome. To many in the Boone area, Edwards' graduation from ASU is the end of not just a football era but a time of positive national attention that many in the area have benefited from. Coach Jerry Moore may very well provide more of this in the future but, for now, we pause to look back at this special athlete and young man. The day after their close loss to a strong University of Montana team with tremendous home field advantage a tribute to Edwards was written in, of all places, Helena Montana. Click here to learn more . . . |
Christmas Preparations Begin
November 2009Holiday preparations are in full swing in the High Country. The Chamber of Commerce urges local residents to "Shop Local" for the holidays, an easy assignment given the wealth of local crafts and specialty stores. . . . Click here to learn about one of the area's best sources of local crafts . . . |
Hands Gallery Crafts Co-opNovember 2009Hands Gallery Crafts Co-op is the High Country's oldest crafts cooperative. It was formed in 1975 by a small group of local artists and some of its early members are still a part of the organization 34 years later . . . Read more . . . |
2009 Fall ColorThe leaves are turning red and gold at the highest elevations off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This photo was taken on October 8 2009 not far from the Linn Cove Viaduct. The trees are just beginning to turn lower down in Boone and Blowing Rock. Read more about the Blue Ridge Parkway . . . See the Fall Colors on the ASU Campus . . . See the Fall Colors at Linville Falls . . . 
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Linville FallsOctober 2009Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker 316.4 is the park which contains the Linville Falls. This beautiful park with its trails through a hardwood tree forest shows off the falls from several vantage points. |
2009 Labor Day on Grandfather MountainThe 2009 Labor Day weekend offered beautiful weather and many sites and events to choose from. Grandfather Mountain, the newest part of North Carolina's State Park system, was host to many visitors that weekend. The view from the Mile High Swinging Bridge was far and filled with blue sky and layers of Blue Ridge Mountains. Read more . . . |
Boone's Neighboring CommunitiesMany Boone visitors spend much of their time in the area outside of Boone in its neighboring Watauga County communities. The Mast Store in Valle Crucis, Grandfather Mountain near Linville, The Todd General Store and many more great places to see are nestled in communities each with unique histories and character. In Part 1 of these profiles, learn more about Sugar Grove, Cove Creek, Zionville an other small communities in western Watauga County. Read more . . . |
MusicFest 'n Sugar Grove 2009July 2009MusicFest 'n Sugar Grove reached new heights this year with the return of Doc Watson and, on the same stage, the Kruger Brothers, The Carolina Chocolate Drops and The Steep Canyon Rangers. The Snyder Family Band, new to the show, earned 2 standing ovations as these very young players dazzled the crowd . . . Read more . . . 
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Jones House Community Center Concerts on the LawnClick here to learn more.
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Daniel Boone Native GardensJuly 2009Many visitors to Boone go to Horn in the West and the Hickory Ridge Homestead and many local and seasonal residents go to the Farmers' Market in the summer but tucked away next to these sites are the Daniel Boone Native Gardens. . . . Read more . . . |
The Parson's Table
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The Crossnore School |
Artist Teresa Cerda
"Horizons & Colors"
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Reid's Café & CateringMarch 2009Located in Boone's historic old jailhouse, Reid's Café & Catering offers great weekday lunches, Thursday & Friday dinners and a well-established catering business. . . Read more . . . |
Spring in Downtown Boone
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Helping Others HelpMarch 2009Times are hard for more and more people and Watauga County is no exception. The Hunger & Health Coalition feeds hundreds of people in the area who might go hungry otherwise . . . |
Elk Knob State ParkJanuary 2009Elk Knob State Park is one of North Carolina's newest state parks. Learn more about this beautiful mountain park . . . |
ASU HomecomingOctober 4, 2008ASU play the Citadel at Kidd-Brewer Stadium at 3 p.m. on Homecoming Saturday, October 4 . . . |
Daniel Boone Days 2008September 2008The first annual Daniel Boone Days, created and sponsored by the High Country Press and Mountain Fountain Productions, were held from Thursday September 4 through Saturday the 6th. Events included a symposium on Daniel Boone led by Boone biographer Robert Morgan, a foot race up Howard's Knob and a day of music and storytelling . . . |
2008 Watauga County
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The Mast Store & Annex in
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The GreenwayAugust 2008The Greenway Trail, the Don Kennedy Trails and the Watauga County Swim Complex are centrally located in Boone and are shared by residents, visitors and ASU . . . |
MusicFest in Sugar Grove July 11 - July 13
July 2008Doc Watson had to cancel his appearance but the Music Fest 'n Sugar Grove went on with a record crowd, great weather and fantastic music . . . |
Grandfather Mountain
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Ben Long's
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Glendale Springs Holy Trinity Church Fresco
April, 2008In the summer of 1980, North Carolina artist Ben Long painted the fresco of "The Last Supper" at Holy Trinity Church in Glendale Springs, near the Blue Ridge Parkway in the northern mountains of North Carolina. The church now receives tens of thousands of visitors each year . . . Read more . . . |
Parkway Craft Center at the Moses Cone Manor
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Boone Featured in US Airways
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Day Trips around BooneJanuary, 2008Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee. It is a town rich in history and filled with beautifully maintained historical buildings. It the home of the National Storytelling Center and where Andrew Jackson started his law career. It has Bed and Breakfasts in old restored buildings and many unique restaurants. And it is just 1 1/2 hours from Boone . . . See more photos. . . |
Shopping in & Around Boone NCNovember 2007Shopping in the Boone North Carolina area is a long-standing tradition for many people and families in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Many pick a weekend to come to the High Country to buy their Christmas trees and wreaths, have a holiday lunch and go to Downtown Boone, the Boone Mall or the Shoppes on the Parkway Outlet Mall to buy holiday gifts. . . Read more . . . |
The 2007 Valle Country FairOctober 25, 2007The Valle Country Fair is a high country tradition. Each year on the third Saturday of October when the leaves are in full Fall color and the Woolly Worm Festival starts in Banner Elk, over 10,000 visitors come to this beautiful turn in the road near Boone North Carolina . . . Read more . . . |
Early Fall Color in the High Country
October 22, 2007A dry summer has led to a beautiful Fall in the High Country of Boone North Carolina . Read more . . . |
Tweetsie Railroad: Before it was an Amusement Park
October, 2007Most visitors to the North Carolina High Country know Tweetsie Railroad as an amusement park. But before there was Tweetsie as we know it today, there was the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad . . . Read more . . . |
Kraut Creek Festival 2007
September 22,2007The 15th annual Kraut Creek Festival was held in downtown Boone on Saturday September 22. This celebration of the downtown area and its Boone Creek (nicknamed Kraut Creek) has become a local tradition . . . Read more . . . |
