Regional Happenings | By CML Staff

Avery County Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival Summer is here, and so are the myriad events and gatherings we’ve long awaited! Please continue to check online resources for COVID-related guidelines, reservation requirements, and additional information as it relates to the establishments and events mentioned within the pages of CML Magazine.

Gravity Mountain Bike Camp Sugar Mountain

Regional Happenings & Featured Events Summer ‘21

AVERY COUNTY

Art and Stars in Downtown Banner Elk

Looking for Independence Day fun? Head to downtown Banner Elk for the summertime Art on the Greene show, taking place July 3-4. This fine art show is one in a series of four shows taking place this year on the grounds of the Historic Banner Elk School. Additional shows will be held August 7-8 and September 4-5.

Art on the Greene highlights works from local and regional artists representing a variety of media, such as ceramics, glass, metal, wood, watercolor, acrylics and oil. “The focus is on embracing our Appalachian heritage and really highlighting things in the hand-crafted Appalachian tradition,” says show director Kimberly Tufts.

Shoppers can not only add to their art collections, but also support historic preservation. Booth rental proceeds are donated to the Town of Banner Elk to support the Historic Banner Elk School’s role as a center for visual and performing arts. The 1939 rock building was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression. The former elementary school is now home to BE Artists Gallery, Ensemble Stage professional theater, the Banner Elk Book Exchange, and the offices of CML Magazine, among other organizations. Art on the Greene hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, and there is no admission fee. For more information, visit www.BannerElk. com or call 828-387-0581.

Also in downtown Banner Elk on Saturday, July 3, enjoy a Star Spangled Banner Elk Fourth. The Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce’s Saturday parade runs from 11 a.m until noon and features decorated vehicles, colorful characters and adorable animals parading down Main Street and ending in the Tate-Evans Town Park. From noon until 3 p.m. on Saturday, participate in the popular Duck Race and party at the park. Hundreds of rubber ducks race down Shawneehaw Creek to the finish line, and the park party includes old-fashioned games and food vendors. For more information, visit BannerElk.com.

Summer is Sweet at Sugar Mountain

Spinning chairlift bull wheels, mountain bikers lapping miles of downhill terrain, summer sunning, toe-tapping to small town bands with big-time talent, camping kids, fireworks, food trucks, and festivals are just some of the things you will find at Sugar Mountain Resort this summer.

The bike park and the Summit Express and Easy Street chairlifts operate Friday through Sunday beginning July 2 until September 6. Mountain bike tours and lessons will be available each weekend. Magic Cycles, located in the snowsports school building, offers helmet, body armor, and bike rentals, bicycle repairs, and a selection of items to get bikers started and keep ‘em rolling. For outerwear, footwear and souvenirs, visit the Sugar Mountain Sports Shop, located in the base lodge. And for a boost of energy, the popular Caddyshack cafe, located at the Sugar Mountain Golf and Tennis clubhouse, is open seven days a week.

The start whistle blows Sunday, July 4, at 9 a.m. to kick off the fifth annual Summit Crawl competition. The Sugar Mountain Resort Summit Crawl is a fun and competitive event via foot to Sugar Mountain’s 5,300’ peak by way of the Easy Street, Gunther’s Way, and Northridge slopes. The Crawl covers a distance of approximately 6,500 ft., or 1.2 miles. Also that day from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Rockabillys will liven up the airwaves with a classic country and rock & roll performance. Later from 6 until 9 p.m. the Typical Mountain Boys will bring to the stage a unique blend of bluegrass, old time mountain and contemporary music. Food and beverages will be available at the mountain’s base and summit. A bigger-and-better-than-ever mountaintop Fireworks Show, sponsored by the Village of Sugar Mountain Tourism Development Authority, will kick off around 9:15 p.m.

Sugar’s Gravity Mountain Bike Camp for tweens and teens ages 11-16 will be held July 9-11. And the downhill action will continue July 31 and August 1 when racers from around the U.S. do battle on Sugar’s classic downhill tracks during the Downhill Southeast Mountain Bike Race Series finals.

For all the details, visit www.skisugar. com or call 800-SUGAR-MT.

Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival

Rub shoulders with a diverse group of fine artists and master crafters during the Avery County Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival, July 16-18 and August 13-15, at Sugar Mountain Resort. The juried festivals feature an eclectic gathering of unique hand-crafted wares from select artists and crafters. Examples include photography, paintings, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, weaving, glass art, wood crafts, wood furniture, specialty candles, body care and soaps, and more.

The Avery Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival benefits the Avery County Chamber of Commerce. Festival hours are Friday,

Beech Summer Concert Series

Banner Elk Fourth of July Parade

Beech Fireworks

Photo by Amy Morrison

Blue Ridge Brutal

1-5 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. This annual event is sponsored by the Avery County Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at averycounty.com. Special lodging discounts are available for Avery Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival participants; visit www. staysugarmountain.com or call 800-4384555 for more information.

Beech Mountain’s Big Summer

The Town of Beech Mountain continues to celebrate its 40th anniversary this summer and all year long with special events each month. In 1981, Beech Mountain incorporated to become Eastern America’s Highest Town. In the 40 years to follow the town flourished to become a year-round outdoor playground for residents and visitors alike.

Your family can help the Town celebrate turning 40 by participating in a wide variety of programs and activities to experience the beauty of the mountain, designed for all ages. Visit beechmtn. com/40th/ for a month-by-month guide to activities.

While at Beech Mountain, check out all that Beech Mountain Resort has to offer through the summer months, including mountain biking, disc golf, scenic lift rides, yoga, live music, and its popular Skybar. Hours are Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In August, enjoy Beech Mountain Resort’s Summer Concert Series—the concert stage sits at the base of the slopes and seating is positioned up the slopes to create a natural amphitheater. Food, crafts, and beer vendors will be positioned in the Play yard (old concert space). For performance information, see “Where the Music Is,” elsewhere in this issue of CML.

Beech Mountain Brewing Compa-

ny’s summer hours are Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For a peek at the menu and beers on tap, visit www. beechmountainbrewingco.com.

For more information on all the happenings at Beech Mountain, including the famous 4th of July Fireworks Shows, visit beechmtn.com and www.beechmountainresort.com.

Mark Your Calendar for the 44th Annual Woolly Worm Festival

It won’t be long before this area will burst forth with beautiful fall foliage and the annual Woolly Worm Festival will return to downtown Banner Elk. Always the third weekend of October, this year’s event takes place October 16-17. During the festival, attendees can race their fuzzy woolly worm friends. The winner on Saturday takes away a $1,000 prize and the winning woolly will get to predict the winter weather. This special event, sponsored by the Banner Elk Kiwanis and the Avery Chamber of Commerce, gives back the total proceeds to the community, children and schools.

Visit www.woollyworm.com to find out more about this fun-filled weekend.

WATAUGA COUNTY

Symphony by the Lake at Chetola

Symphony by the Lake returns to Chetola Resort for a centerpiece event of the summer on Friday, July 23. The theme, Music from Around the World, will be reflected in the musical selections as well as the décor of some of the 20 patron tents that line the lake.

The much-loved Symphony of the Mountains, directed by Conductor Cornelia Laemmli Orth, will be featured once again this year. Symphony of the Mountains consists of professional musicians that call a great many places home, including the Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Knoxville, TN; Asheville, NC; Winston Salem, NC; and beyond. Attendees to this year’s performance will be delighted by musical arrangements inspired by musical traditions from across the globe. As always, the Symphony will perform the last musical selections during the thrilling fireworks finale!

The Symphony by the Lake also welcomes an opening act, performing from 5:45 to 7 p.m., with the Symphony beginning at 7:30 p.m..

For tickets, go online at symphonybythelake.com, or visit the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at 132 Park Avenue in downtown Blowing Rock. All tickets are advance Will Call only. At the website, you’ll also find more event details, including COVID considerations.

Art in the Park

Blowing Rock’s Art in the Park offers open-air gallery experiences for art lovers, collectors, and craft enthusiasts each year. The six-show series, one presented each month from May through October, sets up downtown on Park Avenue. The show is adjacent to Main Street and central shops and restaurants in Blowing Rock, creating an enjoyable stroll-andshop experience that always features fresh art.

“Artists spent a lot of time this past year in the studio creating, and I am really continued on next page

Summer ‘21

Symphony by the Lake Blowing Rock

excited to see their new work,” said Suzy Barker, Art in the Park Director. “We had a lot of new applicants this year, too.” Some show favorites will be returning for 2021, including painter Marcus Thomas and woodworker Andy Costine.

Art in the Park artists are jury-selected and each show features a different set of artists, curated to present a wide variety of mediums. Attendees can meet artists and purchase art directly from creators.

The remaining 2021 Art in the Park dates are July 17, August 14, September 11, and October 2. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with continuous free trolley service providing transportation during show hours from the Tanger Outlets parking lot to the park. A Concert in the Park is paired with each show, presented each Sunday following Art in the Park. Art in the Park is a Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce event. For more information, call 828-295-7851 or visit blowingrock. com/ArtinthePark.

Blowing Rock hosts additional visual arts programs throughout the summer, like Artists in Residence and the Plein Air Festival. For a complete listing of events, see the calendar at blowingrock.com.

Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage is Back

Take a three-minute walk south of Blowing Rock’s Memorial Park and you’ll discover a unique cultural corner where art and history meet. Here you’ll find the

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

(BRAHM) and its well-known neighbor, Edgewood Cottage, the circa 1890 home and studio of renowned American artist Elliott Daingerfield.

Elliott Daingerfield (1859-1932) became one of Blowing Rock’s most notable

Merlefest Wilkesboro

summer residents. He painted images of the local landscape and instructed the “painting ladies” who came to Blowing Rock to study with him. His legacy lives on at BRAHM’s exhibition through August 3. The exhibition features paintings by these remarkable women who became members of the renowned Philadelphia Ten. Daingerfield’s legacy of encouraging artists in the High Country also lives on in the Artists in Residence Program at Edgewood Cottage.

Presented by The Blowing Rock Historical Society, this year’s Artists in Residence series runs through September 19. During the program the cottage becomes home to 25 artists representing a variety of outstanding, original two and threedimensional pieces. The series takes place Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with different artists each week. Art lovers of all interests and budgets are welcomed to these free open studio events to meet the artists, see them create new art and purchase their works. You’ll find a variety of creations by potters, painters, nature photographers, wood carvers, and fiber artists. Half of the net proceeds will go towards turning Edgewood Cottage into a museum during the months that are not occupied by Artists in Residence. Learn more at www. artistsatedgewood.org.

ALLEGHANY COUNTY

Mountaintop Stop Literary Gathering

During the fourth week of September, Alleghany Writers brings visiting authors to Sparta, NC, for the Mountaintop Stop Literary Gathering, featuring book signings, readings, and other activities for readers and writers.

Merriweather & the Sugar Bears Sugar Mountain

On Thursday, September 23, at 2 p.m., Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle discusses her novel, Even As We Breathe. Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle is the first enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to publish a novel.

Charles Frazier, bestselling author of Cold Mountain, calls the book, “a fresh, welcome, and much needed addition to the fiction of the Appalachian South and its neglected people and places.” Renowned southern novelist Lee Smith says, “Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle lifts the curtain to show us a South we do not know.”

The event, free and open to the public, will be held at Alleghany County Library, with a book signing to follow; books will be available for purchase. The Library is located at 115 Atwood Street, Sparta, NC (Phone: 336-372-5573). And save the date! On Saturday, November 6, Alleghany Writers welcomes Mitchell James Kaplan and his acclaimed novel, Rhapsody, to Sparta for a Jazz Age journey through the life of George Gershwin and the woman he loved, Kay Swift.

A 501c3 non-profit arts organization, Alleghany Writers supports local writers, focuses on outreach in county schools, and presents free public events that feature nationally bestselling authors. Follow Alleghany Writers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and at alleghanywriters.com for details on other activities for readers and writers, including a Writers Market at the Alleghany Historical Society during Mountaintop Stop featuring books from members of Alleghany Writers.

Art in the Park, Blowing Rock

Art On The Greene Banner Elk

Alleghany Writers Merlefest

ASHE COUNTY

Blue Ridge Brutal

Grab your gear and get ready to ride! The popular Blue Ridge Brutal Bike Ride is scheduled for August 21, 2021, and registration is open now (with an early-bird special until July 15). The Brutal began in 1989 as a fundraiser for the Ashe Civic Center and has long been a favorite summer event. All of the rides—102, 72 or 56 miles—begin at the Ashe Civic Center in West Jefferson and take you onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and over numerous hills. Route elevation gains are 8,800 feet, 6,300 feet and 4,700 feet respectively. As such, all these rides can be considered challenging to strenuous. However, you can mix the pain with the joy of riding through some of the most beautiful scenery in North Carolina.

In 2020, the Ashe Chamber of Commerce became the organizer of the event, partnering with the Civic Center, but the event was cancelled due to COVID. Proceeds of the 2021 event will benefit the Ashe Advantage Project (501c3) to fund scholarships for high school seniors, as well as the Ashe Civic Center. Riders come from all over the country to participate in the ride, and many take on the optional finish challenge called the Assault on Mt. Jefferson. Those riders will ride up to the top of Mt. Jefferson State Natural Area, nearly a 1,500-ft elevation gain over 3.4 miles!

This event is made possible through the cooperation of local business sponsors, first responders, ham radio operators, and volunteers. Registration and information at www.blueridgebrutal.org and on the event’s Facebook page.

Live Music at Ashe County Park

Enjoy a summer outdoor concert at the Ashe County Park in Jefferson, NC. This series of concerts is free to the public, but registration is required. Gather a group of friends and family and reserve your own designated space at the park where you can set up a picnic and enjoy some of the best traditional music in the region. The Burnett Sisters Band appears on July 16, and Wayne Henderson performs on August 20. Ashe County Park is located at 527 Ashe Park Road, Jefferson, NC 28640. All events are hosted by the Ashe County Arts Council. Learn more about these live music events, as well as all the 2021 visual arts and literary events offered by the Ashe County Arts Council, at AsheCountyArts.org. Please note that the Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers Convention will return in 2022.

WILKES COUNTY

Merlefest Returns in September!

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, serves as an annual homecoming for musicians and music fans. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, NC, MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the late Eddy Merle Watson, son of American music legend Doc Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of ‘traditional plus’ music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles.

The music of MerleFest was best explained by Doc himself: “When Merle and I started out we called our music ‘traditional plus,’ meaning the traditional music For additional happenings and events around the High Country and beyond, see the “Tidbits” section starting on page 98...

of the Appalachian region plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play. Since the beginning, the people of the college and I have agreed that the music of MerleFest is ‘traditional plus.’”

The festival hosts numerous artists performing on 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. The 2021 lineup includes Tedeschi Trucks, Melissa Etheridge, Mavis Staples, Sturgill Simpson, LeAnn Rimes, Balsam Range, Donna the Buffalo, and dozens more! Visit merlefest.org to see the full lineup and download the MerleFest App to help you plan and manage your MerleFest experience.

The annual event is the primary fundraiser for the Wilkes Community College Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs. More information at www.wilkescc.edu.

ADD TO YOUR SUMMER CALENDAR

Many other events will take place here in the High Country throughout the season. Some of the best resources for event listings, updates and changes are our local Chambers of Commerce and Tourism Development Associations. n ashechamber.com/ n averycounty.com n www.bannerelk.org/ n beechmtn.com n blowingrockncchamber.com/home n www.boonechamber.com/ n www.yanceychamber.com/ n www.caldwellchambernc.com/ n www.downtownmorganton.com/ n www.johnsoncountytn.org/ n mitchellcountychamber.org/ n seesugar.com/ n www.wilkeschamber.com/ n www.yanceychamber.com/