Exhibition: The Shape of Color - Understanding Color Theory in BRAHM's Collection
2025-08-06 11:00 - 2025-12-27 18:00 (America/Halifax) | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Image Credit: Anne Wall Thomas, The Way to There, 2015, mixed-media on paper, 26 inches wide x 30 inches high (framed), Gift of Mary Wall Garren in honor of Anne Wall Thomas, BRAHM Permanent Collection 2024.006.001
March 15 – December 27, 2025 | Cannon Gallery
Color is fundamental to human perception, yet its nature has fascinated and perplexed philosophers, artists, and scientists for centuries. Through observation, experimentation, and artistic practice, they have developed theories to define and manipulate color as both a science and a sensation. From Antiquity through the 20th century, these evolving ideas have shaped how we see and use color in art and design.
This exhibition explores key milestones in the history of color theory through seven case studies, each centered on a single work of art from BRAHM’s Permanent Collection. Alongside these works, diagrams and historical models illustrate how color has been classified, studied, and understood over time. By examining these varied approaches, The Shape of Color invites us to consider the ways in which color influences our perception, emotions, and the visual world around us.
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Exhibition: Mary Lou Higgins - Sibylline Faces
2025-08-06 11:00 - 2025-11-15 18:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Image Credit: MaryLou Higgins, Remembering, 1993, Gesso on canvas, BRAHM Permanent Collection 2024.007.015, Photographed by Joshua White
June 7 – November 15, 2025 | Schaefer Gallery
This exhibiton presents a selection of ceramic works and drawings by MaryLou Higgins (1926–2012), an artist active in North Carolina throughout her prolific career. Best known for her illustrative approach to ceramics, Higgins worked across multiple media, creating a body of work defined by intricate draftsmanship and a focus on the female figure.
A voracious illustrator, Higgins filled the surfaces of her vessels and forms with an evolving repertory of female faces and figures, rendered with baroque embellishment and a distinct physicality. Often gilded and highly ornamented, these works foreground the female visage, as do the elongated or voluptuous silhouettes of the forms themselves. Her drawing practice extended beyond ceramics into works on paper, canvas, and handmade furniture, where her dense, gestural approach to line and composition further reveals her interest in stylized figuration.
Higgins often collaborated with her husband, Edward Higgins, who at times constructed the ceramic forms she adorned. The figures that populate her work have been compared to the Sibyls—prophetesses of ancient Greece who were believed to articulate divine revelations in rhythmic verse while in a trance. The exaggerated features and expressive gestures of her figures also recall the stylized bodies of late 16th-century Italian, or Mannerist, painting, suggesting an engagement with historical representations of the feminine form.
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Exhibition: Arlee Mains - A Life in Watauga
2025-08-06 11:00 - 2025-11-29 18:00
Image Credit: Arlee Mains, Wash Day, 1997, acrylic on canvas board. Promised Gift, Collection of Martha & Terry Satterwhite.
June 28 – November 29, 2025 | Rankin East Gallery
This intimate installation of ten “memory paintings” by Arlee Mains (1935–2019) offers a vivid and affectionate portrait of early 20th-century life in the mountains of western North Carolina. A lifelong resident of Watauga County and a self-taught artist, Mains drew upon family stories, personal recollections, and regional traditions to create painted scenes of everyday Appalachian life. Her works portray the rhythms of domestic labor, childhood mischief, seasonal rituals, and communal joy—milking cows at dawn, dancing on a Saturday night, or greeting the mailman after a deep snow. Each painting is paired with a handwritten narrative by the artist, capturing her distinctive voice and grounding these images in lived experience. These stories have been transcribed and recorded by a local community member, and are available to hear at a listening station in the center of the gallery. Mains’ gift was not just in recalling what happened, but in conjuring the texture of memory: the smell of lye soap, the bite of cold air before a sled ride, the warmth of apple pie after church.
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Helping Hands Concert Series presents: Gary Morris & Presley Barker
2025-08-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Hayes Auditorium, 191 Main St. W, Banner Elk, NC, 28604, United States
All artists are donating their time to raise money for Hurricane Helene victims in the greater Banner Elk area. The concerts are organized by the non-profit Elk River Helping Hands, with proceeds distributed directly to hurricane victims in Avery and Watauga counties.
A night of music with country legend Gary Morris, who recorded five No. 1 songs on the country chart, and Presley Barker, a country blues singer and American Idol contestant from nearby North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
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Junior Naturalist Day
2025-08-09 10:00 - 15:00 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
Junior Naturalist Program activities throughout the day will be provided specifically for children ages 5-12, but all ages are welcome! Events are included with admission. Grandfather recommends that those planning to attend purchase their tickets to the park online in advance here.
Guests will also be able to meet some critters up close and personal around the Wilson Center!
Grandfather Mountain’s daily program schedule will also be in full swing! Find more details about these daily programs here.
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2025 BRAHM Gala
2025-08-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
The 2025 BRAHM Gala will take place on Saturday, August 9.

Event at Full Capacity

The 2025 BRAHM Gala is currently at full capacity. If you would like to be placed on a waitlist to be contacted if there are further opportunities to purchase sponsorships or individual tickets please contact Hannah Chaney at Hannah@BlowingRockMuseum.org or call 828.295.9099 ext. 3011.

Carl Ratliff Jazz Quartet
2025-08-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
Mast Store Community Room
Sunday, August 10, 2025 at 5 PM / Doors open at 4:15 PM
Standard $25
Student $10
High Country Jazz Society Members – Free Admission w/ preferred seating (based on availability)
All Ages (children under 17 admitted with parent/legal guardian)
General Admission Seating
*AppTheatre inclusive pricing combines fees, tax, and ticket value at checkout.
Carl Ratliff, saxophones; Lovell Bradford, Sr., Piano/Keyboard., Lovell Bradford, Jr., Bass; Malcom Charles, Drums.
This presentation will include jazz standards, music of Kenny Garrett, and contemporary jazz.
Learn more about High Country Jazz Society HERE.
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Women's Beginner Backpack
2025-08-15 - 2025-08-17 | Speckled Trout Outfitters, 916 Main St. Suite 100, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Disconnect from the business of daily life and settle into the presence, peace and quiet of nature on a weekend trip that will leave you feeling rejuvenated and inspired. You will learn all you need to know – from water filtration to what not to wipe with- and be provided with all necessary gear to safely, successfully, and joyfully backpack.
Each day will involve a 3-5 mile hike, allowing plenty of time for breaks, learning, and leisurely time at camp to take in our natural environment. Gear and food are included – and don’t worry, this is not your average trail food of peanut butter on tortillas and chicken-flavored ramen. Your guide, Becca, has been complimented on her trail kitchen skills, and you will leave this weekend asking for recipes. Our max group size is 6.
Becca is passionate about teaching women to embrace the outdoors and learn skills to empower them in a backcountry setting. She is trained as a Forest Therapy Guide, an amateur naturalist, and a friction fire builder. You can read more about her here. If you have questions about this trip, you can email her at becca@thespeckledtrout.com.
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Hawk Watch
2025-09-01 10:00 - 2025-09-30 17:00 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
All throughout September, guests are invited to join Grandfather Mountain’s naturalists as they count and celebrate the annual spectacle of fall raptor migration. Participants can observe the migration from viewing locations on Linville Peak (across the Mile High Swinging Bridge) and Half Moon Overlook (the first major overlook when entering the park). Included with admission.
Raptors are birds of prey, such as hawks, eagles, owls and vultures. The telltale signs of the raptor are sharp talons, a hooked upper bill and keen eyesight. While some raptors remain in place during winter, most will travel south, where food is more abundant. Because it sits along the eastern escarpment of the Appalachian Mountains, and its rocky peaks generate strong thermal uplifts and allow excellent visibility, Grandfather Mountain is a prime viewing spot for this phenomenon.
Perhaps the most dramatic visual display comes courtesy of the broad-winged hawk, which migrates in groups of hundreds or thousands, called kettles. Those sightings are most common around the second or third week of September. Grandfather Mountain is one of more than 300 Hawk Watch sites officially designated by the Hawk Migration Association of North America.
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Down the Path: A Shared Journey of Horticulture Excess
2025-09-03 11:00 - 12:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Photo Credit: The Roethlings marvel at orchids, photo from VisitWinstonSalem.com
Today we talk with two plant geeks that met in a garden. Both are now Directors of two prominent public gardens in North Carolina. Adrienne Roethling is the Director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden in Kernersville, NC. Jon Roethling is the Director Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. They tell their story and the stories of the amazing gardens they oversee.
Free for Members and Garden Club Members; $8 General Admission
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ASU Home Football Game
2025-09-06 15:30 - 18:30 | Kidd Brewer Stadium, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28607
Lindenwood vs. App State
Home Opener

Antlers & Acorns: Darrell Scott with Ben Danaher
2025-09-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
Antlers & Acorns Boone Songwriters Festival presents
Darrell Scott with Ben Danaher
Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 7 PM / Doors open at 6:15 PM
Standard – $45
All Ages (children under 17 admitted with parent/legal guardian)
All Seating is Reserved.
Sales tax and fees applied at checkout
Website & Info

Antlers & Acorns: Ordinary Elephant
2025-09-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
Antlers & Acorns Boone Songwriters Festival presents
Ordinary Elephant
Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned married couple Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the pair took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, Before I Go, and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”
Website & Info

Antlers & Acorns: Mary Gauthier with Jess Klein
2025-09-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
Antlers & Acorns Boone Songwriters Festival presents
Mary Gauthier with Jess Klein
Back for the third time to Antlers & Acorns, Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer/songwriter and author whose dark atmospheres and tales of marginalized people draw on her early experiences with addiction and recovery and growing up gay in Southern Louisiana.
Tickets & Info

Antlers & Acorns: John Moreland with Mando Saenz
2025-09-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
Antlers & Acorns Boone Songwriters Festival presents
John Moreland with Mando Saenz
John Moreland – After an impressive 2010s run of albums that earned him a devoted fanbase, accolades from outlets like The New York Times, Fresh Air, and Pitchfork, and a place in the upper echelon of modern Americana singer-songwriters, John Moreland has already taken two unexpected turns this decade, both of which highlight his fierce artistic independence.
Tickets & Info

The Denim Ball
2025-09-23 18:00 - 21:00
SAVE THE DATE!

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Mark your calendar for The Denim Ball at Camp Yonahnoka at Linville Golf Club in North Carolina. Guest are invited to dine, dance, bid in silent and live auctions, and enjoy the gorgeous mountain setting. The annual event benefits Moses H. Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Please check back soon for ticket information.
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Cocktails with the Curator: Jack Boul
2025-09-25 18:00 - 19:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
This cocktail with the curator will feature BRAHM’s Curator Gabe Wilson in conversation with Jack Boul’s son, David Boul. Patrons can expect one part gallery tour, two parts conversation, and a splash of cocktail party. This event is limited to 15 people. Registrations are required. Non-alcoholic options will be available upon request.
Non-alcoholic options will be available upon request.
Free for Members; $8 General Admission
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Blue Ridge Parkway Service Project at Moses Cone Estate
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Flat Top Manor, Milepost 294, Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Image Credit: NPS volunteers clear Hurricane Helene storm damage from the Julian Price Campground. NPS volunteer B.Owens
Moses Cone Estate -milepost 294 (Meet at the Manor House and work the Cone service road area near the Manor House)
On Saturday, September 27, the National Park Service invites park neighbors and visitors to participate in multiple service projects and a wide variety of programs to mark both National Public Lands Day as well as the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene’s impacts to the Blue Ridge Parkway and surrounding region. National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event in support of public lands, and with this year’s NPLD falling on Helene’s one-year mark, events planned commemorate the park’s continued recovery and the region’s resiliency.
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Creatures of the Night & Bonfire Delight at Grandfather Mountain
2025-09-27 18:30 - 21:30 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
Embrace your nocturnal side at Grandfather Mountain through Creatures of the Night and Bonfire Delight, the park’s after-hours program where guests enjoy rare after-dark tours, fireside tales and a chance to meet the park’s nighttime residents.
The evening begins around the glow of a bonfire at the Woods Walk Picnic Area as night falls. Guests will then have the opportunity to partake in three unique experiences as the group splits up and alternates between the different parts of the mountain. These activities include a trek (via shuttle) to atop the mountain at the Mile High Swinging Bridge, as well as a visit to the Mildred the Bear Animal Habitats for a behind-the-scenes tour in which guests get to experience the mountain in a similar fashion as its nocturnal critters. The tour is conducted using red-light flashlights, with an emphasis placed on the guests’ sensory experience while getting up close with the park’s bears, otters, elk and cougars. An educational focus is also placed on how the animals may use their senses of smell or eyesight to navigate or hunt at night.
Groups will then descend back to the Woods Walk Picnic Area to gather around the fire, roast s’mores and hear folktales from one of the mountain’s naturalists or educators.
Hours are 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The event is open to 50 participants, and tickets are $40 for general admission or $34 for Bridge Club members.
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Pattern Mapping: Reception
2025-10-02 17:30 - 19:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Head to BRAHM as they celebrate the exhibition, Andrea Keys Connell: Pattern Mapping
The event will flow like this:
5:30 pm – 6 pm Reception with a cash bar
6pm – 6:20 pm Andrea Keys Connell will be in conversation with BRAHM’s curator of exhibitions and collections, Ian Gabriel Wilson.
6:20 – 7 pm The public is invited to explore the exhibition with the artist and BRAHM’s curator.
Website

Fall Color Rambles
2025-10-04 13:00 - 13:30 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
From Oct. 4 through 12, 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 your admission ticket. The short excursions begin at 1 p.m. and typically last for 30 minutes. Rambles will start outside the entrance of the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery.
Grandfather Mountain is home to myriad species of plants and hardwood trees that range from pumpkin-colored beech trees to blood-red sourwoods and rusty red oaks. During the daily rambles, guests learn all about the mountain’s unique biodiversity and the science behind the changing of the leaves.
Participants can become familiar with tree identification, as the mountain’s talented and knowledgeable educators and interpretive park guides venture out with guests to some of the most colorful destinations on the mountain.
Website

ASU Home Football Game
2025-10-04 15:30 - 18:00 | Kidd Brewer Stadium, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28607
App State Vs. Oregon State
Parking Info

7th Annual Apple Butter Festival
2025-10-11 10:00 - 17:00 | Saunders Old Country Store, 3637 Blowing Rock Blvd., Lenoir, NC, 28645, United States
Saunders Old Country Store is excited to be hosting the 7th Annual Apple Butter Festival — a free, family-friendly event happening on Saturday, October 11th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at:
3637 Blowing Rock Blvd, Lenoir, NC 28645
Admission is completely FREE and the day will feature:

5 live bluegrass bands
Free giveaways
Activities for all ages
And the Smoke-n-Shine BBQ food truck on-site serving delicious food all day!

Website

Sugar Mountain Resort's Oktoberfest
2025-10-11 10:00 - 2025-10-12 17:00 | Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, 1009 Sugar Mountain Drive, Sugar Mountain, NC, 28604
Enjoy a two-day Oktoberfest from 10:00am until 5:00pm in the North Carolina Mountains. The festival features live Bavarian music, 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.
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Valle Country Fair
2025-10-18 09:00 - 16:00
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.
Tip: If you plan to attend both Valle Country Fair and Woolly Worm Festival on Saturday, arrive as close to 9am as possible to the event you choose to attend first! Traffic is typically very heavy for late morning and mid-day arrivals. To attend both festivals and best avoid waiting in traffic lines, attend Valley Country Fair on Saturday and Woolly Worm Festival on Sunday and arrive early at both.
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Woolly Worm Festival
2025-10-18 10:00 - 2025-10-19 16:00
Banner Elk looks forward to welcoming you to the 48th Annual Woolly Worm Festival hosted by the Avery County Chamber of Commerce and Banner Elk Kiwanis! Head over on October 18 & 19, 2025 in Banner Elk, North Carolina for woolly worm races, craft and food vendors, live entertainment, children’s activities, and so much more.
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ASU Home Football Game
2025-10-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Kidd Brewer Stadium, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28607
App State vs. Coastal Carolina
Parking Info

Conversations with the Curator: Arlee Mains
2025-10-23 11:00 - 12:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Arlee Mains, Spring Chores, May-June 1996, Acrylic on paper, Promised Gift, Collection of Marth & Terry Satterwhite, 19.5 x 23.5 (framed). Photo: Josh White
Join BRAHM on Thursday October 23 at 11 am when curator Ian Gabriel Wilson will be in conversation with Pam McKay, guest curator of the exhibition Arlee Mains: A Life in Watauga. We will learn about Arlee, her relationship with Pam, and what it is about Arlee’s paintings that still captivate us today.
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Beary Scary Halloween
2025-10-25 11:00 - 15:30 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
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. Included with admission.
Plus, children in costume are admitted at half-price. Children coming in costume do not need to make advance admission ticket reservations online. The discount will be given at the Entrance Gate. Those planning to visit the park not in costume are strongly encouraged to make advance ticket reservations online at grandfather.com/tickets.
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Pumpkin Carving (BYO Pumpkin)
2025-10-25 12:00 - 15:00 | McCoy Minerals, 537 Main St., Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
🎃✨ Pumpkin Carving Party at McCoy Minerals! ✨🎃
Join them on October 25th for an afternoon of fall fun! 🍂
All you need to bring is your own pumpkin— and your creativity! They’ll provide the carving tools + cleanup. 🖤🕸️
🗓️ Date: October 25th, Noon – 3 pm
📍 Hosted by McCoy Minerals
🎃 BYO Pumpkin • We’ll handle the mess!
Grab your friends, carve a masterpiece, and celebrate spooky season together. 👻✨
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