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The countries of Folkmoot USA
 

The countries of Folkmoot USA

Japan: Quichar Paradise The name Quichar Paradise means “Be Happy Anytime.” This performing group is from Tokyo, Japan, but represent dance…
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Tapping into Folkmoot
 

Tapping into Folkmoot

Folkmoot is a Western North Carolina tradition, and this year, the festival is tapping into the growing craft beer industry…
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Cherokee festival honors tribal music, dance and culture from around the Americas
 

Cherokee festival honors tribal music, dance and culture from around the Americas

Known as the finest showcase of native traditions, the ninth annual Festival of Native Peoples will take place July 12-13…
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Cullowhee Mountain ARTS offers mini-workshops
 

Cullowhee Mountain ARTS offers mini-workshops

Two artist-in-residence mini-workshops will be offered as part of the Cullowhee Mountain ARTS programs at Western Carolina University.
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‘Unto These Hills’ opens in Cherokee
 

‘Unto These Hills’ opens in Cherokee

Showcasing the dramatic retelling of Cherokee history and culture, “Unto These Hills” has hit the mid-point in its 10-week summer…
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Mountain Momma
 

Mountain Momma

Ever since we splurged on a $2.99 plastic magician’s wand at Santa’s Land last year, my daughter has treated us…
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Claymates celebrates one year in business
 

Claymates celebrates one year in business

Claymates, a “Paint-Your-Own-Pottery & Glass Fusing Experience,” is celebrating its one-year anniversary from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 13,…
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Hula-hoop jam for kids and teens in Bryson
 

Hula-hoop jam for kids and teens in Bryson

Two hula-hoop jams will be held at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, at Marianna Black Library in…
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Rained out fireworks rescheduled
 

Rained out fireworks rescheduled

Due to record-breaking rainfall throughout Western North Carolina, Cashiers, Dillsboro and Highlands Fourth of July fireworks were canceled and moved…
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Chamber music comes to Waynesville
 

Chamber music comes to Waynesville

The 19th annual Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival continues at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 14, at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

It’s the question I get asked the most. “Is there any music around tonight?”
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Finding inspiration in Appalachia
 

Finding inspiration in Appalachia

Standing in an empty field, Martin Cook has a vision.  Founder of the renowned Western North Carolina gospel group The Inspirations,…
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Cathey memoir on life, metal sculpture
 

Cathey memoir on life, metal sculpture

Metal sculptor Grace Cathey will hold a signing for her book, Fire & Steel: The Sculpture of Grace Cathey, from…
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Dunham brings comedy to Cherokee
 

Dunham brings comedy to Cherokee

Acclaimed comedian Jeff Dunham will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
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Bascom benefit features floral design, garden tours, photography
 

Bascom benefit features floral design, garden tours, photography

The “Mountains in Bloom” fundraiser for The Bascom Visual Arts Center will be July 11-14 in Highlands.
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Dulcimer conference to feature historian, progressive dulcimer virtuoso
 

Dulcimer conference to feature historian, progressive dulcimer virtuoso

A mountain dulcimer historian who discovered the instrument while living in Greenwich Village in the 1960s and a 19-year-old dulcimer…
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Mountain Momma
 

Mountain Momma

My husband is from South Carolina — the state where you don’t have to wear helmets on a motorcycle and…
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SCC quilts for returning soldiers
 

SCC quilts for returning soldiers

Quilting students from Southwestern Community College recently participated in the Quilts of Valor project, a non-profit organization with the goal…
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Spice and tea store opens in Highlands
 

Spice and tea store opens in Highlands

The Spice & Tea Exchange opens its doors this Independence Day weekend in downtown Highlands. The new retail destination is…
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Battistelli, Jars of Clay play Franklin
 

Battistelli, Jars of Clay play Franklin

Christian singer Francesca Battistelli and rock group Jars of Clay perform at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

It had been 10 years. I kept thinking those words while boarding a plane in Charlotte this past weekend, bound…
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Lake Junaluska celebrates 100 years
 

Lake Junaluska celebrates 100 years

A hundred years of history and community will come together during the Centennial Homecoming Week at Lake Junaluska Conference and…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

Getting poison ivy is my official sign summer is here. Like old men whose knees ache when there’s an impending…
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July 4th in Southern Appalachia
 

July 4th in Southern Appalachia

Nothing says summer more than the 4th of July, and in Western North Carolina, we celebrate Independence Day with gusto.
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Jazz festival heats up Waynesville
 

Jazz festival heats up Waynesville

Enjoy traditional, bop, and original jazz during the Summer Jazz Festival on Saturdays from June 29 to July 20 at…
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American Idol singer in Franklin
 

American Idol singer in Franklin

American Idol singer Lauren Alaina will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 3, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the…
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Native American speaker at Junaluska
 

Native American speaker at Junaluska

Jonathan Maracle of Broken Walls will be the guest speaker and facilitator at the Native American Conference June 28-30 at…
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Wrestling superstars in Cherokee
 

Wrestling superstars in Cherokee

Pro wrestling stars from the WWE, WCW, NWA and ECW jump into the ring at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 7,…
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Mountain momma
 

Mountain momma

As a kid, my sister and I had an unspoken pact. If one of us heard Cyndi Lauper come on…
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Balsam Range, artist studio tour in Graham
 

Balsam Range, artist studio tour in Graham

The 12th annual Graham County Artisan Drive-About will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 28-29 in conjunction…
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Earnhardt to discusses N.C. eco-heritage
 

Earnhardt to discusses N.C. eco-heritage

Tom Earnhardt, host of the television program “Exploring North Carolina,” will give a presentation highlighting the uniqueness of the state’s…
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Bear poachers sent to prison
 

Bear poachers sent to prison

A U.S. District Court judge has sentenced 10 defendants for illegal hunting activities involving black bears and other wildlife and…
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Massey Branch Boat Ramp reopened
 

Massey Branch Boat Ramp reopened

As of late May, the U.S. Forest Service has reopened the Massey Branch Boat Ramp on the Cheoah Ranger District,…
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Man injured by tree in tornado
 

Man injured by tree in tornado

An injured hiker was successfully airlifted from Low Gap Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Friday evening, June…
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Park closes trails as it assesses storm damage
 

Park closes trails as it assesses storm damage

Several trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been closed due to extensive damage from wind and rain. 
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Co-ed softball league starting in Waynesville
 

Co-ed softball league starting in Waynesville

Batter up ladies and gentlemen. The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a co-ed softball league this summer.
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A milkweed by any other name
 

A milkweed by any other name

Every year as summer approaches and the days begin to heat up, I marvel at the beautiful orange explosion that…
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Festival puts spotlight on Haywood-bred Plott hound
 

Festival puts spotlight on Haywood-bred Plott hound

This year’s PlottFest will give hound enthusiasts from the region, across the country and around the globe a chance to…
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Hear a DJ set by The Crystal Method
 

Hear a DJ set by The Crystal Method

Electronic gurus The Crystal Method will hold a special DJ set at 9 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Harrah’s Cherokee…
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PlottFest returns to Maggie Valley
 

PlottFest returns to Maggie Valley

Showcasing the Plott hound and local music, PlottFest is set for June 22-23 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. The…
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Mountain momma
 

Mountain momma

We have lots of bug barns in our house: from the old-fashioned Mason jar with holes punched in the lid…
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Handmade crafts come to Cullowhee
 

Handmade crafts come to Cullowhee

Mountain Artisans’ Summertime Arts & Crafts Show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 29-30, in the Ramsey…
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Handmade crafts come to Cullowhee
 

Handmade crafts come to Cullowhee

Mountain Artisans’ Summertime Arts & Crafts Show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 29-30, in the Ramsey…
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Francis mill receives recognition, holds open house
 

Francis mill receives recognition, holds open house

The Trantham Family will perform from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 23, at an open house for the recently…
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Billy Idol rocks Harrah’s
 

Billy Idol rocks Harrah’s

Rock-n-roll legend Billy Idol performs at 9 p.m. Friday, June 21, at Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center.
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

It was the reason I came to the South. Situated in the southeastern corner of Tennessee, the city of Chattanooga…
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In search of the sound
 

In search of the sound

In Western North Carolina, it seems the two most important things are tradition and family – and nothing incorporates those…
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This must be the place
 

This must be the place

I had never seen the color green like that before. Touching down at the Shannon Airport in southwest Ireland, the…
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Stecoah arts center receives grant
 

Stecoah arts center receives grant

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership has announced an award of $10,000 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center…
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