May 2012 Events in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

May 3

  • The Critter Crawl, Grandfather Mountain in Linville, NC. This brand new 5K race starts in MacRae Meadows and ends at the top of Grandfather.  Proceeds benefit the Mountain's eagle habitat renovation fund.  Online registration begins March 1. $30 race entry fee. 800-468-7325.
  • Flat Rock Playhouse presents Sid Caesar's Our Show of Shows, Flat Rock, NC. Runs through May 20. Some of the greatest comedy skits ever written brings the classic television series to life in this all-new stage production. Wed-Sat 8 pm, Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun 2 pm. 828-693-0731 or 866-732-8008.
  • Thursday Jam: Old-Time Music Heritage Hall, EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 7 - 8:30 pm. Year round, free. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Bluegrass Music Jam every Thursday night at The Marion Depot, Marion. 7 pm. 
  • Live music at Zuma's, Main Street, Downtown Marshall. 828-649-1647.

May 4

  • 15th French Broad River Festival, Hot Springs, NC. Runs through May 6th. The festival, a benefit for American Whitewater, The Mountain Area Child & Family Center and Hot Springs Community Learning Center, is located just 35 minutes north of Asheville at the beautiful Hot Springs Campground and Spa. Come spend the weekend with family and friends listening to the sounds of Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, The Gourds, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Sol Driven Train, Balsam Range, Eyes of the Elders and loads of other great regional and national recording artists. Come on out for a weekend of fun, family, art, music and adventure! Tickets.
  • 23rd Annual Asheville Spring Herb Festival, WNC Farmers Market, Asheville, NC. Runs through May 6th. The Asheville Herb Festival has increased the public’s knowledge and love of herbs and herbal products for two decades. Offers by far the best selection of herb plants in the southeast. 828-301-8968.
  • Pickin' Up the Pace,Lake Toxaway Community Center, Lake Toxaway, NC. A short ride out of Brevard and a suggested eight dollar donation buys you dinner, music, dancing and a part of a cultural tradition that dates back almost as far as the old mountain ballad the fiddler loves to play. Dinner: 6-7 PM/Music: 7-10 PM. 828-966-4060.
  • Old Fort Mountain Music. 7 pm; Rockett Building, Main Street in downtown Old Fort. 888-233-6111.

May 5

  • MAYFEST in historic downtown Rutherfordton, NC 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Celebrating Cultural Heritage with demonstrations in creativity with glass, fiber, clay, glass, paint by the Rutherford County Visual Artist Guild, storytelling with BRNHA Traditional Artist Dorothy Lane, and the Rutherford Quilt Guild Show. 
  • Chasing the Dragon Hillclimb, Main Street, Robbinsville, NC. Runs through May 6th. Come "Catch the thrill of hill climb racing!" Free Event Open to the public. See the cars, meet the drivers. The hill climb will take place at Maple Springs Road (near Joyce Kilmer Loop). 828-479-3790.
  • Summer Music in Flat Rock: Terry Wetton, Flat Rock, NC. The concert will be held on Little Rainbow Row's back deck (behind the coloful shops, corner of Greenville Highway and West Blue Ridge Road). This is a casual, family oriented, bring-your-lawn-chair, outdoor event, weather permitting.  6 to 8PM. 828-697-7719.
  • 8th Annual Shine to Wine Festival, Downtown North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, NC. Features some of the region's finest wineries and vineyards. This year's festival will again highlight our area's best food, music, and art, and of course wine! Noon until 6PM. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of. (336)-667-4875.
  • Saturday Jam: EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 9 - 11 am. Year round. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Merry-Go-Round:  EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 11 am -1:30 pm.  WPAQ hosts the second longest running live radio broadcast in the nation, different guests each week. Year round. Surry Arts Council. 336-786-7998.
  • Old-Time Dance with the Slate Mountain Ramblers:  Old-Time Music Heritage Hall,  EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 7-8:30 pm. Year round, $5 for adults, children 12 & under free. Surry Arts Council,336-786-7998.
  • Davidson's Fort Historic Park, Old Fort. Open to the public Saturdays from 10 am -4 pm. A replica is being constructed of the original Revolutionary War-era fort built in 1776. 
  • Saluda Mountain Jamboree. Live music and dancing, Saluda, NC. www.saludamountainjamboree.com, 828-749-3676.
  • Wicked Plants The Exhibit, The N.C. Arboretum,located next to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance at Milepost 393, in the Baker Exhibit Center, opens May 5th and runs through September 3rd from 9am to 5pm with free admission. The exhibit is based on Stewart’s book Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln’s Mother and other Botanical Atrocities. Parking will be $8 per personal vehical. For more information call (828) 665-2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org.

May 10

  • Flat Rock Playhouse Music On the Rock series featuring the music of Abba Returns, Downtown Theatre, Henderwsonville, NC. Runs through May 13. 828-693-0731 or 866-732-8008.
  • Thursday Jam: Old-Time Music Heritage Hall, EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 7 - 8:30 pm. Year round, free. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Bluegrass Music Jam every Thursday night at The Marion Depot, Marion. 7 pm.
  • Live music at Zuma's, Main Street, Downtown Marshall. 828-649-1647.

May 11

  • Art in Bloom: A Celebration of Artful Gardens, Tryon Fine Arts Center, Tryon, NC. Runs through May 13th. 828-859-8322.
  • Grandfather Mountain Naturalist Weekend, Grandfather Mountain, Linville, NC. Runs through May 13th. Join us for a weekend filled with guided hikes and special presentations on the nature of Grandfather Mountain. Cost included with park admission. $18/adult and $8/child ages 4-12. 800-468-7325.
  • Pickin' Up the Pace, Lake Toxaway Community Center, Lake Toxaway, NC. A short ride out of Brevard and a suggested eight dollar donation buys you dinner, music, dancing and a part of a cultural tradition that dates back almost as far as the old mountain ballad the fiddler loves to play. Dinner: 6-7 PM/Music: 7-10 PM. 828-966-4060.
  • Teada Irish orchestra performance, with special guest Seamus Begley, Diana Wortham Theater, Asheville. 8 pm.
  • Old Fort Mountain Music. 7:00pm; Rockett Building, Main Street in downtown Old Fort. 888-233-6111.

May 12

  • Beaumont Garden Feature, Tryon Fine Arts Center, Tryon, NC. Pan holds court with the Blue Ridge background in the diverse Beaumont Garden, one of the five featured private gardens on the Art in Bloom Garden Tour.  Tickets are available at various locations.  Please call or email Tryon Fine Arts Center for more information - 828-859-8322 or info@tryonarts.org.
  • “Off the Beaten Path” Guided Hike: Spring Wildflower Walk, Chimney Rock Park, Chimney Rock, NC. Celebrate Mother’s Day surrounded by blooming wildflowers on a beautiful spring hike. Be prepared to walk up to three miles with frequent stops to study in detail some of the Park’s 700+ species of known plants. 1-3PM. $19 for adults, $3 for annual passholders, $10 for youth (ages 6-15), $2 for Grady's Kids Club Members. Cost includes Park admission for the day. Register. 828-625-9611
  • International Migratory Bird Day Celebration, Cradle of Forestry in America, Pisgah National Forest, NC. The spring forests and fields are alive with song as migratory birds arrive from their tropical winter homes to summer habitats in our mountains. Join the Cradle of Forestry in honoring this amazing annual phenomenon of nature. 9Am to 5PM. Admission is $5 for ages 16 and up, free for youth and America the Beautiful and Golden Age pass holders. 828-877-3130.
  • Fiber Day, Folk Art Center on Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. 10 am - 4 pm. Fiber artists from the Southern Highland Craft Guild and other area guilds provide hands-on learning about a myriad of fiber crafts. Many uses of fiber are explored. Sheep shearing demonstrations are featured throughout the day.
  • Saturday Jam:  EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 9 - 11 am. Year round. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Merry-Go-Round: EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 11 am -1:30 pm. WPAQ hosts the second longest running live radio broadcast in the nation, different guests each week. Year round. Surry Arts Council. 336-786-7998.
  • Davidson's Fort Historic Park,Old Fort. Open to the public Saturdays from 10 am - 4 pm. A replica is being constructed of the original Revolutionary War-era fort built in
    1776. 
  • Saluda Mountain Jamboree. Live music and dancing, Saluda, NC.828-749-3676.

May 13

  • Handmade Wearables Fashion Show, Folk Art Center on Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville. 1 and 3 pm. A fashion show featuring clothing and accessories designed and hand made by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and other invited guest participants.

May 16

  • The Local, Sustainable Approach to Textile Manufacturing, Daniel Sanders. Textile Study Group, HandMade in America, 5:30 pm.  Join this group and explore information and history of various forms of textiles. jjetson@handmadeinamerica.org or call 828-252-0121, ext 304.

May 17

  • Flat Rock Playhouse
    presents the musical comedy Nunsense, Downtown Theatre, Hendersonville,
    NC. Wed-Sat 8 pm, Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun 2 pm. 828-693-0731 or
    866-732-8008.
  • Thursday Jam: Old-Time Music Heritage Hall, EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 7 - 8:30 pm. Year round, free. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Bluegrass Music Jam every Thursday night at The Marion Depot, Marion. 7 pm. 
  • Live music at Zuma's, Main Street, Downtown Marshall. 828-649-1647.

May 18

  • Pickin' Up the Pace, Lake Toxaway Community Center, Lake Toxaway, NC. A short ride out of Brevard and a suggested eight dollar donation buys you dinner, music, dancing and a part of a cultural tradition that dates back almost as far as the old mountain ballad the fiddler loves to play. Dinner: 6-7 PM/Music: 7-10 PM. 828-966-4060.
  • Old Fort Mountain Music. 7 pm; Rockett Building, Main Street in downtown Old Fort. 888-233-6111..
  • Valdese Free Summer Concert Series featuring Nostalgia, Wells Fargo Parking Lot, Valdese, NC, 7PM. The Nostalgia Band generates energy and excitement  everywhere they perform.
  • Women in the Arts Movie Marathon! Friday, May 18, 7:30 p.m. at Blakc Mountain College Museum and Arts Center, 56 Broadway, FREE for members & students w/ID, and $5 non-members. For more information visit www.blackmountaincollege.org.

May 19

  • Crafty Historian: All Tied Up, Smith-McDowell House, Asheville, NC. Children's hands-on event illustrating the variety of uses of string, rope and yarn. Age approriate for age 7 and up. 10:30AM to 12:30PM. Admission is $5. 828-253-9231.
  • 9th Annual Saluda Arts Festival, Historic Main Street, Saluda, NC. The quaint Mountain Village of Saluda celebrates its heritage and arts culture. Visitors will see and may purchase a dazzling diversity of art media along with music representing Americana, blues, folk and contemporary. 10AM to 4PM. (828) 749-3676.
  • 11th Annual Yadkin Valley Wine Festival ®, Elkin Municipal Park, Elkin, North Carolina. Come taste the wines of the Yadkin Valley!  Craft vendor displays and music will take place adjacent to the wine tasting area. There will be a roving Bacchus and activities for the youngsters. 11:00AM to 6:00PM.  (336)-526-1111. Tickets.
  • 9th Annual Montford Music and Arts Festival, Historic Montford, Asheville, NC. Two stages with live music on Montford and Soco streets playing from 10AM-7PM along with one hundred vendors of arts and crafts, plants, great food and children activities. Come enjoy the largest one day music and arts festival in Western North Carolina! 828-777-1014.
  • Saturday Jam:  EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 9 - 11 am. Year round. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Merry-Go-Round: EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 11 am -1:30 pm. WPAQ hosts the second longest running live radio broadcast in the nation, different guests each week. Year round. Surry Arts Council. 336-786-7998.
  • Davidson's Fort Historic Park, Old Fort. Open to the public Saturdays from 10 am -4 pm. A replica is being constructed of the original Revolutionary War-era fort built in
    1776. 
  • Saluda Mountain Jamboree. Live music and dancing, Saluda, NC.  828-749-3676.
  • Voice of the Blue Ridge: Every 3rd Saturday, 7:30 - 9 pm, EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. Carolina Travelers host an evening of Bluegrass/Old-Time Music with a different guest band each month. Year round, $7 for adults, children 12 & under free. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Saluda Art Festival will be held in Saluda, N.C., from 10 AM to 5 PM. For more information visit http://www.saluda.com/events.html.
  • Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society Exhibition, N.C. Arboretum, located next to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance at Milepost 393, starting May 19th and running through May 20th from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Throughout the exhibition there will be a number of programs that will be interesting to check out. The exhibition is free for Arboretum Society members or with the standard parking fee ($8 per personal motor vehicle). For more information, call (828) 665-2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org.
  • Glass Making Workshop,  Asheville Art Museum located in the River Arts District. From 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. participants will learn hands-on glass techniques from renowned glass artist Rob Levin. Early registration is recommended by May 11. The program cost is $250 for Museum Members and $300 for non-Members; call 828.253.3227 to register. For more information visit http://www.ashevilleart.org/.
  • Gorges Gratitute Day, Gorges State Park, 10AM to 6PM. A free, all day festival in the heart of one of Western North Carolina's most magnificent state parks, this event features special presentations on topics ranging from falconry to folklore, live music, hayrides and the chance to explore a truly unforgettable location.
  • The Cardinal Cruise-In, at the Cardinal Drive-In 344 South Street, Brevard, NC, from 5PM to 9PM. Classic cars of various stripes, door prizes and live  music may lure you in, but you'll want to stay for the killer cheeseburgers. For more information visit http://www.visitwaterfalls.com/calendar/cardinal-cruise-in-2011.
  • Gorges Road and Trail Runs, Gorges State Park, 9AM. This first-time event offers racers a rare opportunity to see the sights on 2.5 and 4.5-mile runs into the future of Gorges. Register early so you can be one of the 100 runners and walkers to see the sights.For more information and registration visit http://www.active.com/running/sapphire-nc/gorges-road-and-trail-run-45-mile-and-25-mile-options-2012.
  • Women in the Arts Movie Marathon! Sat., May 19, 10:00-Noon, 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m. at 67 Broadway, the Lark Books parking deck, FREE for everyone! For more information visit www.blackmountaincollege.org.

May 20

  • Heritage Comes Home, special fundraising concert, Moore Auditorium, Mars Hill College, co-sponsored by the college's Ramsey Center and the Madison County Arts Council. 7 pm.  Musician Bryan Sutton, a native of the region, brings his Nashville friends home to celebrate our local music heritage, specifically Bascom Lamar Lunsford's contributions and collecting.  The band will include Bryan, Tim O'Brien, Casey Driessen, Jerry Douglas and Dennis Crouch performing together for the first time as a band.  The proceeds from the concert will be used to help the Ramsey Center meet a matching grant they received from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Patron tickets are $100; general admission is $30.  The Ramsey Center is home to Lunsford's archives.

May 24

  • The Teetotallers, featuring Asheville's John Doyle, with Martin Hayes and Kevin Crawford, performing in the Diana Wortham Theater's Celtic Series. Asheville. 8 pm.
  • Thursday Jam: Old-Time Music Heritage Hall, EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 7 - 8:30 pm.. Year round, free. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Bluegrass Music Jam every Thursday night at The Marion Depot, Marion. 7 pm. 
  • Live music at Zuma's, Main Street, Downtown Marshall. 828-649-1647.

May 25

  • Concerts on the Creek Summer Music Series: The Sundown Band, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Sylva, NC. Bridge Park Pavilion beside Scott Creek. 7:30-9:30PM. This event is FREE. (800)-962-1911.
  • Shinefest 2012, Fontana Village Resort, Fontana Dam, NC. Runs through May 26th. Join Country music recording artist Matt Stillwell & Friends this Memorial Day Weekend for the best Shinefest yet. Tickets on sale now. 828-498-2211.
  • Pickin' Up the Pace, Lake Toxaway Community Center, Lake Toxaway, NC. A short ride out of Brevard and a suggested eight dollar donation buys you dinner, music, dancing and a part of a cultural tradition that dates back almost as far as the old mountain ballad the fiddler loves to play. Dinner: 6-7 PM/Music: 7-10 PM. 828-966-4060.
  • Old Fort Mountain Music. 7 pm; Rockett Building, Main Street in downtown Old Fort. 888-233-6111.
  • The Bryson City Heritage Festival will be held in Bryson City, N.C. starting May 25th and running through May 26th.
  • One Dozen Who Care Art Show, 65 Wilson Street, Andrews, N.C., from 4PM to 7PM. This show will be featuring French artist Gilberte Gallet. There will be
    light refreshments available as well as some of her beautiful artwork for sale. For more information visit http://odwc.org/.
  • Valdese Free Summer Concert Series featuring The Moore Brothers, Wells Fargo Parking Lot, Valdese, NC, 7PM. The Moore Brothershave been on the road performing across the southeast since 2008.For more information abuot the band visit http://moorebrothersband.com/.

May 26

  • Leatherwood Remembers: A Memorial Day Celebration, Leatherwood Mountains, Ferguson, NC. Enjoy a day of music, food and fun. Military discount (-10%) for US veterans and military servicepersons on guided trail rides, stalls & camping all weekend (26th-28th). Call to make reservations. POA Pot Luck Supper…bring a dish to share. 336-973-5044.
  • 19th Annual Garden Jubilee Festival, Historic Downtown Hendersonville, NC. Runs through May 27. 10 am - 6 pm. Over 200 vendors selling thousands of plants, arts & crafts, lawn/garden accessories. Garden talks & experts, children's hands-on clinic & food. 828-693-9708 or 800-828-4244
  • Saturday Jam:  EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 9 - 11 am. Year round. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Merry-Go-Round: EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 11 am -1:30 pm.WPAQ hosts the second longest running live radio broadcast in the nation, different guests each week. Year round. Surry Arts Council. 336-786-7998.
  • Davidson's Fort Historic Park, Old Fort. Open to the public Saturdays from 10 am -4 pm. A replica is being constructed of the original Revolutionary War-era fort built in 1776. 
  • Saluda Mountain Jamboree. Live music and dancing, Saluda, NC.  828-749-3676.
  • Educational Farm Tour, Earthperks Organic Farm & Garden Supply 975 Poors Ford Rd Rutherfordton, NC 28139, 9AM to 11AM. During this free seminar learn about organic growing methods for the home garden and have to opportunity to ask questions about organic pest control and how to solve other common garden ailments. Reservations are required. Please R.S.V.P. by emailing earthperks@gmail.com or by calling Earthperks at (828)287-7730.
  • White Squirrel Festival, Downtown Brevard, this two-day event combines a rocking street festival, a box car derby, a couple of running races, and other opportunities to get creative on a theme of white squirrels. For more information and the entire line up visit http://whitesquirrelfestival.com/.

May 27

May 28

  • Sandburg Folk Music Festival, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Flat Rock, NC. An annual event to honor Carl Sandburg's contribution to America's written history through his collection of folk music found in The American Songbag, with live entertainment that will include instrumentals, folk ballads & spiritual songs. 11 am - 4 pm. Free. 828-693-4178.

May 31

  • Thursday Jam: Old-Time Music Heritage Hall, EARLE Theatre, 142 N Main Street, Mount Airy, NC. 7 - 8:30 pm. Year round, free. Surry Arts Council, 336-786-7998.
  • Bluegrass Music Jam every Thursday night at The Marion Depot, Marion. 7 pm. www.mcdowellnc.org.
  • Live music at Zuma's, Main Street, Downtown Marshall. 828-649-1647.

See June Events