FESTIVALS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44 rhododendrons dotting the landscape of the mountain, the festival began in June 1947, conceived and carried out by the Roan Mountain Citizens Club as a two-day celebration to memorialize and perpetuate the most gorgeous display of natural beauty on the North American continent.

Originally the festival was held at the top of Roan Mountain, and in recent years the festival is held in Roan Mountain State Park, located at the foot of Roan Mountain on Hwy. 143 and features handmade crafts, food, and a variety of traditional music, plus an array of old-time folkway demonstrations.

For more information, visit www. roanmountain.com.

An Appalachian Summer Festival — Boone (month of July)

An Appalachian Summer Festival is a month-long whirlwind of music, dance, theater, visual arts and film program- ming that has emerged as one of the nation’s leading regional arts festivals. The festival features a full schedule and features nearly 30 days of performances on App State’s campus, starting July 1. For more information, visit www. appsummer.org.

Art on the Greene — Banner Elk (July 1-2, Aug. 5-6 & Sept. 2-3)

Visitors are invited to shop the many fine regional and national artists, enjoy good food and experience the welcoming town of Banner Elk during holiday weekends in the summer from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The courtyard outside the Cultural Arts Center at Historic Banner Elk School in downtown Banner Elk comes alive with dozens of vendors plying myriad media of crafts and art at the Art on the Greene event.

Master craftsmen from all over the eastern U.S. will be demonstrating and selling their work, as a wide variety of mediums will be represented, including jewelry, pottery, fiber, clothing, dogs carriers and clothing, fused glass, carving, furniture, watercolor, photography, woodworking, handmade soap and fresh goat cheese.

For more information, visit www. townofbannerelk.org/beshows.

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (July 6-9)

The annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games will be held from July 6 to 9 on Grandfather Mountain near Linville. The Highland Games is the largest Scottish festival in the nation and features more than 100 represented clans, live Celtic and various displays of Celtic culture.

The Games features events such as the turning of the caber, the Scottish hammer throw, and the tossing of the sheaf. People can also enjoy bagpipe, fiddle and pipe and drum contests, sheep herding, workshops and tracing their Scottish ancestry.

For more information, visit www. gmhg.org.

Fine Arts and Master Crafts Festivals (July 14-16 and Aug. 11-13)

SEE FESTIVALS ON PAGE 46

Area Chambers Provide Key Updated Info On Summer Festivals

Among the most important resources to determine information on upcoming festival events is the area chambers of commerce for the High Country. The chambers are the “boots on the ground” when it comes to knowing the latest details about whether events will take place, restrictions, local accommodations and more. The following is a list of area chambers of commerce and contact information.

Ashe County Chamber of Commerce: (336) 343-2743

Avery County Chamber of Commerce: (828) 898-5605

Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce: (828) 898-8395

Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce: (828) 387-9283

Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce: (800) 295-7851

Boone Chamber of Commerce: (828) 264-2225