From September 30 through October 8, guests enjoy short, guided nature walks that highlight Grandfather Mountain’s fall colors. The Fall Color Rambles take place daily, weather permitting, and are included in an admission ticket.
The Blowing Rocket began printing in 1932 and continued until the paper transitioned to fully online in 2022. The Blowing Rock Community Library is working to digitize the early copies of the Blowing Rocket so that the important historical information will be available to the public.
Head over to Shoppes on the Parkway for a local artisan market as well as great deals.
The Blowing Rock Community Library offers Storytime every Saturday at 11a.m. Volunteers read to children aged 0-7 and their parents.
Head over to J. McLaughlin for sips and fall shopping benefitting OASIS in Watauga and Avery counties. 15% of all sales during the designated time will go to benefit OASIS.
Free outdoor concerts every Friday evening, weather permitting! Enjoy classic country, blues, bluegrass, and other genres in an always-changing lineup. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. Drinks and snacks available for purchase. See link for performance listings!
The spooktacular season of Tweetsie’s Ghost Train® Halloween Celebration, a popular fall family tradition, begins Friday, September 22, and continues every Friday and Saturday night through October 28.
Tray Wellington Band - Growing up in western North Carolina’s Ashe County, Trajan “Tray” Wellington heard a lot of music — and from the first time he heard the banjo as a young teen, he was, he says, “hooked.”
Art in the Park hosts some of the best local and regional artists! Craftspeople showcase their handcrafted jewelry, pottery, fiber, glass, photography, painting and more in this juried show.
All proceeds from Mining For A Purpose go to the Cancer Patient Emergency Fund. This year there will be a gemstone raffle, a $1 raffle, Silent Auction, rubber duck races, and other activitites all day. Both Doc's Rocks and McCoy Minerals are participating.
Enjoy a two-day Oktoberfest from 10:00am until 5:00pm in the North Carolina Mountains. The festival features live Bavarian music by the Harbour Towne Fest band, German and American food & beverages, a children’s fun center, hay rides; local & regional craft fair, lift-rides on the Summit Express chairlift, a winter sports shop sale, lodging specials and much, much more.
Rhoddie Bicycle Outfitters has a select variety of models remaining from the 2023 season and want to give the opportunity to try before you buy at a really great sale price. All models will be BRAND NEW at the beginning of our demo day.
Family-friendly and casual! Bring a lawn chair or blanket to Memorial Park on Main Street to enjoy the music- all concerts begin at 1pm on Sundays following Art in the Park shows.
The Appalachian State University Jazz Ensemble - Directed by Mr. Todd Wright and Mr. Rodney Berry, The Jazz Ensemble performs a diverse repertoire highlighting the excellence of the Hayes School of Music.
App State Vs. Coastal Carolina
Head to BRAHM for a transformative and immersive evening with electric cellist and soundtrack composer, Brianna Tam. Described as a "string quartet unto herself," using just her loop pedal, electric cello, and guitar pedals, Brianna transports listeners into stunning, otherworldly symphonic realms.
Influenced by the rich musical heritage of Appalachia, Luke and Madison Morris’ sound is rooted in the folk traditions they grew up in. Nonetheless, they use folk tradition as a jumping-off point into new sonic landscapes and imaginative songwriting.
For musicians, Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, traditional banjo and fiddle music is a way to interpret our uncertain times, to draw artistic inspiration and power from the sources of meaning in their lives. History, family, literature, live performance, and environmental instability all manifest in the sounds, feelings, and sensations that permeate their music.
Grandfather Mountain’s Fall Color Ramble wraps up with a day full of fall-color activities, including naturalist talks and additional rambles, allowing participants to explore and admire the annual phenomenon.
Head over to Shoppes on the Parkway to get your classic car fix! Located in the parking lot by Banana Republic from 10am-5pm.
Bring your pre-carved pumpkin to Cabin Fever between 11:00am - 12:00pm. Judging will be at 2:30pm and winners will be announced at 3:00pm.
Song to Seed features seed-saving demonstrations, stories, humor, fiddle tunes, rare heirloom seeds to share, and original songs about Appalachian foodways. Hosted by Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and sponsored by The Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University, please come and join us for a lively, interactive, and fun program.
Flat River Band consists of three brothers Andy, Chad and Dennijo Sitze, who grew up in a multi-generational family band. Performing alongside their parents and grandparents, they held residencies at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri and at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
The annual Valle Country Fair is a sure favorite among locals and visitors. Local food and crafts fill the space, while musicians and demonstrators entertain all day. Admission is free, but bring cash for parking and easy shopping.
The quirky and light-hearted Woolly Worm Festival is an event that you won’t see anywhere else! Enjoy traditional festival fare like crafts, plenty of festival food vendors, and live music, plus the Woolly Worm Wace. Parking around town is available and managed by local non-profits raising money- parking rates vary and cash is accepted at all lots.
Contra Dancing is American Folk Dancing and is both similar to and different from Square Dancing. Contra Dancing is always done to live music, and progesses in lines instead of squares. There is a new dancers workshop at 7:30 pm and the dance goes from 8-11 pm. So don't be shy! Learn how to Contra Dance!
Phil Archer, the Betsy Main Babcock Director of Reynolda and the curator of its current exhibition Smith & Libby: Two Rings, Seven Months, One Bullet, will join us to talk about the characters and stories that led up to–and resulted from–the most tragic, titillating, intriguing, and baffling night in the long story of North Carolina's "second grandest estate." Reception with the speaker following the talk.
In May 1868, Tom Dula was hanged in Statesville, North Carolina, for the murder of his sweetheart, Laura Foster. The prior trial, his second, made national news and reveals much about regional and national understandings of “mountain folk” in the post-Civil War period.
Learn to paint in a relaxed atmosphere, inspired by California impressionist William Wendt’s Opulent Spring. Each participant goes home with a finished work of art. All materials, including canvasses, acrylic paint, brushes, and aprons, are provided. Their trained instructor will lead you step by step.
Growing up playing music together in Boone, North Carolina, the sisters’ sound is focused around the type of breathtaking vocal harmonies that can only come from the unique bond shared by siblings, expertly complemented by tight instrumental arrangements and a bona fide love of the traditional songs they play.
App State Vs. Southern Miss TIME IS TBA!
Our commitment to helping those in need is the very foundation of why we do what we do. Integrity in all things is a high priority of ours so that we may maintain the trust of our local community. Get ready for the 7th Anniversary 5k Fun Run/Walk! Post your race pictures on the Foundation Facebook page.
Visit Grandfather Mountain for a day of nature programs about animals that some consider creepy and crawly! This fun-filled celebration includes an opportunity to trick-or-treat on the mountain and then watch special Halloween enrichments be given to the animals.
Join Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation for tons of FREE fun with a full afternoon of spooky activities! From downtown trick-or-treating to the famous Monster March, this is among the best Halloween events for kids of ALL ages. Memorial Park, located right in the middle of downtown, is the center for all the fun!
Join App State’s Trevor McKenzie to learn more about Appalachia’s music traditions as a form of creative place-keeping within the region. Place-keeping is the active care and maintenance of a place and its social fabric by the people who live and work there, according to the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture.
Head over to Shoppes on the Parkway for a local artisan market as well as great deals.
App State Vs. Marshall Time is TBA!
Stephanie Marie calling, M Mueller, Art Shuster and Georgie Donovan playing
Contra Dancing is American Folk Dancing and is both similar to and different from Square Dancing. Contra Dancing is always done to live music, and progesses in lines instead of squares. There is a new dancers workshop at 7:30 pm and the dance goes from 8-11 pm. So don't be shy! Learn how to Contra Dance!
There’s a reason why Ricky Skaggs pulled Eric and Leigh Gibson off the stage at the Ryman two decades ago and offered to produce their debut record.
Award-winning Bluegrass group Balsam Range with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra perform live their recording “Mountain Overture”.
Pam Tillis’ star continues to shine brightly in the 3rd decade of her career and is currently touring extensively on her own & with others. As the child of Country Music Royalty, Pam Tillis was determined from a young age to find her own way in music as a singer and songwriter.
Head over to Shoppes on the Parkway for your Black Friday & After Thanksgiving Sales shopping. There will be live music and deep discounts!
Enjoy the rare opportunity to visit Grandfather Mountain outside of regular operating hours and see a sunrise from the top of the mountain. Sunrise is at 7:14 a.m. Nov. 25, 2023, and park gates open at 6:15 a.m.
The best small-town parade you'll find anywhere! Celebrate the Christmas season with us as Main Street hosts a parade of decorated vehicles, dancing, costumes, and more. A 10am start time gets you in the holiday spirit for the rest of the day!
App State vs. Georgia Southern TIME IS TBA!!!
The holiday season gets started with Christmas With The Embers featuring Craig Woolard! A great evening for the whole family, The Embers bring their signature sound to all your favorite holiday tunes.
Internationally acclaimed Irish guitarist John Doyle and Irish multi-instrumentalist Mick McAuley playing accordion, melodeon, concertina, whistles and guitar join together for the Joe Shannon's Mountain Home Music "Celtic Christmas".
Since their formal introduction to American audiences in 1997, The Kruger Brothers’ remarkable discipline, creativity and their ability to infuse classical music into folk music has resulted in a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music. The honesty of their writing has since become a hallmark of the trio’s work.