Category: Blog

The Village Foundation of Blowing Rock, the Blowing Rock Historical Society, and the Town of Blowing Rock invite the public to celebrate the opening of the newly constructed Blowing Rock History Walk. A Ribbon Cutting for the History Walk will be held at 4pm on June 1, 2023 in Mayview Plaza in Blowing Rock. In recognition of the opening of the History Walk, the Town of Blowing Rock has proclaimed that June 1 shall be “Blowing Rock History Day.” After the Ribbon Cutting, all are invited to the History Day Celebration at the American Legion Building in Blowing Rock. The History Walk was funded and constructed by a public/private partnership among the Town of Blowing Rock, the Blowing Rock Historical Society, and the Village Foundation of Blowing Rock. The walk, which is handicapped accessible, begins in Mayview Plaza adjacent to Main Street and features 21 History Stations. It is approximately ¼ mile in length. “We are excited to open this wonderful new trail during NC’s Year of the Trail,” says Tom O’Brien, President of the Blowing Rock Historical Society. “The History Walk will be a significant venue for folks interested in heritage and culture, and will create a greater connection between Main Street and beautiful Broyhill Park.” The walk follows Laurel Lane into Broyhill Park, and goes around Mayview Lake. The History Stations are prominent bronze plaques featuring relief images and narratives of events, people, and places in Blowing Rock history.  “Our history can be quite entertaining, and the history walk was carefully designed to tell engaging stories,” Tom adds. “Each station will also have a QR code that will direct people to the Blowing Rock Historical Society website for ‘back stories’ that amplify the narratives on the plaques.” As a new cultural and educational attraction, the Blowing Rock History Walk will be a welcome addition to Blowing Rock’s many other attractions for residents and visitors alike. For more information about the Blowing Rock History Walk, visit blowingrockhistoricalsociety.com. May 2023

The 43rd annual Blowing Rock Trout Derby will take place in Blowing Rock on Saturday, April 1, from sunrise to 4:00pm.  No entry fees are required for this family-friendly event. The Blowing Rock Trout Derby has celebrated the opening of trout season for over four decades, encouraging families to get out together to enjoy the outdoors and friendly competition. The casual nature of the Derby makes participation fun, and there are two ways to join in! For the Classic Tournament, simply catch a trout in Watauga County on April 1, and bring it to Blowing Rock to measure and enter it into the contest. No pre-registration is required for the Classic Tournament. The Catch and Release category, coordinated by Speckled Trout Outfitters, offers a more eco-conscious approach and a wider eligible area for fishing. Catch and Release participants must pick up the official tape measure before heading out to fish. Timestamped photos of trout caught in Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties, with size shown by the official tape measure, are eligible for entry into the Catch and Release division. “We love to meet first timers and hear all about everyone’s fishing adventures,” says Kim Rogers, a longtime coordinator of the Trout Derby. “If you’re a seasoned fisherman, come by and help some of the younger anglers with your stories, bait suggestions, or just friendly support. We can’t wait to see your catch!” Derby Headquarters, where participants’ fish are measured and registered and where folks register for the Catch and Release category, is at the Blowing Rock Clubhouse at 108 Lakeside Drive. Kids should come by the Derby Headquarters early in the day to grab their free Derby bag and t-shirt before they run out! The North Carolina Wildlife Commission supports the Trout Derby with free “Fish for Fun” bags, including a tackle box, regulation book, bumper sticker, stringer, and bobber. The Trout Derby T-shirts commemorate the event and feature art from last year’s Art Contest winner. While kids are at Headquarters, they can participate in the Art Contest; all supplies are provided! The 2023 poster and t-shirt features art by Caleb Mott. Steps from Headquarters, kids are invited to fish in the lake at Broyhill Park. The lake is stocked in the days ahead of the event, and some of the fish are tagged for special prizes! New this year, Speckled Trout Outfitters will host fun Trout Derby activities outdoors between the Outfitters shop and the Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop on Main Street. The Watauga Riverkeeper is partnering with this event and will have a tent set up, along with other sponsors and local breweries. Hula hoops and rods will be set out for anyone seeking to learn how to cast a fly rod! Activities begin at 10am. “Throughout the day, The Speckled Trout Outfitters will be hosting tents of some of our brands, breweries, and one of our experienced guides to educate anybody on casting and fly fishing tactics in our shared lot with the Speckled Trout Restaurant,” says Joel Brown of Speckled Trout Outfitters. “We will be a hub for all of your last minute fly and conventional needs inside our shop, or take a break over a beer!” Also new in 2023, the Awards Ceremony for both competition categories will be presented at Speckled Trout Outfitters. Winners and prizes will be announced starting at 4:30pm. First-place winners will receive trophies in five divisions: Men, Women, Girls and Boys (12-15), and Small Fries (11 and under). Great prizes for all winners include items like fishing and outdoor gear, gift certificates, and cash. There is plenty of free parking available at Broyhill Park, just off Clark Street, by the Derby Headquarters and kid’s fishing. Fishing licenses are not required at Broyhill Park, but anglers will need to have a current fishing license and obey posted fishing regulations in all other locations. The Blowing Rock Trout Derby is sponsored and supported by over two dozen local businesses and organizations. Complete details on the Trout Derby can be found at BlowingRock.com/TroutDerby . For more information on local shopping, attractions, and lodging in Blowing Rock, visit blowingrock.com or contact the information center at 828.295.4636. March 2023.

Blowing Rock has been honored with an inclusion in Southern Living’s 50 Best Small Towns in the South 2023! Readers of the popular magazine voted for their favorite places all across the south, and Blowing Rock received top billing among other North Carolina towns, listed 5th overall. Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority Executive Director Tracy Brown was justifiably proud that the town found itself near the top of the Southern Living list, and not for the first time. “We couldn’t ask for a better endorsement,” Brown said. “Votes from readers mean votes from real travelers- our neighbors.” Southern Living notes that when the awards first began, readers were simply asked, “have a favorite?” For this year’s South’s Best awards, the magazine remarks that the lists “include dazzling newcomers, repeat champions, hidden gems, and tried-and-true classics in states across our region.” Of Blowing Rock, magazine editors wrote, “This mountain town is named for its most famous feature, a 4,000-foot cliff that overlooks a spectacular gorge, distant peaks, and dense forests. But Blowing Rock is no one-hit wonder. Expect plenty of High Country character from a community of talented craftspeople and chefs inspired by their surroundings.” Readers were invited to participate through promotions in Southern Living magazine, email newsletters, social media platforms, and on southernliving.com. The resulting list is diverse. Other NC towns on the list include Boone, Hendersonville, and Beaufort. Finishing ahead of Blowing Rock in the Best Small Town category were Dahlonega, GA, Gatlinburg, TN, Beaufort, SC, and St. Augustine, FL. Southern Living’s South’s Best awards celebrate the “people, places, and communities that make our home more vibrant than ever.” For more information on the South’s Best awards, visit southernliving.com/souths-best                     March 9, 2023                      

The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) is excited to open the exhibition POP-UP: Andy Warhol & the Portrait Impulse. Theexhibition highlights 96 Polaroids, 27 black and white prints, and 6 silkscreens generously loaned from the Permanent Collection of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University, courtesy of a gift by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts’  Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy program. POP-UP will be on view through June 2nd, 2023 in BRAHM’s Fort Gallery. Photography and its potential for experimental portraiture is foundational across Andy Warhol’s prolific career. In POP-UP, Warhol’s commitment to instant film as a candid documentary medium is explored alongside examples of his iconic silkscreen prints. Synthesizing the photographic, the painterly, and the commercial, the artist’s manipulation of the human visage constitutes some of his most lasting impacts on contemporary photography and image-making. In this exhibition, we see Warhol’s near-obsessive use of the camera—the Polaroid in particular—some examples of which would ultimately be transformed into the high contrast, color blocked images audiences are so familiar with today. For more information on POP-UP, please visit blowingrockmuseum.org/see/warhol-pop-up. Those interested in viewing the new exhibition are encouraged to come to BRAHM’s Spring Exhibition Celebration on Friday, March 24 from 5–7:00pm. Docents will be on hand to answer questions and provide insight into the exhibitions, and light refreshments including a cash bar will be available. This is a free event welcoming all visitors. To learn more about the Spring Exhibition Celebration, visit the calendar on BlowingRockMuseum.org. BRAHM  is an art and history museum nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. Open to the public since 2011, BRAHM provides cultural enrichment by promoting the arts, and Southern Appalachian heritage and history, through educational programs, exhibitions,activities and permanent collections. BRAHM is located in downtown Blowing Rock and is open to the public, free of charge, Tues. – Sat. 11-5 and, beginning May 1 through October 31, Sun. 11-4. February 2023