Blowing Rock, NC

Monday Night Concert Series in Broyhill Park
2025-07-21 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Halifax) | Broyhill Park, 173 Lakeside Drive, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605
The first concert of the series is held on June 30, 2025 and runs through July 28, 2025. The concerts are located at 173 Lakeside Dr. Blowing Rock, NC 28605 and are set up in the gazebo at Broyhill Park. They begin at 6:30 pm, run approximately one to two hours, and are free and open to the public. Performances will cover a little bit of everything from jazz, to country, to show tunes. Attendees will want to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating comfort.
The lineup for the 2025 season will be announced at a later date.
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The Last Journey Film - An Appalachian Summer Festival
2025-07-22 19:30 - 21:30 | Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
In Swedish with English subtitles
Sweden / Not rated / Directed by Felip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson / 2024 / Documentary / 95 minutes
Selected as Sweden’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. When French teacher Lars Hammar retires, he envisions a delightful “third age” with travel, wine, and experiences together with his wife, Tiina. However, instead of indulging in life’s pleasures, Lars becomes increasingly passive and lacking in willpower, to the great frustration and despair of both Tiina and their son, Filip. That’s when Filip gets an idea: to take his frail old father to his beloved France and let him revisit the places he has loved most in life. By retracing the same road trip the family used to take when Filip was a child and secretly orchestrating some of life’s most delightful moments, he hopes to reignite Lars’ zest for life. With the help of Filip’s best friend Fredrik, some hefty doses of optimism and creativity, and an old orange Renault 4, the adventure can begin.
Stay for a brief post-show talkback with film series curator Dale Pollock, as he discusses the movie in deeper context.
Website

ArtTalk: The 5 Browns - An Appalachian Summer Festival
2025-07-23 13:00 - 15:00 | Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, 423 West King St, Boone, NC, 28608, United States
July 23 at 1pm — The 5 Browns
A conversation with the Juilliard-trained sibling piano ensemble on touring, and life as musicians. The 5 Browns have released eight albums that have collectively spent over 30 weeks at #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. The New York Post has proclaimed: “[F]ive pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years.” The ensemble will perform on July 23 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center.
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The 5 Browns - An Appalachian Summer Festival
2025-07-23 19:30 - 21:30 | Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
The 5 Browns are a classical ensemble consisting of five pianos whose repertoire ranges from beloved concert hall staples to lesser known works.
Website

Broom Making Demo at Moses Cone Manor
2025-07-24 10:00 - 2025-07-27 16:00 | Moses Cone Manor, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Peter Werner will be demonstrating traditional Appalachian broom-tying, which is how he creates his whisks, cake testers, and large sweepers. This demonstration will be held on the front porch of the the Moses Cone Manor from 10am-4pm.
Visitors are encouraged to watch and ask questions while the demonstrators work and talk about their creative process!
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Mountains as a Destination
2025-07-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
BRAHM invites you to join us on the cusp of the 67th annual Blowing Rock Tour of Homes for an enriching evening of architectural history with award-winning author Peggy Smith.
Mountains as a Destination
Mountain landscapes offer the opportunity for recreation and relaxation, for embracing tradition and assuming new identities, for strengthening family bonds and making new friends. As chugging trains and improved roads brought outsiders to the high country, resorts like Blowing Rock developed a distinctive architecture that created a sense of place and enhanced their appeal as tourist attractions.
On the eve of Blowing Rock’s Annual Tour of Homes, Peggy Smith will (boldly) examine Sun Valley, Aspen, and Blowing Rock as cool places to visit, looking especially at the vacation architecture and identities that mountain recreation makes possible.
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Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka presented by BeanStalk Community Theatre
2025-07-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King Street, Boone, NC, 28607, United States
Standard Orchestra – $24.19 Students & Children Orchestra – $18.66 Seniors – $20.90 Balcony – $29.59
All Ages (children under 17 admitted with parent/legal guardian)
All Seating is Reserved *AppTheatre inclusive pricing combines fees and ticket value
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka is a timeless story of the world famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to chocolate-covered life. Featuring songs from the classic 1971 film and new songs by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, this timeless musical will satisfy the most discerning sweet tooth! Follow the adventures of the 5 winners of the coveted Golden Ticket as they tour Willy Wonka’s mysterious and marvelous candy factory. Charlie Bucket and the other four kids must follow Wonka’s rules…or suffer the consequences.
Live Theatre – Musical Adventure – 2 Acts w/ intermission
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Blowing Rock Tour of Homes
2025-07-25 09:00 - 16:00 | St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, 140 Chestnut Drive, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605
Save the Date! Tour Blowing Rock’s most notable homes and gardens! Details TBA.

Symphony by Chetola Lake
2025-07-25 19:00 - 22:00 | Chetola Resort’s Lakeside Tent, 185 Chetola Lake Drive, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
A night under the stars filled with pop and orchestral music. Firework Finale!
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Grandfather by Night: Naturalist Program
2025-07-25 20:00 - 22:00 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
Explore the mountain after hours with your own personal guides during our Grandfather by Night series! You’ll discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, watch a stunning sunset (weather permitting) and experience the mountain as never before!
The evening starts atop Grandfather Mountain at the Mile High Swinging Bridge, where participants can explore and observe sunset from this lofty vantage point. During this time, park educators will be on hand to discuss the unique flora and crepuscular (active during twilight) fauna that call Grandfather home.
In-park transportation is provided. Each Grandfather by Night event is limited to 24 participants. Advance registration is required. Please note: This event is for individuals eight years of age and older.
This event is a Grandfather by Night: Naturalist Program.
Website

Chetola Art Market
2025-07-26 13:00 - 18:00 | Chetola Resort, 185 Chetola Lake Dr, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Chetola Art Market is this Saturday & Sunday

Saturday | 1 – 6pm (July 26)
Sunday | 11a – 4pm (July 27)

Chetola Resort is pleased to revive the Art Market around gorgeous Chetola Lake this weekend following Symphony by Chetola Lake. Admission is free with lots of parking and dozens of local vendors, artists, and food to explore.

FREE ADMISSION

https://chetola.com/

Chetola Art Market is sponsored by Timberlake Restaurant

Artists in Residence: Gina Marrale & Miriam Esteve
2025-07-28 10:00 - 2025-08-03 17:00 | Edgewood Cottage, 115 Ginny Stevens Ln., Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Weekly Summer Art Shows in Historic Edgewood Cottage​
This free art show allows people to browse art from local artists, meet the artist, and purchase art directly from the artisan. Artists are often glad to talk about their process and answer questions. Different artists will be featured each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends.
This week’s artists:
Gina Marrale – Acrylic, Watercolor, and Gouache Painting
www.GinaMarrale.Art
Instagram: @GinaRodgersMarrale
Miriam Esteve – Acrylic
www.MiriPaints.com
Instagram: @MiriEstevePaints
This program is presented by The Blowing Rock Historical Society.
Website

Animal Enrichment Day
2025-07-30 10:00 - 17:00 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
On Animal Enrichment Day, guests see firsthand how Grandfather Mountain cares for its resident animals. An enrichment is a special treat, new toy or even an unfamiliar scent given to the animals to break up their routines and help keep them active and intellectually stimulated. Watch enrichment demonstrations, talk directly with keepers and participate in family-oriented games and crafts. Included with admission. Activities kick off at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and adjacent Wildlife Habitats.
Can’t come to the event but still want to provide a special treat for Grandfather animals? Those interested in gifting them some of their favorite items can do so by checking out the mountain’s animal enrichment wish list featuring appropriate toys and supplies. Donors can purchase an item online and have it delivered straight to Grandfather Mountain for immediate enjoyment.
Animal lovers can also contribute through the mountain’s Adopt-an-Animal Program. Honorary adopters receive a photo of their animal, certificate of adoption, informational sheet about the animal’s life and more!
Website

Life Cycle of a River Rock
2025-07-31 18:00 - 19:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Image Credit: Considerations: An Installation by Sarah Vaughn, Installation view, Photo: Josh White

Sarah Vaughn’s Considerations exhibition explores the nature of stones, the memories they keep, and the stories they tell. To further celebrate this exhibition, join Appalachian State University Geology Professor Lauren Waterworth as she tells the story of a stone found on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain that records the epic history of an ancient river that flowed through time between two great mountain ranges.
About the Speaker:
Raised in Western North Carolina, Lauren Waterworth channels her love for the natural world into her art. Lauren’s paintings are colorful, impressionistic, and a little bit dreamy.
Website

Grandfather by Night - Twilight Hike
2025-08-01 20:00 - 22:00 | Grandfather Mountain, 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC, 28646
Explore the mountain after hours with your own personal guides during our Grandfather by Night series! You’ll discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, watch a stunning sunset (weather permitting) and experience the mountain as never before!
The evening starts atop Grandfather Mountain at the Mile High Swinging Bridge, where participants can explore and observe sunset from this lofty vantage point. During this time, park educators will be on hand to discuss the unique flora and crepuscular (active during twilight) fauna that call Grandfather home.
In-park transportation is provided. Each Grandfather by Night event is limited to 24 participants. Advance registration is required. Please note: This event is for individuals eight years of age and older.
This event is a Grandfather by Night: Twilight Hike.
The Twilight Hike version will include a hike after sunset to discuss and look for the creatures that are more active after the sun goes down. The group will explore a unique forest ecosystem from top to bottom in search of salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, fireflies and any other creatures they might come across. The Twilight Hike program is not accessible to guests with limited mobility. Participants signed up for this version will need to participate in the hike, as staying behind while the rest of the group hikes is not possible.
Website

Artists in Residence: Randi Robeson & Scott Ballard
2025-08-04 10:00 - 2025-08-10 17:00 | Edgewood Cottage, 115 Ginny Stevens Ln., Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Weekly Summer Art Shows in Historic Edgewood Cottage​
This free art show allows people to browse art from local artists, meet the artist, and purchase art directly from the artisan. Artists are often glad to talk about their process and answer questions. Different artists will be featured each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends.
This week’s artists:
Randi Robeson – Oil
www.RandiRobeson.com
Instagram: @RandiRobeson
Scott Ballard – Oil
​www.ScottBallardArt.com
This program is presented by The Blowing Rock Historical Society.
Website

Exhibition: Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct
2025-08-06 11:00 - 2025-10-19 18:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Image Credit: Elliot Daingerfield, Landscape, undated, watercolor on paper, 9 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches; Framed: 19 7/8 x 21 1/4 x 2 inches. On loan from The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina
May 31 – October 19, 2025 | Fort Gallery
Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct explores the development of Tonalism, a distinctly American artistic movement responding to early modernist impulses in painting. Emerging in the latter half of the 19th century, Tonalism was characterized by subtle color harmonies, soft atmospheric effects, and contemplative, mood-driven scenes. Often emphasizing twilight or dawn landscapes, tonalist works evoke introspective, serene, or even ominous atmospheres, prioritizing mood and emotional resonance over detailed realism.
Central to the exhibition is Elliott Daingerfield (1859–1932), one of North Carolina’s most celebrated artists. Daingerfield’s connection to Tonalism is reflected in his expressive interpretations of the Southern landscape, particularly around Blowing Rock, where he summered for over four decades. His art is distinguished by poetic subtlety and spiritual undertones—qualities highly valued by tonalist painters. Although Daingerfield resisted a single or dogmatic approach, Tonalism profoundly shaped his artistic evolution.
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Exhibition: The Shape of Color - Understanding Color Theory in BRAHM's Collection
2025-08-06 11:00 - 2025-12-27 18:00 | 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.
Website

Exhibition: Arlee Mains - A Life in Watauga
2025-08-06 11:00 - 2025-11-29 18:00 | NC
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.
Website

Exhibition: Andrea Keys Connell- Pattern Mapping
2025-08-06 11:00 - 2025-11-29 18:00 | Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Image Credit: Andréa Keys Connell, Plaaaaaaaid, 2023, clay and underglaze. 32 in. x 20 in. x 18 in. Courtesy of the artist
June 28 – November 29, 2025 | Rankin West Gallery
At the heart of Andréa Keys Connell’s work is a question: how can the things we make help us hold time, memory, and care? Her ceramic sculptures—often fragmented, patterned, and emotionally charged—explore what it means to endure, to remember, and to repair.
Connell’s figures do not always appear whole. Limbs are stretched or stilled, faces are hidden, and bodies lean forward into uncertain space. Yet each one carries a quiet sense of presence—something tender, unresolved, and deeply human. They feel at once familiar and strange, comforting and unsettling.
In this exhibition, Connell draws from personal and family history to explore pattern as a way of holding memory. Floral motifs and layered surfaces reference textiles, heirlooms, and rituals of making. For her, patterns are more than decoration—they are markers of time, traces of care passed from one person to another.
Website

Called to Response: Exploring Mary Lou Higgins with Akal Dev Sharonne
2025-08-07 18:00 - 19:00 | 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
BRAHM invites performers to respond to our exhibitions in a new program series we’re naming Called to Response. Join Akal Dev Sharonne as she responds to the ceramic works of Mary Lou Higgins’ exhibition Mary Lou Higgins: Sibylline Faces.
Website

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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Full Moon Paddle on Price Lake
2025-08-08 20:00 - 22:30 | Price Lake Boat Rentals, 3636 Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Price Lake Boat Rentals will be offering canoes, double kayaks, and single kayaks for rent to enjoy paddling around Price Lake under the full moon! See Price Lake and the Blue Ridge Parkway in a whole new light. Registration is required ahead of time. Life jackets, paddles, and head lamps will be provided on site. Dogs are not allowed during Full Moon Paddles.
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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.
Website

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.
Website

Artists in Residence: Claire Earwood & Skip Sickler
2025-08-11 10:00 - 2025-08-17 17:00 | Edgewood Cottage, 115 Ginny Stevens Ln., Blowing Rock, NC, 28605, United States
Weekly Summer Art Shows in Historic Edgewood Cottage​
This free art show allows people to browse art from local artists, meet the artist, and purchase art directly from the artisan. Artists are often glad to talk about their process and answer questions. Different artists will be featured each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends.
This week’s artists:
Claire Earwood – Ceramics
Instagram: @Four.Told
Skip Sickler – Photography
This program is presented by The Blowing Rock Historical Society.
Website

Summer Concert Series: Music in the Park 2025
2025-08-14 17:00 - 19:00 | Broyhill Park, 173 Lakeside Drive, Blowing Rock, NC, 28605
Head over to Broyhill Park (173 Lakeside Dr.) for a free concert! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the sounds of local artists in a serene setting. 5-7 pm
June 12 – Harris Brothers
July 10 – Smokin’ Joe Randolph
Aug. 14 – The King Bees
Sponsored by the Blowing Rock Civic Association.

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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