Holiday Happenings

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE PRISCO | TOWN OF BEECH MOUNTAIN The ’stars‘ from the Beech Mountain Volunteer Fire Department grace the inaugural Beech Mountain Christmas parade in 2020.

Holiday happenings in the High Country

BY MARISA MECKE

The most wonderful time of the year is in full swing during the holiday season in the High Country.

Celebrations for many holidays take place throughout the region during the winter months, ranging from craft festivals to the annual reopening of the area’s many winter sports facilities.

In Boone, holiday festivities will kickoff on December 3 with the Festive First Friday. Featuring the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Jones House on King Street, the event will start the holiday season on a high note.

Over in Blowing Rock, the holiday season starts with an early kickoff the Friday after Thanksgiving from 1 to 6 p.m. on November 26. The Blowing Rock Christmas in the Park and Lighting of the Town takes place at Memorial Park in downtown Blowing Rock and is free to all visitors. With hayrides, games and crafts, a gingerbread house contest and more, the festival is a great start to the holiday season. To learn more, visit blowingrock.com/ christmas-park.

At 2 p.m. on December 11, the Town of Boone will host its annual Christmas Parade on King Street. Traveling east on King Street beginning at the Poplar Grove Connector and ending at Hardin Street, community groups of all kinds will partake in the annual holiday spectacle.

In Banner Elk, Apple Hill Farm will host guests for its Christmas at Apple Hill Farm from Nov. 19, 2021, to Jan. 2, 2022, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can participate in a guided tour of the working alpaca farm decorated for the holiday season and enjoy all the farm has to offer. To learn more, call (828) 963-1662 or visit www. applehillfarmnc.com.

Up in Banner Elk the Christmas cheer does not stop at the Apple Hill Farm. From December 3 to 5, the town

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Downtown Banner Elk illuminated in a display of Christmas lights.

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will celebrate “A Small Town Christmas in Banner Elk,” setting the tone for the cheery holiday season with a tree lighting, performances of Ensemble Stage’s “A Banner Elk Christmas,” a 5K Reindeer Run and more throughout the weekend. To learn more, click to https://www.bannerelk. com/latest-news/a-small-townchristmas.

Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music hosts an annual Christmas concert and will return in-person this year at 7:30 p.m. on December 18 to the Appalachian Theater of the High Country. Featuring Zoe and Cloyd and the Mountain Home Bluegrass Boys, the concert’s proceeds will benefit Hospitality House and Santa’s Toy Box, two nonprofits in the area. To learn more and see updates, click to mountainhomemusic.com.

There are a variety of light shows throughout the country during the holiday season. For spectacular views, visitors can partake in light shows in any corner of the region. Opening to the public on November 26, the Festival of Lights at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock will continue to bring holiday cheer all the way through the end of the Blowing Rock WinterFest on Jan. 30, 2022. There is no entrance fee or reservations required, but visitors can click to https://chetola.com/events/festival-of-lights to learn more and plan their trip. Although information has yet to be released, officials at Linville Land Harbor have confirmed the community will also host their 12 Nights of Christmas light show this year as well.

Atop Beech Mountain, at 4 p.m. on December 22, the Town of Beech Mountain and the Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation department will host the community’s annual Christmas parade. Starting at the Beech Mountain Resort, the parade will follow Beech Mountain Parkway and conclude at the White Wolf Lodge.

To learn more or inquire about joining the parade, call the Beech Mountain Visitors Center at (828) 387-3003.

While this list is extensive, there are plenty more holiday events everywhere in the High Country for families and friends to enjoy. Taking in crisp winter air in the mountains, there is no way to go wrong celebrating the holidays in the High Country.

PHOTO BY LUKE BARBER

FILE PHOTO The Christmas tree in front of town hall in downtown Blowing Rock.