David Joy, the author of the new book Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman’s Journey, will hold a reading and signing at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. The event is hosted by Blue Ridge Books and Waynesville Fly Shop.

Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman’s Journey delves into David Joy’s obsession with fish. Feeling more comfortable with fish than with humans, he works to reveal why he is inherently defined by the piscine world. Topics range from environmentalism to family, from Rousseau’s “noble savage” to the ones that got away, from places that remain wild to the worn cork of rods, and from the beauty of native trout to the art of fly tying.

Not only a book about fishing but also a story of life, Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman’s Journey is the tale of one man’s venture into the wild to find understanding.

828.456.6000.

A river-sweep cleanup of the Tuckasegee starting at the new CJ Harris boat ramp in Dillsboro is set for Thursday, Sept. 22, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A rain makeup date is Tuesday, Sept. 27, at the same times.

The vast majority of the work will need to take place from boats because of the dense stream-bank growth. There will be a couple of flat-bottomed boats available, but canoeists and people willing to wade the river’s edge are needed.  

Drinks, T-shirts, tote bags and trash bags will be provided; bring gloves and waders.

Sponsored by the Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Get out your gloves and pitch in cleaning up litter from Richland Creek in Waynesville as part of the North Carolina Big Sweep.

Haywood County Big Sweep will be Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is part of a statewide one-day event to pickup litter along North Carolina’s waterways.

Haywood Community College’s students in the Natural Resources Department will lead the way along Richland Creek from the Russ Avenue bridge to Lake Junaluska. Volunteers should plan to meet at 9 a.m. in the Bi-Lo Grocery Store parking lot off Russ Avenue in Waynesville. For more information call Shannon Rabby at 828.627.4592.

Other Big Sweep opportunities and contacts:

• Jackson County is set for Oct. 1; James Jackson, Tuckaseegee Outfitters, 828.508.3377.

• Macon County also is Oct. 1; meet at Gooder Grafix on East Main Street in Franklin at 9 a.m.; Guy Gooder, 828.421.4845.

• Swain County has two Big Sweeps, on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. Nantahala River put in at 11 a.m. on Oct. 1 or shuttle from the Nantahala Outdoor Center. On Oct. 2, volunteers meet at the Swain County Administration Building at 9 a.m.; Laurie McLaren Perkins, 828.488.9735.

It requires getting a little wet, but that’s all part of the fun when the Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood County Schools hold the annual Kids in the Creek program.

The event is for Haywood County eighth graders and will be held on the Pigeon River in Canton Sept. 19, 21 and 22. Instructors focus on water quality and the issues that affect our ability to swim, fish and drink the water from our rivers and streams.

Students rotate through four stations: fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, water chemistry and the Enviroscape watershed model. The students, and their teachers, learn about water pollution and the ecological interactions occurring within a watershed.

The public is welcome to attend the event, held at the Canton Recreation Park. Two sessions are held each day, 9 a.m. to 11:10 am, and 12:00 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

This is the 14th year Haywood Waterways and Haywood County Schools have hosted Kids in the Creek. Over its history, more than 9,000 students have been through the program.

Other sponsors include the Pigeon River Fund, Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District, the towns of Canton, Clyde and Waynesville, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, Evergreen Packaging Group, Tennessee Valley Authority, Trout Unlimited (Cataloochee Chapter), University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Tenn., and Best Buy.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.haywoodwaterways.org for more information and to watch a video of Kids in the Creek.

Outdoor enthusiasts can look forward to a two-day WNC OutdoorAthlon this fall in Macon County, Oct. 8-9. Activities include a triathlon, 5k, rock-climbing wall, disc-golf clinics, paddling demos and more.

The slogan is “Live, Love, and Learn about the Mountains of North Carolina.” This family friendly event will feature free clinics for all things outdoors — from fly-fishing sessions with some of the area’s most respected guides, to kayak demos and a rock-climbing wall.

The WNC OutdoorAthlon will feature an interactive kids zone and competitive Kid’s Duathlon for little adventures, ages 6-12.

Visit www.outdorathlon.com.

Registration is open for a new half-marathon race taking place on the Cherokee Indian Reservation Saturday, Oct. 15, starting at 8 a.m. The day’s events also feature a 5k race.

Proceeds will benefit the Madison Hornbuckle Children’s Cancer Foundation, providing funding for families with children being treated for cancer.

Both races begin at the Cherokee Fairgrounds. The course traverses through downtown Cherokee and winds through some of the beautiful mountain areas of the Great Smokies during the colorful fall season. The half marathon course will pass through virtually every community in Cherokee, with one significant climb at mile six. The runners will experience Cherokee culture throughout the entire course, and fully staffed aid stations will be provided.

Registration is open at www.cherokeeharvesthalf.com. Runners will receive a long-sleeve technical running shirt, swag bag and post-race entertainment. Entry fees are $30 for the half marathon and $20 for the 5K through Sept. 30.

The event is being produced by Glory Hound Events.

Training for leaders and activists in the conservation movement will explore the deeper issues of ethics, values and the root causes of ecological issues facing society from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 21 and Sept. 28 in Sylva.

“The training aims to empower you to create similar dialogs in your towns and workplaces, getting people talking about environmental problems in deeper, more meaningful ways,” according to Rob Hawk, director of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Jackson and Swain counties.

The “Leopold Land Ethics” Program is rooted in noted conservationist’s Aldo Leopold’s own method of engaging his family and students in developing a personal land ethic — observing the natural world through scientific inquiry, participating in purposeful work on the land and reflecting on their experiences.

Held at St. John’s Episcopal Church. 828.586.4009 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Learn how to grow that lucrative cash-plant, ginseng, at home.

The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance will offer a free seminar on ginseng production for homeowners.

You’ll learn about state regulations for growing and hunting ginseng, plant physiology, present and historical, and compare Asian to American ginseng. More practically, you’ll find out about site selection and preparation, sowing, harvesting and drying the roots and seed stratification.

Seminars will be held Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. until noon at the library in Cashiers; Sept. 20 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Jackson County extension center, room 234; and Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Swain extension center (old Almond School) in room 110. 828.586.4009 or 828.488.3848.

Shutterbug alert: Balsam Mountain Trust in Sylva will hold a digital photography class Sept. 24, from 3 p.m. until sunset.

Students will learn both composition and digital “darkroom” techniques. There will be both classroom instruction and a field trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The instructors are Waynesville residents Michael Skinner and Ed Kelly, both outdoor enthusiasts and talented photographers.

You’ll need your own camera, memory card, and please do wear clothing appropriate to the season and for a field trip. Only six students or fewer will be in the class; cost is $65 each. Held at Balsam Mountain Preserve in Jackson County.

828.631.1062 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The second-annual Rooted in the Mountains symposium at Western Carolina University will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, and Friday, Oct. 21, in the Grandroom of the A.K. Hinds University Center.

The Rooted in the Mountains event was created to raise awareness of the intersection of environmental, health and indigenous issues related to mountain destruction. This year’s program includes a 6 p.m. Thursday address by Dennis Martinez, an advocate for an indigenous perspective of ecology, and music beginning at 7:30 p.m. by Sheila Kay Adams, a longtime storyteller and performer of traditional Appalachian ballads.

Cultural historian Jeff Biggers will start Friday’s session with a 9 a.m. keynote address. Biggers, a coal miner’s grandson and outspoken critic of mountaintop removal in Appalachia, is the author of nonfiction works “Reckoning at Eagle Creek,” “The United States of Appalachia” and “In the Sierra Madre.” The symposium also includes a Thursday reception, Friday lunch, academic presentations and a facilitated discussion.

Reduced-rate hotel rooms at the Sylva Inn and the Holiday Inn Express in Dillsboro and an early registration fee of $75 are available through Sunday, Sept. 25. After that, the symposium registration fee rises to $125. The symposium is free to WCU students. The Biggers address, part of WCU’s Art and Cultural Events Series, is free to all.

Lisa Lefler, the event’s organizer, said the Rooted in the Mountains symposium is for individuals interested in Native American studies, health and environmental issues.

“Those who are interested in how the continued destruction of mountain landscapes affect us should attend, as well as those who would like to learn more about the intersection of Native ways of understanding with these issues,” said Lefler, an anthropologist and director of WCU’s Culturally Based Native Health Programs. “This event is for all who are rooted in the mountains and value our common ground.”

Lefler organized the inaugural event in honor of her mother, the late Jean Nations Lefler, and her uncle, the late Dale Nations. The siblings were “saddened in their last years about what they perceived as destruction to the mountains,” Lefler said. Though only a year old, Rooted in the Mountains is quickly evolving, and three other institutions – Berea College, Appalachian State University and Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee – have expressed interest in alternately hosting it.

Lefler also organized an August event on the WCU campus intended to help sharpen the symposium’s focus. A panel of Native elders visited WCU to participate in dialogues on “Native science,” which respects the natural laws of interdependence, or phrased alternatively, a universal law of interconnectedness. Panel members encouraged those in attendance to shed their personal and career identities and their “tacit infrastructures” – beliefs so ingrained we unconsciously base our paradigms on them without questioning why – so they could examine the connection between health and the environment in new ways.

To register for the Rooted in the Mountains symposium, go online to rootedinthemtns.wcu.edu or call 828.227.7397. For additional information about Rooted in the Mountains, contact Lefler at 828.227.2164 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or contact Pamela Duncan in the WCU Department of English at 828.227.3926 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy is challenging outdoor enthusiasts to support land conservation simply by hiking. The Hiking Challenge encourages all those who enjoy the beauty of Western North Carolina’s mountains to explore and discover the breathtaking scenery of the conservancy’s preserved lands, up close and personal.

By completing eight hikes on the conserved lands, hikers can earn rewards while having fun outdoors. Hikes range from easy to moderate difficulty, and are between one and four miles in length.  

Completers of the eight hikes will earn a badge of honor: the conservation’s exclusive white squirrel embroidered hiking patch. The white squirrel represents the local wildlife oddity unique to Henderson and Transylvania counties, the conservation’s primary protection areas. Those who complete the challenge will also earn a $20 gift certificate for free hiking gear at the Hendersonville location of the Mast General Store.

Hikes may be completed at the participant’s own pace and schedule, and there is no deadline to complete the eight hikes. Challenge hikes may be completed individually or as part of monthly guided outings led by conservation staff and volunteers.

The challenge hikes include scenic locations such as the 360-degree view from the summit of Bearwallow Mountain, and the old growth forests of the conservation’s 600-acre Florence Nature Preserve. Also featured in the challenge are seven waterfalls, including the newly opened Connestee Falls Park near Brevard and three waterfalls in DuPont State Forest.

Participants have the opportunity to hike within private conservation properties otherwise not open to the public, such as the 3,100-acre Green River Preserve. www.carolinamountain.org/hikingchallenge

The Land Trust of the Little Tennessee will hold a Stewardship Workday at Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in southern Macon County on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. until noon.

This will be a general “cleanup” day. September and October will be busy months at Tessentee, with the second-annual Migration Celebration for sixth graders scheduled in late September into early October, and the annual Youth Conservation Field Day for seventh graders in scheduled in late October.

Tasks include: updating the signage at the entrance; mowing/ weedeating/ trimming along roads and trails; cleanup in and around the house and sheds; tree plantation maintenance; maintenance of blue bird boxes; and more. Drinks and snacks will be provided, and some tools, too, but please hand pruners, loppers, weedeaters possible. Please dress appropriately and safely — long pants, gloves.

828.524.2711.

As part of their popular Eco Tour Outreach Program, Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust hold two elk tours in Cataloochee Valley with a Smokies elk specialist will on Thursday, Sept. 22, and Wednesday, Sept. 28.

The event includes a picnic dinner; the Sept. 22 trip includes a “seated” presentation of the elk, the Sept. 28 trip features a walking tour.

This is “rut” season, when the male elk, or bull, competes for dominance and the right to mate with particular female elks, or cows. An important, and quite enchanting, part of the process is the bull warning call to other males, known as the “bugle.” The call, which has been described by many as eerie or haunting, provides an audible cue that fall has arrived at Cataloochee Valley.  

The cost is $10 for HCLT members and $35 for new participants, which includes an HCLT membership. Space is limited.

828.526.1111 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With fall comes hungry bears, and the B.E.A.R. Taskforce wants to help people learn to peacefully coexist with these great animals and decrease the growing number of human-bear conflicts.

“B.E.A.R. Talk …..In Your Neighborhood” will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Cashiers library.

The program will begin with a short film, “Living in Bear Country: Practical Advice on Living Responsibly in Bear Country.” Following the film, wildlife experts Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard will share information about black bears and explain actions people can take to reduce human and bear conflicts. Allison and Sherrard have been wildlife educators for more than15 years, and currently work closely with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and as volunteers for Appalachian Bear Rescue and B.E.A.R.  A question and answer session will conclude the program.

Other programs this fall include:

• Hunting and Your Property Rights, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 4. in Highlands.

• Hiking and Camping in Bear Country, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in Cashiers.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.526.9227.

Maggie Valley will play host to the Carolina Harley Davidson Dealers Fall Rally in the Valley from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sept. 16 and 17, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.

The event will feature live music, bike stunt shows and vendors. Admission is $10.

Saturday will feature a Harley-Davidson bike show with a $10 entry fee, bike games and Team Extreme Motosphere will perform a motorcycle stunt show on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, call 828.298.1683 or visit www.chdda.com.

The Gods of the Machine, an exhibit by painter John Lytle Wilson, will open with a reception at 5 p.m. on Sept. 15, in the Fine Arts Museum at Western Carolina University. An interview with the artist is scheduled for 4 p.m., with the wine and appetizer reception to start at 5 p.m.

Wilson, of Birmingham, Ala., draws inspiration in the power of images used to attract, convert and sell, from advertising and product design to museum pieces and iconography. Wilson explores issues such as consciousness, free will and mortality using animal and robot imagery rather than traditional human subjects. The show will run through Friday, Sept. 30.

Western Carolina University will offer eight weeks of blacksmithing classes from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 20 through Nov. 10 at Calerin Forge in Balsam.

Taught by David Burress, participants will learn fundamental skills in shaping iron on a traditional coal forge. The cost of the course is $375 and includes all materials with the exception of safety glasses, which participants should supply for themselves.

For more information, call 828.227.7397 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To register, visit learn.wcu.edu and select “community classes, conferences and workshops.”

Capt. Joseph E. Myers, historian for the Asheville Composite Squadron of the North Carolina Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, will be the guest speaker at the Carolina Round Table on the World Wars. The group will hold its first meeting of the fall from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, in the Killian Building at Western Carolina University.

The Carolina Round Table on the World Wars addresses various aspects of the era of the world wars of the 20th century. While it focuses primarily on the military history of the two conflicts, the group also examines political, economic, technological and social factors associated with the wars.

828.227.3908 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Haywood County Arts Council will hold registration for new students in the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at Canton Middle School. JAM instructors will be on hand to assist beginning students with their choice of instrument. Instruments are available for rental from Strains of Music in Waynesville. Classes meet on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Sept. 27.

The JAM program is designed for children in fourth grade and older who want to learn old-time mountain music. Students will be taught banjo, fiddle, guitar or mandolin. A string band class is offered to advanced students by instructor referral only. JAM instructors are Barry Benjamin, Michael Pilgrim, Robby Robertson, Travis Stuart, and Trevor Stuart.

All students in Haywood County are eligible. Students in adjoining counties may participate on a space available basis. Lessons are $90 per child for the school year and fees must be paid in advance.

828.452.0593, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.haywoodarts.org.

Mandy Barnett, a country music singer and stage actress, will perform a Tribute to Patsy Cline at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Throughout Barnett’s music career, which began at the young age of 5, she has released three albums and chartered three singles on the Billboard country charts. She received high honors from Rolling Stone magazine when her album, I’ve Got a Right to Cry, was named top country album of the year.

As a teenager, Barnett held the title role in the musical, Always … Patsy Cline, which she performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. She credits Patsy Cline as one of her greatest influences. In 2009, she reprised her role as Patsy Cline for a special 15-year anniversary performance.

Tickets are $15. For more information, call 866.273.4615 or visit greatmountainmusic.com.

The Highlands Playhouse will hold a fundraising auction at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Highlands Playhouse.

The auction will include items donated from businesses throughout Highlands and across the country.

The auction will include items such as an Orlando vacation package which includes tickets to Disney World and a Wheel of Fortune prize package including four VIP Passes to a taping of the show, a piece of the wheel signed by stars Pat Sajak and Vanna White, and a signed 8-by-10 of the stars. Theater fans will find tickets to theaters in Atlanta, Asheville and Pigeon Forge. The Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Bobcats are just a few of the sports teams that have sent memorabilia packages, including many signed items. Movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Tim Allen as well as playwright A.R. Gurney have signed memorabilia at the auction. 

Admission is free and there will be an open bar with a generous selection of wines.  

For more information or to donate items, call 828.526.2695.

Dogwood Crafters will host an English tea, with two seatings at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Jarrett House in Dillsboro.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 828.586.2248. The cost is $10. All proceeds are for Dogwood’s Building Fund.

A basket-weaving class will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Macon County Cooperative Extension Services building. Participants will construct a functional and decorative Williamsburg basket, designed after a popular basket used in Colonial times. Instructor Joanne Nolen is a skilled weaver and basket maker. No experience is needed.

A $35 fee covers all materials and instruction. Pre-register with the Macon County Arts Council by calling  828.524.7683 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The band Cullowhee will perform at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University.

The band began at WCU in 1974 and inhabit a musical genre encompassing the sounds of folk, bluegrass, country, gospel, rock and blues.

Advanced reservation is required. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and $30 for VIP table seating.

A checkpoint on the Pakistan-India border and Peruvian workers traveling by boat to an island of birds are just two of the scenes from the upcoming opening of Doxita, a film festival that began in 2008 and showcases documentaries under 40 minutes in length.

The festival starts at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, in the theater of the A.K. Hinds University Center at Western Carolina University. This year, Doxita consists of four films, each centered on a common theme of inside/outside.

The films are “Guañape Sur” (Janos Richter, Italy), about Peruvian workers who harvest soil from an island of birds; “Wagah” (Supriyo Sen, Germany), about national identity expressed daily by thousands of spectators at a flag ceremony on the border between India and Pakistan; “My Name is Sydney” (Melanie Levy, USA), about the complex inner life of a severely autistic teenage girl; and “Arsy Versy” (Miro Remo, Slovakia), a quirky portrait of a man who follows his own spirit.

The program represents a variety of documentary styles – domestic and foreign, short and longer format, serious and funny – and is designed to profile the content and artistic vision that nonfiction short films provide but that people don’t often get a chance to see.

828.227.2479 or bardoartscenter.wcu.edu.

The Haywood Community Band will present its monthly free concert at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Maggie Valley Pavilion, adjacent to the Maggie Valley Town Hall.

The concert will include a Sept. 11 anniversary tribute. Music for this concert will feature some of the great arrangements done of both classical and popular favorites.  The band will play Leroy Anderson’s Boston Pops arrangement of Seventy Six Trombones, and Greensleeves: a Fantasia based on Vaughan  Williams’ setting. Other titles include William Walton’s Crown Imperial and Gordon Jenkins’ Manhattan Tower Overture, a flashback to the music of radio dramas.  

For more information call Rhonda Wilson-Kram at 828.456.4880, or Bob Hill at 828.452.7530 or visit www.haywoodcommunityband.org.

Native American tribes the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Seminole and Cherokee return to Cherokee for a two-day event that celebrates the revitalization of their ancient traditions. The Southeast Tribes Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 16 and 17, reuniting people from the original American Indian tribes of the Southeast on the sacred ancestral ground of the Cherokees at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds.

Visitors can share in the tribes’ traditional dances, food, storytelling, stickball games, crafts demonstrations, living history encampments, a Cherokee marbles tournament, a blowgun competition and native languages. The event also includes a 5k fun run at 9 a.m. on Sept. 17 at 9 a.m. and a writers gathering Sept. 14 and 15.

Adult daily admission is $7, $3 for children 6-12 years. Children under 6 are free. Admission includes evening performances. Special group rates are available for schools on Friday. For more information, call. 828.497.3481, ext. 207, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.cherokee-nc.com.

The 380-member Western Carolina University band will perform as halftime entertainment during the Carolina Panthers regular season home opener against defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday, Sept. 18.

The game has a 1 p.m. kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

The band was selected based on its recognized showmanship and musicianship, as well as its previous experience and ability to execute a halftime performance under stringent NFL halftime guidelines, Panthers team officials said.

The WCU band received the 2009 John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Trophy, the nation’s highest award for college and university marching bands. The Pride of the Mountains enjoyed a 2011 New Year’s Day appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade and was named “best band” in the parade in an online poll conducted by KTLA-TV of Los Angeles.

A limited number of single-game tickets for the Sept. 18 game are available. For information, visit www.panthers.com.

For some adrenaline-pumping outdoor flicks, catch the Sept. 12 “Radical Reels” tour hosted by REI in Asheville, with proceeds benefiting the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

These outdoor sport films feature on-the-edge skiing, mountain biking, kayaking and more. The show gets under way at 7 p.m. at Carolina Cinemas, with tickets on sale at REI for $15 ($17 starting Sept. 11). Prizes will be given away at the screening.

This is an outgrowth of the famous Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. The Radical Reels Tour showcases nine short films that capture some of the most progressive talent in action.

Some of the films include strong language that might not be appropriate for children under 14 years old.

828.687.0918 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Smoky Mountain Jet Boats in Bryson City, which for six years has been building New Zealand style jet boats, is now expanding to build larger boats.

Smoky Mountain Jet Boats has been making a 12-passenger boat since 2006. This year, the business has expanded to include a four-person recreational model that boasts a 410 horsepower Corvette engine and two models of 24-passenger tour boats.  

Construction of the first 24-passenger boat started last week. This all aluminum jet boat is capable of traveling in four inches of water at speeds of 45 knots.

A pair of 12-passenger boats is being delivered to Gatlinburg, Tenn. Because of a very flat bottom, the boats are capable of spinning 360 degrees. Other boats, including one this week, are being sold in the international market.

Get a firsthand understanding of stream buffers by touring a demonstration trail at Monteith Farmstead Park in Dillsboro at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, just before the annual fall dinner of the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River.

There are educational signs along these trails to explain why maintaining a natural strip of land next to streams is so important for healthy mountain creeks.  

After the tour, everyone is invited to the fall dinner, which will be held at Carol’s Cabins on Mockingbird Lane. Bring a covered dish, salad or dessert. Beverages will be provided. For directions, go to www.WATRnc.org. RSVP at 828.488.8418 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The third-annual Citizens Race, a competition for amateur paddlers on a calm section of the Tuckasegee River, is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10.

Participants are timed as they paddle canoes, kayaks or stand-up paddle boards through nine slalom gales, which are plastic poles hung over the water about three feet apart, on a flat section of the river off Old Cullowhee Road. Canoes, life jackets and paddles will be provided for participants who do not have their own equipment.

Entrants may get a feel for the water and boats from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, as they practice the course.

“This event is to show that the downtown area of Cullowhee can be used for river recreation, and is a fundraiser for the planned park between the dam and the bridge,” said Maurice Phipps, a parks and recreation management professor and member of the Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor, or CuRvE. “It is designed to be a community event — a citizens race for families, individuals, kids and students.”

The race is sponsored by WCU’s Parks and Recreation Management program and Parks and Recreation Management Club and Base Camp Cullowhee. Registration is $5 per person, and registration forms (one per boat) are available at Base Camp Cullowhee.

828.227.3633 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Learn about the functions of shelters, including how animals and humans adapted to various environments, through a new exhibit at The N.C. Arboretum.

Opening September 24, Sustainable Shelter explores biodiversity, human and animal architecture, ecosystems, and energy and water conservation, all from the perspective of the “home.”  

Sustainable Shelter investigates the ways that human dwellings extract, use, and discard energy, water, and other precious natural resources.

Sustainable Shelter will be on display at arboretum through Jan. 2. The exhibition will be open to the public during regular Baker Exhibit Center hours, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. Exhibit admission is in addition to the standard parking fee ($8 per personal vehicle), and is $3 for adults and $2 for students age 18 and under.

828.665.2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org.

Western North Carolina’s lackluster economy could get a significant boost from leaf lookers this year, if the annual prediction is right and we enjoy an excellent fall color show.

Kathy Mathews, who serves as the region’s and Western Carolina University’s fall foliage forecaster, said weather conditions over the spring and summer bode well for the critical autumn period.

“2011 should prove to be an excellent year for fall color,” said Mathews, a WCU associate professor of biology specializing in plant systematics. “While heavy spring rain is generally not a good sign for fall color, records indicate that rainfall was slightly below normal for March, average for April and May, and slightly below normal for June and July, as gardeners struggled to keep their crops watered,” she said. “These conditions actually are promising for good development of leaf color in September and October.”

In addition, mid-August brought a respite from the hot temperatures of June and July, another good sign of vibrant leaf color during autumn, she said.

Mathews believes that the formation of higher levels of yellow, orange and red pigments in the leaves seems to correlate with dry weather throughout the year. The drier the climate, the more brilliant the fall leaves tend to be, she said.

Of course, when it comes to forecasting the vibrancy of the fall color season, just as with forecasting the weather, there are no guarantees. Cloud cover and ample rainfall in the weeks ahead could mute the color show, Mathews said

“Anyone remembering the last two years may have noticed a shortage of brilliant red leaves in our area, which could be blamed on cloudy weather and rain during the fall,” she said. “Hurricane season also can be hard to predict as far as bringing rain to the mountains, but if we see cool and sunny weather, we can expect nice red color to develop this year.”

Cooler temperatures of autumn contribute to the decomposition of chlorophyll, the chemical that gives leaves their green color in spring and summer. As chlorophyll breaks down, yellow pigments – always present in the leaves, but masked by the green of chlorophyll – are revealed, and new red pigments are produced

Depending upon the timing of the first frost, the peak of fall color should arrive during the second week of October in the higher elevations, and during the third week of October in the mid-elevations, Mathews said.

“Early November can bring surprising bursts of color, too, particularly between 2,500 and 3,000 feet as the oaks peak out in oranges and reds while other trees’ colors are lingering,” she said. “Those planning leaf-peeping vacations should have a fairly broad window of time in which to choose for viewing excellent color change in the mountains this year.”

The color change should begin at the higher mountain elevations in late September and continue through mid-November in the lower levels of WNC.

“Look for the earliest color change to take place on the sourwoods and dogwoods, which both turn red, as well as the tulip poplars, which become yellow but tend to turn brown early,” Mathews said. “Colorful maples, with hues of red, orange and yellow, and birches, which turn yellow, bring us into the peak period. Finally, oaks turn orange and red to round out the later color change in the season.”

Sweet birches and tulip poplars already are starting to turn yellow in the mid-elevations around Cullowhee, which is a normal occurrence for this time of year, she said.

“Over the month of September, the color change should continue and spread. Expect buckeyes to give pops of orange early, as well. Maples will add more yellow, oranges and reds as they gradually change in late September, and sourwoods should turn a beautiful, deep red,” Mathews said.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate National Public Lands Day by hosting several volunteer projects Saturday, Sept. 24, in a unified effort with many public lands across the country.  

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands that Americans enjoy. Those interested in participating at the Smokies will have a chance to work on a trail rehabilitation or a native meadows restoration project.

• The Trails Forever program – a partnership between the national park and Friends of the Smokies – will be hosting a Forney Ridge Trail project. Adult volunteers (18 years old or older) can work with the park trail crew to reconstruct a section of this popular trail. The work will include collecting, moving, breaking and setting rock as well as naturalizing some sections where work has already been completed. To RSVP, contact Trails and Facilities Volunteer Coordinator, Christine Hoyer at 828.497.1949 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• Park resource managers also are recruiting for volunteers to help restore native meadows in Cades Cove. Remnant stands of native Indian Grass remain scattered throughout the cove. Volunteers can help the park collect seed from this native grass that provides outstanding wildlife cover and nourishment for a variety of wildlife including ground nesting birds, small mammals, turkeys, and deer. To RSVP to contact Volunteer Coordinator Dana Soehn at 865.436.1265 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Pinnacle Park Foundation, the Jackson County Greenways Project and the town of Sylva will hold a volunteer workday at Pinnacle Park beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept.16.

Tasks include bridge installation and trail repair and construction. Pinnacle Park, the town’s 1,088-acre former watershed, has been permanently protected under a conservation easement and offers hiking and limited camping to visitors.

Volunteers with experience in masonry, trail building and construction are especially welcome to participate! Participants should plan to bring a lunch and water and to wear sturdy clothing and shoes, and to meet at the Fisher Creek trailhead no later than 10 a.m.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.586.2719.

The Green Thumb Gardeners in Haywood County has received a state grant that will enable the group to expand its community garden.

The funding is through Nourishing North Carolina, a statewide community garden program making local, healthy food more accessible to people across the state. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina launched the program in partnership with the North Carolina Recreation and Park Association to create or enhance community gardens in all 100 North Carolina counties over the next three years.

Town of Waynesville employees and others began brainstorming, and Daydreamz decided to sponsor the community garden. Since that time, the project has become one that also benefits Kids at Work. The group uses some of the herbs and vegetables for its youth cooking program, the Open Door Soup Kitchen, and the Waynesville Parks and Recreation Summer Youth Program.

Other folks who come regularly to learn and grow together in the garden are local ARC group home residents, Meridian Behavioral Health Services participants, as well as Daydreamz volunteers and members of the Master Gardeners program. Anyone is welcome.

828.456.6629

With September’s arrival, many different species of hawks are winging their way south across the Blue Ridge Parkway, making for a great opportunity to work on identification techniques.

To this end, on Saturday at Waterrock Knob Visitor Center (M.P. 451.2) from 1:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., there will be a program on raptors: where they come from, where they’re going and how they get there.

Binoculars are available, or bring your own. Tips will be given on how to properly use them when hawks are in full flight. Additionally, experts will provide information on hawk counts, and where the best areas on the parkway are for spotting these grand birds as they migrate.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.456.9530, Ext 3.

One of the South’s most-recognized horticulturist names is headlining the 12th annual Native Plant Symposium held Sept. 16-17 at the Highlands Performing Arts Center.

Michael Dirr, author of the Manual of Woody Landscape Plants and a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, is one of the speakers.

There’s also a list of 10 fieldtrips to choose from, ranging from a tea party in the Highlands Botanical Garden to a tour of the Southern Highlands Reserve, plus several guided hikes. Woody plants are this year’s focus at this annual event by the Highlands Biological Foundation.

The symposium concludes with a wine reception and native plant auction.

All of the proceeds raised go to support the Highlands Botanical Garden, which was established in 1962 as a refuge for more than 450 species of southern Appalachian plants. Seating is limited to 200; early registration is encouraged.   www.wcu.edu/hbs/NPSymp.htm to register online and download a brochure, or 828.526.2221.

Hikers can learn how to use proper dehydration techniques to make their own trail and backpacking foods at the monthly meeting of the Nantahala Hiking Club, set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, at the Macon County Public Library.

Participants will learn to build up a shelf-stable food supply unaffected by power outages; how to make trail food; and basic dehydration techniques. The demonstration will focus on fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, ready-mixes, one-pot-meals, storage, various dehydrators and resources.

Free. 828.369.1951 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

It’s not everyday you get to have afternoon tea with llamas, those unusual but valuable pack animals that are showing up frequently now on our trails. The Cradle of Forestry in America will offer Afternoon Tea with Llamas at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10.

The program allows kids of all ages the chance to learn about these animal companions.

George Appenzeller and Sarah Meadows will conduct the presentations. The duo founded Challenge Adventures, a nonprofit organization experienced in leading hiking and camping adventure programs for youth groups. Since 1989, they have involved more than 4,000 young people in educational experiences in the outdoors with llamas.

Visitors will hear about the llamas’ cooperative social structure, which includes teamwork and caring. The llamas will carry visitor lunches or snacks during an easy walk along the Forest Discovery Trail at the Cradle of Forestry. Ice tea and cups will be provided. As the group walks the Forest Discovery Trail, children can take turns leading the llamas. The group will picnic along the trail before returning to the Discovery Center.

This easy walk through scenic woods is about two miles roundtrip.

Admission to the Cradle of Forestry is $5 for adults. Youth 15 and younger are admitted free. Golden Age passports and America the Beautiful passes are honored. In addition to the llama program, this fee includes the

Forest Discovery Center with 15 hands-on exhibits, the film There’s Magic at the Cradle, historic cabins and antique equipment on two paved trails, the Adventure Zone, living history interpreters and a 1915 Climax logging locomotive.

The Cradle of Forestry is located on U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, six miles north of Looking Glass Falls and four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

828.877.3130 or go to www.cradleofforestry.org.

The Friends of the Haywood Public Library offers the fifth and final book discussion in the Discovering the Literary South series at 4 p.m. on Sept. 15, in the auditorium of the Waynesville library.  

The book to be discussed is The Coal Tattoo by Silas House. Dr. Merritt Moseley of UNC-A will lead the discussion. Books are available free at the library. Moseley’s teaching interests include English and American literature as well as the art of the novel.  He specializes in Jane Austen and American humor.

828.456.5311 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Join a special story time with author Gail Nolen at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. Nolen will read from her book, Johnny, My Favorite Mouse.

Based on a true story, this book tells of the adventures Robert Andrew “Andy” Nolen enjoyed with his imaginary mice, Johnny being his favorite. Gail relates the story from memories of Andy when he was four years old.

Local artist Doreyl Ammons Cain created drawings for the book.

828.586.9499 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Martin A. Dyckman, a retired associate editor of the St. Petersburg Time who lives part of the year in Waynesville, will discuss Florida political history and present his latest book, Reubin O’D. Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

Dyckman is also the author of His Century: The Courage of Governor LeRoy Collins and A Most Disorderly Court: Scandal and Reform in the Florida Judiciary. In 1984, the Florida Bar Foundation recognized his writing on judicial reform with its Medal of Honor Award.  A book signing will follow the discussion.

828.586.9499 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Marty Stuart, a four-time Grammy winner and platinum recording artist, will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.  

Stuart is best known for his traditional country music and has roots in gospel and bluegrass. He is a self-taught guitar and mandolin player which led him to join Johnny Cash’s back-up band where he played for six years before breaking out on his own.

Stuart has played with music legends such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young and Billy Joel. He has toured beside county greats such as Travis Tritt and Merle Haggard.

Tickets are $25. For more information, call 866.273.4615 or visit www.greatmountainmusic.com.

The Masters of Motown’s “A Tribute to Hitsville U.S.A.,” will open the Galaxy of Stars Series at Western Carolina University. The show features many of the greatest hits from the legendary Motown era at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, in the Fine and Performing Arts Center at WCU.

Based in Virginia Beach, Va., Masters of Motown features a 10-member cast that has toured extensively together for decades. Audiences can expect to hear plenty of hits from Motown artists such as the Temptations, the Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight and the Pips and many others. Masters of Motown’s eight vocalists are backed by a band of seasoned musicians.

John Hodgens, vocalist-bandleader, formed the group in 1973 after graduating from high school in Virginia.

This is the seventh season of Galaxy of Stars performances. The series began in 2005 and features theater, music and dance.

Tickets are $20 for adults and seniors; $15 for faculty and staff; $10 for groups of 20 or more, and $5 for children and students. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 828.227.2479 or visit fapac.wcu.edu.

Elementary school-aged children and their families are invited to a free ARTSaturday workshop from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sept. 10 in the Macon County Public Library children’s wing. The theme is the United States Constitution, with a variety of make-and-take learning activities and patriotic music, including singing the Preamble to the Constitution.  

Keyboardist Lionel Caynon will provide live music. Children should wear play clothes and come for any part of the session. The Arts Council provides all materials. For more information call 828.524.7683 or visit www.artscouncilofmacon.org.

The Green Energy Park in Dillsboro is offering more classes this fall in both glassblowing and blacksmithing. Come make a glass pumpkin or ornament for the holidays, forge a handmade knife for a gift or just try a new experience.

For details on the classes, costs, and times, visit the website at www.jcgep.org. To register for a class call 828.631.0271 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Classes marked WCU may be registered directly through Western Carolina University at http://www.wcu.edu/29054.asp.

Blacksmithing/Metals Classes

• Sept. 24-25 — Introduction to Coal Forging

• Sept. 24-25 — Introduction to Medieval

Chainmaille Armor

• Oct. 8-9 — Beginning Blacksmithing

• Oct. 8-9 — Intermediate Blacksmithing

• Oct. 22-23 — Introduction to Coal Forging

• Oct. 22-23 — Beginning Knifemaking

• Nov. 12-13 — Introduction to Medieval

Chainmaille Armor

• Dec. — Intermediate Blacksmithing

Glassblowing Classes

• Sept. 10 — Fundamentals of Glassblowing (WCU)

• Sept. 13 — Turn Recycled Bottles into Drinking Glasses (WCU)

• Sept. 15 — Create a Glass Tumbler (WCU)

• Oct. 1 — Grow a Glass Pumpkin

• Oct. 15 — Grow a Glass Pumpkin

• Nov. 12 — Holiday Glass Ornaments

• Dec. 3 — Holiday Glass Ornaments

Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville is holding a Star Wars party from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10. The event will include games and crafts for children, a trivia contest for all ages, free Star Wars souvenirs for the first 100 participants, and a costume contest. Star Wars prizes will be given for contest winners and there will be a raffle for other Star Wars prizes.

The highlight of the event will be a special appearance by several members of the 501st Legion.  The 501st Legion is a costuming organization formed in 1997. Since that time, its members have spread the magic of the Star Wars genre worldwide through its authentic-looking costumes, and it has become the leading force in fan-based charity events.

This event is free. 828.45.6000.