39 minute read
Christmastime in Appalachia
Christmas in Appalachia
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As the temperature drops in Western North Carolina, the fun only heats up. The holiday season here is filled with events and activities aimed to celebrate the best way we know how — with friends, family and visitors alike.
Families can partake in wagon rides, craft sales and art demonstrations, all the while enjoying authentic mountain music, clogging and parades through several downtowns. These are just some of the innumerable activities to be had.
Within every date, time and place found amid this section, the communities around the region once again open their arms to share in the winter festivities.
It’s a winter wonderland out there. It’s yours for the taking — so reach out and enjoy all Southern Appalachia has to offer.
Dillsboro’s ‘Lights & Luminaries’
The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3-4 and 10-11 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro
Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios.
Each night, shops will stay open way into the night providing free refreshments, musicians and singers performing in individual shops. The sound of hooves will echo through the night with old-fashioned horse and buggy rides (tips much appreciated). Children can share their wishes with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa’s Workshop in Dillsboro’s Town Hall.
With retail shops offering a variety of quality arts and crafts, unique gifts, clothing, gourmet foods and wine, and specialty Christmas items, the festival also provides a unique holiday shopping experience.
Entertainment the first weekend includes Twelfth Fret (Americana) from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, and singer-songwriter Anna Victoria from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. For the second weekend, award-winning dulcimer player Mathew Dickerson will perform Dec. 10-11.
Free parking and shuttle transportation will be available at Monteith Park each night of the festival. Sing along with carolers. Take the children to see Santa Claus at Dillsboro’s Town Hall. Have some hot chocolate or hot cider. All the restaurants will be open late.
For more information, call the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 800.962.1911 or click on mountainlovers.com. To learn more about new happenings, go to facebook.com/dillsboronc.
Sylva Christmas Parade.
(photo: Nick Breedlove)
Holidays hit Sylva
The Main Street Sylva Association (MSSA) will be hosting holiday festivities this year in its picturesque downtown.
The Jackson County Arts market will be running from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the holidays.
The official holiday festivities will kick off with the Tree Lighting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, with special music from the kids of Wonderworks Learning and Arts Center. Families can also take selfies with the Christmas Bear beside the tree.
The Sylva Christmas Parade will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5. This year’s theme is “Downhome Christmas,” and the Grand Marshals are “Frontline Healthcare Workers.” Anyone interested in participating can access the parade application and information at townofsylva.org.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Jackson County Parks & Recreation will host a Holiday Fireworks Display at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, which will be visible from downtown Sylva. Folks can arrive early to hear a live concert on the porch of the Jackson County Chamber and Visitor Center at 6:30 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.
The Main Street Sylva Association is a nonprofit with the mission to spur economic development in the town of Sylva. For more information, go to mainstreetsylva.org or contact Main Street Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters at mainstreet@townofsylva.org or 828.586.2719. p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at 567 Mill Street in Sylva.
“A Christmas Carol” is a co-production between Calliope Stage Company in Sylva and Destination Theatre out of Atlanta, Georgia.
Adapted for the stage by Atlanta-based writer Tony Brown, the production will feature two performers with additional devising by Cory Phelps, Ashlee Wasmund and Dustin Whitehead.
This intimate holiday experience will tour to Sylva, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Columbia, South Carolina, as part of a limited three-city tour in December. The collaborative project is one that is meant to spark Christmas cheer, while blurring the barriers between audience and actors and is sure to be an unforgettable festive experience for all ages.
Calliope Stage Company is a professional nonprofit theater company established in Jackson County in January 2021. This is their third public production since founding and second partnership with Destination Theatre, a nonprofit professional touring children’s theatre company, also established in 2021.
The Sylva performances will feature festive treat bundles from White Moon and Jame that include a treat and hot beverage. Only 40 tickets per performance are scheduled, with limited VIP seating available.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit calliopestage.com.
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD
Won’t somebody tell me what I’m doing here? Won’t somebody tell me where I’m going?
Finishing up my scrambled eggs and black cherry yogurt, I washed the dishes in the small sink. Dried off my hands and took another sip of my coffee. Mosey over to my ragged desk in my humble abode, in front of a dusty window with a slight view of Russ Avenue in downtown Waynesville.
It’s Monday afternoon, about five minutes past one. The music of Minnesota troubadour Charlie Parr echoes throughout the one-bedroom apartment. Words and tones sinking into my heart and soul, melodies that conjure such deep and distance visions of people, places and things long gone from my daily existence. And yet, not forgotten — purposely and precisely remembered.
Parr’s “HoBo” now swirls around my current position sitting on an old wooden chair (picked up at the thrift store around the corner) at the old wooden desk (picked up from a friend who left town years ago).
A sense of self and of time meanders throughout the back of your mind, up and down your spine and into your stomach: “Life is made up of long hours/That last about as long as you can breathe/And if you close your eyes and just let it roll on/You’ll wake up and find you’ve missed out on everything.”
Thanksgiving is now four days in the rearview mirror. December will be here by the time this newspaper hits the streets come Wednesday morning. The office holiday party is less than two weeks away (I have yet to purchase my “Secret Santa” gift). Soon, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, onward into a fresh calendar to be tacked up on the kitchen wall.
Honestly, I’m trying to not get ahead of myself. But, it can be hard to not do so. The whirlwind of everything this time of year. People to see. Places to be. Things to do. And for what? Memories. Photos cherished for generations to come. Conversations sparked. Laughter ensues. Foggy windows on a frozen night in the mountains of Southern Appalachia. Put another log on the fire, eh?
Gifts under the tree or handed out by happenstance that, perhaps, may change the entire trajectory of your life or the life of someone you felt deserved a unique present because you do aim to pay attention and observe the likes and dislikes of the person in question — the simple notion that one item can shift everything and anything within your perspective at a given juncture.
Lately, I’ve been reaching for my guitar more and more. It sits on the old couch, the old wooden chair and old wooden desk nearby. I grab it, tune it, locate a guitar pick, and start strumming. I don’t have any particular song in mind. I just let my fin-
HOT PICKS
1The annual Balsam Range “Art of Music Festival” will take place Dec. 2-4 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.
2Rock/blues outfit Sanctum Sully will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, downstairs at The Gem taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.
3Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host Aimlessly Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3.
4The annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3-4 and 10-11 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro
5First United Methodist Church (Franklin) will host the Brasstown Ringers (Appalachian/holiday) at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10. gertips and whatever emotion I’m feeling spill down the fretboard.
I pluck the strings and stare out the window onto the hustle and bustle of Russ Avenue. Cars and trucks to destinations unknown. I wonder about the figures in each vehicle shooting by my field-of-vision. Are they happy? Why so sad? Who are they missing? Who are they excited to see soon? Do I know them? Do they know me? Do we really even know each other, truth be told?
As always, the mind wanders and ponders, usually about nothing and everything. Like clockwork, this time of year my thoughts head 1,100 miles away from this old wooden chair and this old wooden desk, to my native North Country.
I wonder how my mother is doing today, thinking about what to make for dinner or what old friend to meet for a margarita ‘round 5 o’clock? Where’s my father, at the local diner or chopping wood to keep the farmhouse stove going?
I think of my little sister. She’s pregnant with her third child. We found out on Thanksgiving that it’ll be a boy, the first male to be born in our family in the last 10 births. I’m already thinking about all the things I want to teach him and tell him. I think of my brother-in-law, and how proud of the father he’s become, this guy I’ve known since pre-school, a good, trusted friend ever since.
And I think of my old best friend, too. Due to some heated conflict between the two of us years ago about some of his life choices, we lost touch for a long, long time. This is a person I’d literally spent every single day with from seventh grade through high school graduation, talked to every week I was away from home for college in Connecticut or my first newspaper gig in Idaho.
During the shutdown last year, we reconnected and have buried the proverbial hatchet. I bit the bullet and put aside my pride to rekindle a friendship set in stone that had gathered too must dust to my liking. With plans to trek back to the North Country for Christmas already in the works, I’m looking forward to sitting down at our favorite neighborhood bar, the Monopole — sharing some drinks and some tall tales of our travels since we last crossed paths.
I thought of him the other day after I finished a trail run in Jackson County. In celebration of the jog and the moment, I popped open a Moosehead Lager (pictured). Though a delicious, refreshing ale, in general, I normally buy it when I’m missing home, the taste of it immediately transports me back to Upstate New York.
Taking a big pull from the green bottle, I gazed down the old logging road from where I just emerged, the ridges of the mountains in the distance darkening with the falling late afternoon sun. I sighed, not out of frustration, but out of the heaviness of not only the past year or two, but also of life itself — the good, the bad and the ugly (but mostly the good).
Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.
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arts & entertainment Lake Junaluska Christmas
Come celebrate the holiday season with a special weekend of carriage rides, a candlelight service, live music, decorations and more at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.
Friday, Dec. 17
• Shop at Junaluska Gifts & Grounds,
Harrell Center (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) • Shop at Christmas Memories, Lambuth
Inn (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) • Shop at Golf Pro Shop, Golf Course (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) • Christmas Movie Showing of Miracle on 34th Street in the Lambuth International
Room at Lambuth Inn (6 to 8 p.m.). Free.
Saturday, Dec. 18
• Shop at Junaluska Gifts & Grounds,
Harrell Center (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) • Shop at the Christmas Memories,
Lambuth Inn (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) • Shop at Golf Pro Shop, Golf Course (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) • Christmas story reading of “The Night
Before Christmas” at the library inside the Harrell Center (3 p.m.). Free. • Horse & Carriage Rides (4 to 8 p.m.). A 30-minute lakeside carriage ride from the front of Harrell Center to York Dining
Commons and back. Please make your carriage ride reservation online. Cost is $30 adults, $15 youth 12-17 years old and $10 children 4-11 years old.
Children under 4 are free. • Cookies and Cider in Lambuth Inn and
Terrace Hotel lobbies (4 to 8 p.m.). Free. • Photos with Santa, Library inside the
Harrell Center (5 to 8 p.m.). Suggested donation of $10. • Music by Karin Lyle (harpist) and
Rosanne Cavender (violinist) Terrace
Hotel Lobby (5 to 6:30 p.m.). Free. • Music by Hilda Ryan (pianist), Lambuth
Inn Lobby (6:30 to 8 p.m.). Free.
Sunday, Dec. 19
• Shop at Junaluska Gifts & Grounds,
Harrell Center (10 to 5 p.m.) • Shop at Christmas Memories, Lambuth
Inn (10 to 5 p.m.) • Shop at Golf Pro Shop, Golf Course (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) • Christmas Candlelight Service in
Memorial Chapel (3 p.m.). Free.
Reservations are now being made for this year’s “Seasons of Light Multicultural Holiday Celebration” at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center (PCMDC) in Waynesville.
The community will have four opportunities to experience this family-friendly celebration featuring food, music, and customs from holidays around the world.
At this family-friendly event, guests visit areas dedicated to Advent, Diwali, Hanukkah, Fiesta de la Griteria, Las Posadas, Winter Solstice, and Kwanzaa. Hosts for each holiday share traditional foods as hors d’oeuvres (for the Saturday viewings) and information about music, games, history and customs. • Opening Night: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. Heavy hors d-oeuvres (packaged to go), music, customs from holidays around the world. Admission is $20 for ages 18 and older, $7 for students ages 13 to 17, and $5 for children 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are free. Reservations are required. • Weekday Drop In: noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9. Guests will be able to enjoy the distinctly decorated rooms and learn more about the traditional holiday celebrations, but food will not be served. Admission is a donation of $10 is suggested for attendance at the drop-in. Reservations are not required. • Weeknight Presentation: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9. Hot drinks, a dessert bar, music, customs from holidays around the world. Admission is $12 for ages 18 and older, $7 for students ages 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under. Reservations are required. • Encore Presentation: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. Heavy hors d-oeuvres (packaged to go), music, customs from holidays around the world. Admission is $20 for ages 18 and older, $7 for students ages 13 to 17, and $5 for children 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are free. Reservations are required.
These events will be structured to include PCMDC COVID protocols, and masks will be required inside during the event to help ensure the health and safety of our community and families attending.
“We love to host this event because we get to highlight and celebrate the diversity of our community and our world in a way that is festive, fun and brings us together,” said Lin Forney, executive director of the Pigeon Center.
Proceeds support the Pigeon Center, which offers affordable afterschool and summer enrichment programs for students, programs for seniors, emergency food boxes, historical preservation initiatives, community dinners and other programs and services.
To attend Seasons of Light, make your reservation by calling 828.452.7232. The event will be held at PCMDC located at 450 Pigeon Street in Waynesville in the historic Pigeon Street School building, which served Black elementary school students before desegregation.
For more information, visit pcmdc.org, email pigeoncommunityd@bellsouth.net or call 828.452.7232.
WCU to present ‘Nutcracker’
The Bardo Arts Center is pleased to present the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville, which will be returning with a stage production of the “Nutcracker” at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.
Showtime will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11. This magically festive, full-length “Nutcracker” production features professional classical dancers and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville’s celebrated company.
In this classic ballet, Clara’s holiday dream comes to life, sneaking downstairs at midnight with her beloved new Nutcracker doll. Swept up in a fantasy toy-soldier battle, she saves her Nutcracker from the Mouse King. She is then whisked away to enchanted lands of snow and sweets, dancing the night away with a colorful host of captivating characters.
To learn more and/or purchase tickets, click on arts.wcu.edu/nutcracker.
The 41st season of The Shelton House will continue with the “Tinsel Trail & Appalachian Christmas” celebration, which will be held Dec. 5 to Jan. 1 at the historic home in Waynesville.
Aside from Candlelight Christmas tours of The Shelton House decorated for the holidays, the opening of the “Tinsel Trail” will be Sunday, Dec. 5. The evening also includes a visit from Santa Claus from 5 to 7 p.m. Hot chocolate and treats will be offered, too. Holiday tunes will be played from the front porch for folks gathering on the lawn to sing-along.
Decorate your business, organization, church or family Christmas Tree for the “Tinsel Train” on the grounds of The Shelton House. How will this work? The Shelton House will purchase trees, which will then be sold for a sponsorship fee of $250.
The Shelton House will set up the trees with bases, provide basic lighting and a sign for each sponsor. Each organization can decorate its tree in whatever fashion they choose. Groups are also welcome to share a sponsorship and/or decorating the tree. The sponsorship is tax deductible.
For more information on a “Tinsel Trail” tree sponsorship, call 828.452.1551 or email dannehl@sheltonhouse.org.
The Shelton House is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday for tours and/or visits to the Gift Shop. House Tours are held on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the Gift Shop open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Special events and tours are offered throughout the season. Group tours can be arranged year-round by calling 828.452.1551 or contacting them at info@sheltonhouse.org.
The Shelton House is always looking for volunteers to help with events, tours, the gift shop, archiving, computer work, and much more. If you’re interested in helping out, call 828.452.1551, email info@sheltonhouse.org or stop by during open hours.
Sock Hops holiday concert
The Sock Hops will hit the stage with the “Doo-Wop & Deck The Halls” holiday concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
An oldies group known for singing beautiful multiple-harmonies of memorable songs from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, the performance will also include many hits: “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “At The Hop,” “Sherry” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Tickets are $18 each, with priority seating available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615.
BRYSON CITY
• The 46th annual Bryson City Christmas
Parade will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, on Everett Street in downtown Bryson City.
Floats, marching bands, fire trucks, Santa &
Mrs. Claus, and much more. 828.488.3681 or greatsmokies.com.
• The popular “Polar Express” train ride is now running from the Great Smoky
Mountains Railroad depot in downtown
Bryson City. For a complete listing of departure dates and times, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.
• “Christmas Cookie Walk” will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at 76 Main Street in Bryson City. Presented by the United Methodist Women’s Group.
Proceeds benefit its outreach efforts. 828.488.8970.
• “Christmas Hayrides Through The Lights” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturdays until Dec. 18 at Darnell
Farms in Bryson City. Ride is 20 minutes.
Admission is $12 per person, which includes a holiday beverage. Tickets available at darnellfarms.com.
• “Holiday Market” with local artisans will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Dec. 18 at 117 Island Street in
Bryson City. Outdoor event. Leashed pets are welcome. 828.488.7857 or greatsmokies.com.
• A special holiday concert with the Glory
String Players will be held at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Marianna Black
Library in Bryson City. The Glory String
Players is a small Appalachian string ensemble that loves giving back to its community. And during the holidays, it seems like a perfect time to give back to it. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at 828.488.3030.
CASHIERS
• Cashiers Christmas Parade will be at 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Cashiers
Crossroads. The theme is “Santa’s Favorite
Christmas Characters.” Live broadcast at live.thehighsouth.com. Hosted by Cashiers
Cares, the Post Parade Party will be held at the Village Green’s Commons Hall. There, youngsters will have an opportunity to meet
Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy refreshments and receive individual treat bags. Sponsored by the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce. cashiers411.com.
DILLSBORO
• Innovation Station will host a holiday celebration and market at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3.
Free and open to the public. innovationbrewing.com.
FRANKLIN
• “Cowee Christmas” will begin at 9 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Historic Cowee
School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.
Holiday music, activities, and much more.
For a schedule of events, click on coweeschool.org.
• Beloved singer-songwriter David Phelps will host a special Christmas performance at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Smoky
Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in
Franklin. Phelps has performed inspiring
Christian music all over the world for the greater part of two decades. He is a vocalist, songwriter, and vocal arranger who is also known for singing tenor in the Gaither
Vocal Band. In 2009, Phelps joined the
Gaither Vocal Band and has been featured in more than 30 Gaither Homecoming videos. While touring with the Gaither Vocal Band, Phelps continued to focus on his solo work and in 2017, Phelps stepped away from Gaither projects so he could focus primarily on his solo career. Phelps has won 12 Dove Awards, is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, and has had several platinumselling projects. He has also had several videos earn the number one spot on Billboards’ Music Video Charts. Tickets start at $25 each, and priority seating is available. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, go to smokymountainarts.com or call 866.273.4615.
SYLVA
• Sylva Christmas Parade will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, on Main Street. discoverjacksonnc.com.
• Sylva Christmas Tree Lighting will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, in front of the Historic Jackson County Courthouse on West Main Street. discoverjacksonnc.com.
WAYNESVILLE
• Waynesville Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, on Main Street.
Parade starts at First Presbyterian Church and proceeds down Main Street to Bogart’s
Restaurant. downtownwaynesville.com. • Waynesville Christmas Tree Lighting will be held during the evening of Friday, Dec. 3, in front of the Oak Park Inn on Main Street. downtownwaynesville.com.
• “All Through The Town” holiday celebration will run Dec. 1-31 in downtown Waynesville.
Participating local businesses, restaurants, galleries and breweries will take extra care in decorating for the holidays, staying open later for shopping, and much more. downtownwaynesville.com.
• The inaugural drive-thru “Christmas Light
Show” will be held Dec. 1 through Jan. 2 at the Smoky Mountain Event Center (formerly the Haywood County Fairgrounds). Tickets for the nightly show are available online at 38main.com, with only 100 cars per onehour time slot. This helps reduce wait time and traffic congestion for a more enjoyable experience. “The Strand of Lights Drive-Thru
Christmas and Beyond Light Show has been created in partnership with a professional light-installation company that specializes in large-scale, outdoor light shows.” said
Lorraine Conard, co-owner of The Strand at 38 Main. Admission is $20 per vehicle. The drive-thru winds around the Smoky Mountain
Event Center campus for nearly one mile.
Play your favorite carols (and sing-along) as the route takes you past numerous 2D displays, mixed with lighted buildings and holiday experiences throughout.
Sanctum Sully.
Boojum welcomes Sanctum Sully
Popular Western North Carolina rock/blues outfit Sanctum Sully will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, downstairs at The Gem taproom at Boojum Brewing in Waynesville.
Free and open to the public. facebook.com/sanctumsully.
Interested in learning the dulcimer?
The Pic’ & Play Mountain Dulcimer Players has resumed in-person jam sessions at the St. John’s Episcopal Church basement fellowship hall in Sylva.
The group welcomes all beginners and experienced dulcimer players, including mountain (lap) dulcimer and hammered dulcimer players. Songs played include traditional mountain tunes, hymns, and more modern music. The group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of every month in the basement of St. John’s.
Pic’ & Play has been playing together since 1995. The more experienced members welcome new players, help them navigate their instruments, and guide them through some of the basics of tuning, strumming, and playing.
For more information, call Kathy Jaqua at 828.349.3930 or Don Selzer at 828.293.0074.
Ready for the ‘Bluegrass Boogie’?
Folkmoot USA & Adamas Entertainment will present the inaugural “Bluegrass Boogie: A Haywood County Holiday Celebration” charity concert from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at the Sam Love Queen Auditorium in the Folkmoot Friendship Center, located at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville.
There will be live onstage performances by The Darren Nicholson Band (country/bluegrass), Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (Americana/bluegrass) and Chris Minick (singer-songwriter). • Chris Minick (5 to 6 p.m.): A beloved Haywood County singer-songwriter, Minick specializes in original material, as well as several notable covers from a wide-range of popular acoustic influences. • Ol’ Dirty Bathtub (6:30 to 8 p.m.): With its debut album “Pack Mule” a few years ago, Jackson County Americana/bluegrass group Ol’ Dirty Bathtub has become a very popular live act around Western North Carolina and beyond in recent years.
“We’ve always had energy when playing on someone’s porch, but on several occasions lately we have been able to replicate it live,” said ODB guitarist Jerad Davis. “And that’s what makes this fun — people dancing, rooms getting hot, creating an atmosphere that is as fun for those listening as it is for us onstage. That’s why we do it. And that fuels the passion, the creativity. It’s a double positive feedback loop.”
For more information, click on facebook.com/oldirtybathtub. • The Darren Nicholson Band (8:30 to 10 p.m.): There’s a lot going on in Nicholson’s life these days. At 38, the Canton-based artist recently celebrated his 20th year as a professional touring musician, with the last 15 spent as the mandolinist in Balsam Range — arguably one of the most successful, awardwinning bluegrass acts of the 21st century thus far.
At a glance, Balsam Range has won the International Bluegrass Music Association award for “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018), “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017), “Vocal Group of the Year” (2014, 2015) and “Song of the Year” (2011, 2015, 2021), among numerous other accolades.
And yet, Nicholson has always been someone on the move. Aside from the whirlwind touring/recording schedule for Balsam Range, he recently released his fourth solo album, “Man On A Mission.”
The Americana/country album is not only his debut for the storied Mountain Home Records (Arden), it’s also a life marker for Nicholson — a sincere, intricate soul in pursuit of the fruits of life, whether that be love or camaraderie, hard work or creative fulfillment.
For more information, click on darrennicholson.net.
Tickets will be $25 per person in advance online/$30 day-of-show. As well, tickets at the door day-of-show will be discounted from $30 to $25 if attendees/concertgoers bring in a nonperishable food item.
The “Bluegrass Boogie” is not only a way to gather the community during the holiday season, but it will serve as a charitable event, too.
Craft beer and wine will be sold onsite. All beverage proceeds and a portion of the ticket sales will go to Folkmoot USA in an effort to continue its vital year-round arts and culture programming onsite and throughout the community. For more information, click on folkmoot.org.
Aside from the Women of Waynesville, who will be onsite to gather donations for its nonprofit organization, there will also be a collection of nonperishable food items for the local food pantry. For more information, click on womenofwaynesville.org.
Support live music. Support the arts. Support local business. The more you do, the more we can do. Special thanks to The Smoky Mountain News for being a sponsor of this event.
To purchase tickets, go to tinyurl.com/bluegrassboogie.
Darren Nicholson.
(photo: Jeff Smith Photography)
JustDoOils.com
• Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) will host an open mic from 8 to 10 p.m. every Thursday.
Free and open to the public. 828.631.1987 or balsamfallsbrewing.com.
• Boojum Brewing (Waynesville) will host karaoke at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, trivia at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Sanctum Sully (rock/soul) Dec. 11. All shows begin at 9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.246.0350 or boojumbrewing.com.
• The Classic Wineseller (Waynesville) will host Kevin Williams (piano/vocals) Dec. 4 ($10 cover) and Bob Zullo (guitar/vocals) Dec. 11. All shows begin at 7 p.m. Limited seating. Reservations required. 828.452.6000 or classicwineseller.com.
ALSO:
• Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.369.4080 or coweeschool.org.
• Currahee Brewing (Franklin) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.634.0078 or curraheebrew.com.
• Elevated Mountain Distilling Company will host an Open Mic Night 7 to 9 p.m. on
Wednesdays and semi-regular live music on the weekends. Free and open to the public. 828.734.1084 or elevatedmountain.com.
• First United Methodist Church (Franklin) will host the Brasstown Ringers (Appalachian/holiday) at 7 p.m. Dec. 10.
• Frog Level Brewing (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.454.5664 or froglevelbrewing.com.
• Innovation Station (Dillsboro) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All events are free and begin at 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted. innovation-brewing.com.
• Innovation Brewing (Sylva) will host a “Jazzy
Holiday Party” 5 p.m. Dec. 16. Free and open to the public. innovation-brewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Franklin) will host Natti
Love Joys (reggae/soul) Dec. 11. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Lazy Hiker Brewing (Sylva) will host
Aimlessly Dead (Grateful Dead tribute) Dec. 3 and Natti Love Joys (reggae/soul) Dec. 10. All shows begin at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.349.2337 or lazyhikerbrewing.com.
• Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. All shows begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Free and open to the public. 828.538.0115 or mountainlayersbrewingcompany.com.
• Nantahala Brewing (Sylva) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. All shows are free and begin at 8 p.m. 828.641.9797 or nantahalabrewing.com.
• Oak Forest United Methodist Church will host the Brasstown Ringers (Appalachian/holiday) at 7 p.m. Dec. 3.
• Rathskeller Coffee Haus & Pub (Franklin) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. rathskellerfranklin.com.
• Satulah Mountain Brewing (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.482.9794 or satulahmountainbrewing.com.
• Southern Porch (Canton) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.492.8009 or southern-porch.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Cashiers) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.743.3000 or theuglydogpub.com.
• The Ugly Dog Pub (Highlands) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.526.8364 or theuglydogpub.com.
• Unplugged Pub (Bryson City) will host
Blackjack Country Dec. 2, Explore The Myth
Dec. 3, The UpBeats Dec. 4, Mountain Gypsy
Dec. 9, Outlaw Whiskey Dec. 10 and Mile
High Band Dec. 11. All shows begin at 8 p.m.
Free and open to the public. 828.538.2488.
• Valley Tavern (Maggie Valley) will host semiregular live music on the weekends. 828.926.7440 or valley-tavern.com.
• Water’n Hole Bar & Grill (Waynesville) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.456.4750 or facebook.com/waternhole.bar.
• Whiteside Brewing (Cashiers) will host semi-regular live music on the weekends. 828.743.6000 or whitesidebrewing.com.
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Blue Highway.
Balsam Range Art of Music
The annual Balsam Range “Art of Music Festival” will take place Dec. 2-4 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.
Alongside two performances by bluegrass icons Balsam Range, there will also be appearances onstage by Chloe Agnew (of Celtic Woman), Blue Highway, Jeff Little Trio, The Cleverlys, Atlanta Pops Orchestra, and more.
Twice named International Bluegrass Music Association “Entertainer of the Year,” Balsam Range has built their reputation not only on stellar live performances, but on countless number one radio singles and albums.
For information on the “Art of Music,” to purchase tickets, a full schedule of events, performers, workshops and activities, go to balsamrangeartofmusicfestival.com.
• A creative miniature art class with Renae
Dotson will be held from 6 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Marianna Black
Library in Bryson City. Those attending the class will be making a quilt “book” that opens to reveal a quilt room. This is not a quilting class. The fabric will look like miniquilts. You will make a hanging quilt rack with quilts, hanging thread spool rack, and other accessories — all in miniature. And all made by you. Supplies for this class are $25.
Pre-register by calling Dotson at 828.342.8919. Class size is limited. • The “Contemporary Clay 2021” exhibit will be on view through Friday, Dec. 10, at the
Western Carolina University (WCU) Fine Art
Museum in Cullowhee. The showcase gathers artists from a variety of backgrounds who push boundaries on topics including race, culture, sexuality, gender, and class.
For information, call 828.227.ARTS. wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center/fine-art-museum. • Jesse Adair Dallas will be showing his artwork at the Macon County Public Library in
Franklin through the month of December.
Open to the public. For more information, email jesse@enjoyarttoday.com. • “Jefferson Pinder: Selections from the
Inertia Cycle” exhibit is currently on display at the Bardo Arts Center at Western Carolina
University. Pinder focuses on themes of labor and endurance in his video art practice with metaphoric references to African American identity, history, and experience. Regular museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and until 7 p.m. Thursday. For information, call 828.227.ARTS ALSO: or visit arts.wcu.edu/jeffersonpinder. • “Thursday Painters” group will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursdays at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Free and open to the public. All skill levels and mediums are welcome. Participants are responsible for their own project and a bag lunch. For more information, call The Uptown Gallery at 828.349.4607 or contact Pat Mennenger at pm14034@yahoo.com. See more about Macon County Art Association at franklinuptowngallery.com and like, follow and share the Uptown Gallery on Facebook. • Haywood County Arts Council’s “Art Works @ The Library,” a collaborative program between the Haywood County Public Library system and the HCAC, is currently showcasing works by artist Cayce Moyer at the Canton Library. Working in traditional and mixed media, Moyer blends the worlds of high-brow and low-brow work. Classically trained at Savannah College of Art and Design, her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design, murals, and set prop painting for theatre and TV.
Want to paint, sip craft beer?
Robin Arramae of WNC Paint Events will be continuing her fun paint nights to bring you not only a “night out,” but an experience that lifts your spirits.
Join others as Arramae shows you step-by-step how to paint a beginner level painting of the evening as you sip on your favorite local craft beer. This two-hour event should have you feeling better than you felt before you came. And you leave with a painting you created.
Events will be held at the following locations: Mountain Layers Brewing (Bryson City) from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 9; and Balsam Falls Brewing (Sylva) from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 22; BearWaters Brewing (Canton) from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 23. For 2022, events will also be held once-a-month at the 828 Market on Main (Waynesville).
Please visit WNC Paint Events (@paintwnc) Facebook page, under “Events” for date and time of upcoming events. For pictures of previous events visit Arramae’s Instagram: @wnc_paint_events.
For pricing and to sign up, text Arramae at 828.400.9560. Space is limited. Drinks sold separately.
The Haywood County Arts Council’s “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 30 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville.
“This exhibit is our longest and last exhibit of the year, stretching through the new year, and encourages buying art for holiday gifts,” said HCAC Executive Director Morgan Beryl.
Sponsored by Linda & Allen Blount, Janet & Darrell Steinke, and Alison & John Parks, the reception will include libations, snacks, and jazzy holiday music from Clyde’s own Jaime Gardner.
This year, the exhibit is sponsored at the producer level by the Reece Family in honor of their father Jeff Reece, who owned the 86 North Main Street building for many years and is in the process of selling it.
“Jeff loved Main Street and spent a significant portion of his formative years in the family business, Massie’s Department Store. He talked longingly about his days as the projectionist at the Strand Theater as a teenager and eating hot dogs at Felix Stovall’s American Fruit Stand,” said Judy Reece. “As an adult, Jeff was one of the founders of the Downtown Waynesville Association and a Main Street Champion. As we approach the anniversary of his passing, his family wishes to honor his legacy.”
The Small Works Exhibit is an annual exhibit that expands the types of work for sale in the downtown Waynesville gallery, as well as who can display their work. Other than specially curated exhibits, which occur a couple times annually, this exhibit is the only one that allows any artist within the western mountain region to participate for a small fee.
With 48 artists participating, the exhibit promises to be eclectic. Although the only requirement is that the pieces be 12 inches in any dimension or smaller, HCAC challenged participants who are making holiday themed works to consider artistic expressions that are multicultural in nature and celebrate the many different holidays, ways of celebrating, and ways of experiencing holidays.
HCAC also encouraged participants to create works that celebrate Appalachian heritage and craft.
“Our vision is that this exhibit embodies not only the giving spirit, but also a multicultural spirit that speaks to the diversity of people, cultures, and religions that make up western Appalachia,” Beryl said.
For more information, click on haywoodarts.org.
• Mountain Makers Craft Market will be held from noon to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at 308 North Haywood Street in downtown Waynesville. Over two dozen artisans selling handmade and vintage goods.
Special events will be held when scheduled. mountainmakersmarket.com.
• Blue Ridge Beer Hub will host a craft beer tasting with Wicked Weed Brewing of
Asheville from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the BRBH, located at 21 East Street in downtown Waynesville. Free and open to the public. For more information, click on blueridgebeerhub.com.
• Southern Porch (Canton) will host a “Visit with Santa” at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4.
There will be a hot chocolate bar, cookie decorating, fireplace photos, and more. Free and open to the public. 828.492.8006 or southern-porch.com.
• “Flights & Bites” will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays at Bosu’s
Wine Shop in downtown Waynesville. For more information on upcoming events, wine tastings and special dinners, click on waynesvillewine.com.
• “BBQ & Brews Dinner Train’’ will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on select dates at the Great
Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City.
Full service all-adult first class car. Craft beer pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.
• “Dillsboro After Five” will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in downtown Dillsboro. Start with a visit to the
Jackson County Farmers Market located in the Innovation Station parking lot. Stay for dinner and take advantage of late-hour shopping. mountainlovers.com.
• A free wine tasting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday and 2 to 5 p.m. every
Saturday at The Wine Bar & Cellar in Sylva. 828.631.3075.
• “Uncorked: Wine & Rail Pairing Experience” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on select dates at the Great Smoky Mountains
Railroad in Bryson City. Full service all-adult first class car. Wine pairings with a meal, and more. For more information and/or to register, call 800.872.4681 or click on gsmr.com.
On the table
HaywoodBuilders.com 100 Charles St. WAYNESVILLE
your friendly, local blue box — smoky mountain news
The Table: Pecan Pie Almond Butter
·HANNAH MCLEOD·
Pecans, and all the delicious recipes that come with them are a particularly North American affair. Pecans are native to North America and as such have been used by Native Americans for millennia — from what is today the southern United States to the river valleys of Mexico.
The English word pecan comes from the French word “pacane,” which is the French pronunciation of the Algonquin word for “nuts requiring a stone to crack.” Pecans were an important part of the diet for native people as they have high nutritional value. Their value extended beyond nutrition though as they are thought to have been used as currency in trade between native bands. Native people also used pecans to make a type of fermented nut milk called “powcohiccora,” thought to be the origin of the word hickory. Pecan trees belong to the hickory genus (genus Carya).
Reliance on pecans for nutrition and trade spurred widespread cultivation of the plant. When colonists began coming to North America, they quickly capitalized on the plant, using native knowledge to cultivate orchards and export the nuts around the world.
Growing pecans takes patience though, considering it takes almost 10 years before a pecan tree will produce nuts. Once the trees start producing, they will continue to do so for over 100 years. There’s no telling how far back the origins of pecan pie go. The nut’s flavor lends itself well to both sweet and savory dishes. By the 1870’s and 1880’s pecan recipes were popping up in cookbooks in Texas and in 1898 the first record of a pecan pie recipe was published in a charity cookbook in Saint Louis, submitted by a Texas woman. The dish must have been widely popular by the mid 1920’s because that is when Karo Corn Syrup began printing a pecan pie recipe on the label of its corn syrup bottles.
Karo was, and still is, a national brand and likely filled in the gaps among any places, people and communities not yet familiar with pecan pie.
The dish remains highly popular today, though recipes vary and can be as hotly debated as the pronunciation of the word pecan itself. Whatever the recipe or the pronunciation, we don’t have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy the flavors of pecan pie. This recipe for pecan pie almond butter is an easy way to get the warm, nostalgic flavors of pecan pie along with the nutritional benefits nut butters provide. Enjoy this recipe throughout fall and beyond.
Ingredients Directions
• 3 cups pecans/almonds (use half pecans and half almonds, or any combination of the two to equal 3 cups) • 2 tsp. cinnamon • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup • 1 tsp. Vanilla extract 1. Toast nuts, if not already roasted, in the oven at 350º F for 10 minutes, until fragrant and crisp. 2. Blend the nuts in a food processor or blender until smooth, 3-5 minutes. 3. Add cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup to the nut butter and blend for 30 more seconds.
Graphic Designer Jessica Murray (from left), SMN News Editor Jessi Stone, Staff Writer Hannah McLeod, Digital Media Specialist Susanna Shetley and Amanda Singletary (not pictured)
Rumble is a weekly e-newsletter created by women, for women and about women. It is published by The Smoky Mountain News and delivered to your inbox each Thursday. The goal is to offer readers a beautifully curated email that will inspire and motivate women to live their best lives. By hearing the challenges and successes of other women, we hope you will find an opportunity to live, love, learn and grow in your own unique way.
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