Appalachian Summer Festival: Broadway’s Next Hit Musical

photo credit: Love Imagery Whose Line Is It Anyway? meets The Tony Awards. Every song is fresh. Every scene is new. Every night is different. It’s all improvised and it’s all funny. The New York Times calls Broadway’s Next Hit Musical “Hilarious!” Time Out NY says “At last! A musical of, for, and by the people.” Broadway’s Next Hit Musical is the only unscripted theatrical awards show. Have you heard of the TONY awards? Well, Broadway’s Next Hit Musical is…The PHONY Awards! The audience members write down made up song titles and our master improvisers gather these suggestions and present them as “nominated songs” for this coveted award. We create spontaneous scenes and songs filled with great dancing, catchy melodies, and tons of laughter. The audience votes for their favorite song and watches as the cast turns that song into a full blown improvised musical – complete with memorable characters, witty dialogue, and plot twists galore. BNHM has been seen recently throughout the United States and in New York City at The Triad Theater, The Tribeca Film Festival, and at The New York Musical Theater Festival, among many other locations. Under the direction of improv veterans Rob Schiffmann and Deb Rabbai, TheaterWeek hailed the show as “brilliant” and The New York Post called Broadway’s Next Hit Musical “remarkable.” Don’t miss the next great American musical — it could be written by YOU! For tickets go to: https://appsummer.org/event/broadways-next-hit-musical/

$15 – $25

Appalachian Summer Festival: Playground (Un monde)

Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC, United States

photo: ImagePresse Helene and Stephen Weicholz Global Film Series presents Playground (Un monde) In French with English subtitles Belgium, not rated, directed by Laura Wandel, 2021, drama, 72 min In this debut feature by writer-director Laura Wandel, the everyday reality of grade school is seen from a child’s-eye-view as an obstacle course of degradation and abuse. Following 7-year-old Nora and her big brother Abel, we see Nora struggling to fit in before finding her place on the schoolyard. One day, she notices Abel being bullied by other kids, and though she rushes to protect him by warning their father, Abel forces her to remain silent, while he endures more humiliation and harassment by his peers. Transposing the gritty realism of such filmmakers as Jacques Audiard and the Dardennes Brothers to the inner world of kids, Wandel crafts an empathetic and visceral portrait of the cruelty of children, and the failure of adults to protect them. Shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Film. For tickets go to: https://appsummer.org/event/playground-un-monde/

$10

Opening Reception: Bringing the Outdoors In

Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery 7539 Valley Blvd, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

Join us Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery for an opening reception for the Bringing the Outdoors In show, Saturday July 9th from 3-6pm. Meet the artist Lita Gatlin and view her work while enjoying complimentary libations and hors d’oeuvres. Lita Gatlin’s bold and beautiful paintings have been best sellers at the gallery for close to 15 years.  Gatlin’s ability to capture atmosphere and the character of a landscape are the reason her paintings of all sizes reside in so many homes. They help bring the outdoors in.

free

BRAHM: Shakere African Instrument Making Workshop

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

Adults, teens, or children accompanied by an adult We will prepare a gourd, paint or etch on the gourd, string the beaded skirt around it and learn one rhythm & song on the instrument. Beads, wooden, ceramic, and pony plastic beads will be used. Other objects like seashells may be woven in -however, if they are breakable the instrument may become more a work of art than a playable instrument.   African shekeres may use nut shells, seashells or hard seeds in the design. Bead colors are an individual choice. If participants do not complete the instrument in one session it is possible to continue to work on it at home. Website

$75 – $90

Opening Reception: Different, Yet the Same

Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery 7539 Valley Blvd, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

Join us at Blowing Rock Frameworks & Gallery for an opening reception for the Different, Yet the Same show, Saturday August 13th from 3-6pm. Meet the artists and view their work while enjoying complimentary libations and hors d’oeuvres. The show will feature the brilliant colors and flowing nature of Wes Waugh’s watercolors in contrast with the neutral and enigmatic nature of Amy Sullivan’s giant barns. Though these two artists have different styles and mediums, they are very similar in many ways.

free

Plein Air Festival

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

With Blowing Rock as the epicenter for this festival, artists are invited to take advantage of the beautiful High Country setting, set up their easels, and paint “en plein air.” During the event, artists can be spotted all over Blowing Rock and the surrounding area! Painters are often happy to engage with the public and answer a few questions as they work, but be sure to consider their limited time. The festival will include artist awards and an opportunity to sell work! The public is invited to view and purchase completed art at the end-of-event Wet Paint Show and Sale. See more info at the link!

BRAHM: Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I Get Old – Book Signing

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

For fans of David Sedaris and Nora Ephron, a humorous, irreverent, and poignant look at the gifts, stereotypes, and inevitable challenges of aging, based on award-winning journalist Steven Petrow's wildly popular New York Times essay, "Things I'll Do Differently When I Get Old." Website

$8

A Village Tapestry: The Video Series

Blowing Rock Country Club 200 Country Club Dr., Blowing Rock, NC

This is a collaborative project by the Blowing Rock Civic Association and the Blowing Rock Historical Society. The entire video will be shown for the
first time and features 8 historical narratives on location & with pictures. Starring Dr. Barry Buxton.

The event is open to the public, and copies of “A Village Tapestry” will be available to purchase and autographed. All proceeds go to the Blowing Rock Historical Society. If you already own the book, you may bring it to be autographed.

Free

BRAHM: Using Technology to Save the Honey Bees

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

Presented by Appalachian State University Don't miss App State’s Rahman Tashakkori for an engaging look at a new beekeeping information system that could help boost U.S. honeybee populations. The system was developed by App State faculty and funded by the UNC System. Hardworking honeybee populations — responsible for a third of the food on Americans’ plates — are on the decline in the U.S. Last year, Tashakkori began leading a research team in a three-year honeybee research program to help address this decline. The program is supported by a nearly $1.1 million grant through the UNC System’s Research Opportunities Initiative. Website This event is free but requires registration.

Free

High Country Beer Fest

High Country Fair Grounds 748 Roby Greene Road, Boone, NC

There will be 1500 people and 35 breweries. Breweries will give out 2 oz. samples - the only payment you make is to enter the festival. There will be merchandise available for purchase but preordering your shirt on the website will ensure we have your size. In addition to breweries and delicious food, we will have 3 bands playing during the fest and free fermentation seminars where you can learn about fermented foods from around the world! There will be shuttles to transport you from the ASU campus to the fest and, if you drive to the fest, you can leave your car at the festival grounds over night if you are unable to drive home or get a DD. Expect limited taxis and mobile car ride services in Boone during the event. Once in the festival the beer, music, and seminars are free. Food and merchandise are available for purchase with cash only - due to the location of the festival, the internet is unreliable. Water will be available for free. High Country Beer fest is a 21-and-up event due to alcohol consumption. No children will be admitted. Dogs & pets are not permitted into the festival, on the bus, or shuttles. WEBSITE

$20 – $100

BRAHM: Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum 159 Ginny Stevens Lane, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

Presented by Appalachian State University Don't miss App State Professor Emeritus Tim Silver for an eye-opening discussion of his book, Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains: An Environmental History of the Highest Peaks in Eastern America. In his work on this book, Silver drew on both the historical record and his experience as a backpacker and fly fisherman in the region. He recounts the story of Elisha Mitchell, the renowned University of North Carolina professor for whom the mountain is named and who fell to his death there in 1857. But nature’s stories — of forest fires, chestnut blight, competition between plants and animals, insect invasions, air pollution, and climate change — are also part of the narrative, making it the first history of the Appalachians in which the natural world gets equal time with human actions. Only by understanding the dynamic between people and nature, Silver believes, can we begin to protect the mountains for future generations. The book won the 2003 Ragan Old North State Award for the best work of non-fiction by a North Carolina writer. It also received the Philip D. Reed Memorial Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center, recognizing Silver’s work as the year’s best writing on the southern environment. About the Speaker: Silver earned his Ph.D. at the College of William and Mary and taught in the App State Department of History for 37 years. Specializing in environmental history, he wrote two books, co-authored a third, and published numerous articles in scholarly journals and popular magazines. Website

Storie Street Grille: SNIP Foundation Fundraiser

Storie Street Grille 1167 Main Street, Blowing Rock, NC, United States

During dinner hours, Storie Street Grille will donate 10% of all proceeds to support SNIP Foundation's local Humane Society efforts. SNIP provides financial aid to offer mass, low-cost spay & neuter clinics and educational programs.