Labor Day Weekend, Fly a Kite!

Coming up Labor Day Weekend? Looking for something fun? Make a trip to Beech Mountain and experience the Mile-High Kite Festival. Children of all ages are able to fly a kite 1 mile above sea level, and watch demonstrations from kite clubs all around the area. Face-painting and crafts, the event is fun for all ages, as the kite clubs will also hold a workshop focused on the building of kites.

The first 200 kids will be given kites to fly but participants are encouraged to bring their own. You'll also be able to buy ones in all colors and shapes from local vendors. Join them on Beech Mountain Sunday, September 2th between 9:00am - 4:00pm in the meadows on the top of Beech next to the Brick Over Pizzeria. For fun after the festival, check out the street dance from 7:00pm - 9:00pm, full of music and fun!

For more information, contact the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce at (800)-468-5506.

09/01/07. A Day in Appalachian's History

As Boone has become a bit of a college town, you'll feel the pride of ASU in the Appalachian Mountaineers Football team. For the past few decades, the team was a joke to the NCAA, always a warm-up opponent. Though, in 2007, the Mountaineers took a leap, which is now considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of American sports. 

September 1, 2007, Appalachian was scheduled to play the No. 5 ranked Michigan Wolverines. The game was played in Ann Arbor, MI, and was expected to be, once again, a warm-up game for the Big Ten team. Down the first quarter, most fans believed the expected would happen, but the game took a turn. By the fourth, with 1:37 left to go, Michigan up 32-31, things started to become tense. Quarterback Armanti Edwards led them on a 69-yard drive, without a timeout, that ended in a 24-yard field goal that gave the Mountaineers a 34–32 lead with 27 seconds left.Though Michigan tried for field goal with 6 seconds left, safety player Corey Lynch blocked the kick, leaving the Appalachian Mountaineers with a win. 

Because of this game, ASU has grown drastically, and is now a more prestigious public university in North Carolina.

5th Annual High Country Beer Fest

It's that time of the year! More than 50 breweries will be gathering at the Broyhill Center in Boone on Saturday, September 1st. Named one of the top 10 summer beer festivals by RoadTripsForBeer, the High Country Beer Fest really is an event to attend.

The event won't only have over 100 different beer tastings, it  also runs seminars on cheese pairing, pizza pairing, and chocolate pairing. There will be food tastings from local restaurants, and two different bands will be playing. You'll even receive a beer tasting glass to take home!

Tickets for the festival are $35, $10 for designated drivers. ID's will be checked at the door, as no one under 21 will be allowed through the gates (children 12 years or under may join their parents). Join them from 3 pm to 7 pm, and find directions on their website: High Country Beer Fest

First Friday's in the High Country

As most towns have First Friday activities, we do it a little bit differently up here. Each First Friday in Downtown Boone you'll find a popular Art Crawl. Advocates have been promoting a thriving arts community for years and care deeply about investing the area’s future; public art is an excellent avenue to emphasize our civic pride and unique culture. Event hours are typically from 5pm to 2am with galleries and shops open until 7:30pm, restaurants and bars open until 10pm or 2am and two late-night galleries, open on Art Crawl nights only, from 7pm to 12am. Also, check out Art Crawl Presents… a music event featuring one of our great local bands, from 10pm to 2am, at a new downtown location each month. Art Crawl: Food, Music, Shopping, Art & Spirits. Find yourself at the Jones House, and enjoy some music native to the High Country!

Next one is August 3rd, definitely worth the time!

Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain, one of the High Country's biggest attractions, is still in it's peak season. A paved road leads to one of mountain's several peaks (Linville Peak), and there visitors will find a museum, the famous "mile-high swinging bridge", and views of up to 100 miles (160 km) - on a clear day, it is possible to see the city skyline of Charlotte. The view also overlooks the Grandfather Mountain Golf and Country Club, which lies at the base of Grandfather Mountain. It has two 18-hole golf courses, one championship and one executive, each designed by Ellis Maples. The championship course is consistently ranked as the finest mountain course in the Carolinas.

Until 2008, Grandfather Mountain was privately owned and operated as a nature preserve and tourist attraction. It was and still is best known for its mile-high swinging bridge, the highest in America, built in 1952 by Hugh Morton. The bridge links two of the mountain's rocky peaks, and is known as the "swinging" bridge due to its tendency to sway in high winds. Morton inherited the mountain from his grandfather and developed the tourist attractions. He died on June 1, 2006 at the age of 85. After Morton's death, he donated all of his photographs, including many of Grandfather Mountain, Mildred the Bear, and many other aspects of life on the Mountain to Chapel Hill.

Grandfather Mountain really is a site to see. Make your way up there before it turns cold!

Linn Cove Viaduct

The Blue Ridge Parkway leads to many exciting outdoor adventures in the Appalachian region, and we're lucky enough to host one of the most interesting parts of it, the Linn Cove Viaduct.

As the Parkway was being constructed, there was a 7.5 mile section left to be completed. Because this distance between Blowing Rock and Linville included building around Grandfather Mountain, extra time had to be taken to come up with a plan that wouldn't hurt environment. The usual construction of mountain roads would leave Grandfather susceptible to rock slides, so a new bridge structure would need to be built. In 1979 construction started, as the bridge would take 153 segments, each weighing 50 tons.

After building for three years, the bridge was completed. It cost $9.8 million in total, but has won 12 national design awards and is the most popular section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

To find the viaduct, head onto the parkway towards milepost 304.6. Also, there are trails underneath the viaduct that should how truly amazing the structure is.