Writer Nita Welch Owenby and the SouthEast Bluegrass Association will perform on Saturday, May 16, at the Rickman Store in Cowee. 

At 11 a.m., Owenby will read from her autobiography Echoes of the Appalachian Mountain, which provides the readers with an in-depth view of farm living in the 1940s and 1950s and shares with them her values and experiences. Owenby was born and raised on a farm by the Little Tennessee River, and although her professional life led her to experience life in different states, her connection to her roots continues being strong. She is the author of The House of Rose and over 400 articles and short stories published for the Burningtown News. From noon to 3 p.m., the Southeast Bluegrass Association will host a music jam. 

The Friends of the Rickman Store invite the community and visitors to the region for the opening of a new series of weekly educational and cultural programs and for a special year of celebrations. It was built in 1895 by John Hall, with the business established in 1925 by Tom M. Rickman. Considered one of the gems of Macon County, the Rickman Store has been preserved by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) and the Friends of the Rickman Store since 2007. The store is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday.

The event is free and open to the public.

828.369.5595.