A FREE Daily Visitor Guide for the North Carolina Mountains and 50+ NC Mountain Cities

Monday, June 6, 2011

What's better than Dinner and a Movie?

The answer is: An Appalachian Evening and an Appalachian Dinner. And you can get both at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center. The Center's Appalachian Evening series begins for the season on June 25. The popular summer concert series offers an ever-changing schedule of bluegrass, folk and old-time mountain music by award-winning artists - quality entertainment for the entire family in the historic Stecoah auditorium, rich in cultural heritage.

Enjoy an Appalachian Dinner prior to the show with omplete dinners served family style at two seatings — 5:00 and 6:15 pm — in the Stecoah dining room. Dinner features the down-home goodness of traditional Southern Appalachian mountain cuisine, using the freshest local produce available. Reservations required. Lighter fare is also available in the main building.
An Appalachian Evening and Dinner continues to be a favorite with locals and visitors alike. For more information on 2011 performers, check out the calendar of events. Printable AAE schedule. Tickets are on sale now. Purchase at the Center, by phone or order online. Tickets for individual performaces can be purchased here. For season tickets, go here.

Blue Ridge Barbecue and Music Festival 2011

June 1-12 from 10 AM - 11 PM at at Harmon Field in Tryon, NC: Blue Ridge Barbecue and Music Festival. Admission is $7, with children 12 and under admitted free.

Music and performances:
The big Main Stage hosts the feature acts and headliners. Dance or just listen to two days and nights of great music. Located in an idyllic spot along the laughing Pacolet River near the head of the Foothills Crafts Fair, the Riverside Stage boasts more of a softer songwriters’ venue in an intimate setting. Get more information on the Festival's entertainment schedule and lineup: Festival Music section.

Foothills Craft Fair
Bring your canvas shopping bag and prepare to be delighted by the fine items in the Foothills Crafts Fair. Dotted along the Pacolet River, many of our artisans demonstrate their skills and enjoy chatting with you about their craft.

The Food
The heart and the soul of the Blue Ridge Barbecue & Music Festival is the competition cook teams with their rigs set up to vie for prestige, cash prizes and awards in this, the North Carolina State Barbecue Championship. The top ranking team from North Carolina also wins the coveted Governor’s Trophy. Teams must compete in all four sanctioned categories; Chicken, Pork Ribs, Pork and Beef Brisket to be considered for Grand Champion.

The 2011 Blue Ridge Barbecue & Music Festival is predicted to be the best ever, according to Steering Committee members who are already hard at work to produce the event, "We've got an enthusiastic group of people working hard on some very good new ideas," said Festival Chairman Chuck Britton. "We don't want to change anything that people have grown to love about the Festival. We just want to add to the whole experience for each person who participates - and that includes guests, cook teams, sponsors, volunteers, everyone!" Watch the new TV commercial

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Summer Carnival in Cherokee NC

June 6 - 10 Summer Carnival opens on the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds in Cherokee NC with carnival rides, games, concessions. Kids of all ages will enjoy this annual summer kick-off with live music, food vendors along the midway and lots of fun during the five-day gathering.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

20% Military Discount on Smoky Mountain Cabins

Rivendell Cabins 20% MILITARY DISCOUNT for active duty and Veterans with ID. Mountain views, hot tubs, fireplaces, DLS, dishwasher, washer/dryer, central heat/ac, satellite TV, phone, VCR & movies, porch with seating, full kitchens, linens. These Smoky Mountain cabins come fully equipped with everything you need for some great R&R - just bring your clothes and food!

There are many things to do on a vacation to Franklin, North Carolina. Go gem mining at any of several active gem mines, see breathtaking waterfalls, take a hike, enjoy a concert, go rafting, visit a museums, take in Pickin on the Square (May-October each Saturday Night - FREE), ride the Great Smoky Mountain Railway or visit America's largest home, Biltmore - all easily found within one hour or less of Franklin, NC.

The Blue Ridge Parkway at 469 miles long is the nation's longest scenic rural parkway. Now 70 years old it is administered by the National Park Service and host to approximately 20 million visits annually. It connects the Shenandoah Valley National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the route are opportunities for lodging, dining, camping, hiking and simply enjoying breathtaking views from easily accessible overlooks and picnic areas. For additional information visit :The Blueridge Parkway Association

The River Arts District is open year around with the opportunity to meet artists in their studios. Schedules are available online. This unique area along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings. The artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the time-worn factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.

Chimney Rock Park is named for a 500 million-year-old giant granite monolith overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge. Visitors are awed by the breathtaking view that spreads 1200 vertical feet beneath them and 75 miles across the Carolinas. The now state owned park encompasses 1,000 acres offers the best of the mountains in one place with spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney Rock NC

The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.

Tsali Recreation Area is an outdoors lover's paradise. Probably the most popular features of Tsali Recreation Area are the 39 miles of trails suited for mountain bikers and horse-back riders, as well as hikers. The 4-loop system offers a variety of landscapes. You can climb 1-foot wide rugged paths or travel flat, well-beaten roads. The four trails--Right, Left, Mouse Branch, and Thompson Loops--meander through mixed pine and hardwoods on a peninsula stretching into Fontana Lake. Near Bryson City NC and Robbinsville NC.