Full circle: Astro Record Store opens in Waynesville

One recent afternoon, while wandering the Historic Frog Level District in Waynesville, the sounds of hard rock act AC/DC drifted out the front door of 24 Commerce St. The retro sign on the window states Astro Record Store. The friendly face behind the counter is Kevin “Lippy” Mawby. 

HART presents ‘Junie B. Jones Kids!’

The world premiere of “Junie B. Jones Kids!,” a brand-new adaptation of the beloved children’s book series, will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. May 9, 16 and 2 p.m. May 10-11, 17-18 at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival

The 22nd annual Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 10, in the Historic Frog Level District of Waynesville.

Children’s activities, local growers and artisans/crafters, flowering baskets, herbs, outdoor decor, live music and more.

Pigeon Community ‘Storytellers Series’

The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville has recently announced its 2025 “Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series.” 

Managing the visitor experience is no easy task

I’m sitting alone in the cockpit of the boat anchored at Cape Lookout National Seashore off the coast of North Carolina in the early morning, and I’m about to write a column about tourism. Sipping my coffee, though, I’m distracted as a cool May breeze rattles the halyards. 

Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival

The 22nd annual Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 10, in the Historic Frog Level District of Waynesville.

Children’s activities, local growers and artisans/crafters, flowering baskets, herbs, outdoor decor, live music and more.

Master gardeners to answer questions at Haywood farmers market

Master gardener volunteers will be on hand at a booth on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, May through August, at Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market in Waynesville in the HART Theater parking lot. 

Historic preservation efforts will preserve, promote Waynesville’s unique character

In a town where history lives not just in the pages of books but on every brick-lined sidewalk, beneath every gabled rooftop and deep within every stately mansion, Waynesville’s Historic Preservation Commission is stepping boldly into the future by leaning into a past that, for many locals, hasn’t yet passed. 

Giclee printing business opens in Waynesville

A new business focused on printing giclees officially opened in Waynesville last week. 

Smoky Mountain Studios, a sister business of neighboring Twigs & Leaves Gallery, is operated by Anna Melton, who has worked in that industry for a decade. 

Get ready to celebrate

You’re about to start hearing a lot about the number 250, if you haven’t already. Over the next 15 months, two important historic anniversaries will take place, one statewide and the other nationwide. 

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