Waynesville art walk, live music
A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2024 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday,…
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Shine your light: Patton Magee of The Nude Party
It’s a hot, early evening at FloydFest, the storied independently-run music festival held each July in the backwoods of rural…
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Living off the grid for 40 years
In a book written in a first-person, vulnerable and intimately entertaining narrative oral storytelling voice, Ken Smith takes us through…
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Harrah’s Cherokee welcomes ZZ Top
Classic rock icons ZZ Top will perform at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Formed in…
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Americana, folk at Scotsman
Appalachian/indie act Jackson Grimm & The Bull Moose Party will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, at The Scotsman…
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‘Thunder in the Smokies’
The annual “Thunder in the Smokies” rally will be held Sept. 6-8 at the Maggie Valley Fairgrounds.
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'An Evening of Eurasian Culture'
Folkmoot USA will present an electrifying evening of music and cultural celebration with the Black Sea Beat Society at 7…
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Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
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HART presents ‘Great American Trailer Park’
A special production of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30-31, Sept.…
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Ready for classic rock, country gold?
Haywood County rock/country act Outlaw Whiskey will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at Unplugged Pub in Bryson City.
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Melodies of love: Asheville Mountain Boys to play Sylva
The sheer beauty and fundamental foundation of bluegrass music resides in one simple truth about the tones, textures and talents…
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In this book, old-time means good time
Over 30 years ago, I read Helen Hooven Santmyer’s “And Ladies of the Club,” a doorstopper of a book chronicling…
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Marshall Tucker Band to headline Canton Labor Day
Classic rock legends The Marshall Tucker Band and Haywood County bluegrass sensation Balsam Range will headline the 116th Canton Labor…
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‘An Appalachian Evening’
The “An Appalachian Evening” series will continue with a performance by Balsam Range at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, in…
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‘Between Gone and Everlasting’
Danita Dodson will read from her latest book, “Between Gone and Everlasting,” at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, at City…
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Maggie Valley Arts & Crafts Show
The annual Maggie Valley Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 31-Sept. 1…
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‘Concerts on the Creek’
The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present…
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Want to learn contra dancing?
There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Macon County Public Library…
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Spread it heavy: WNC rockers Porch 40 return
It was a special time and place when rock-n-funk act Porch 40 emerged onto the vast, vibrant Western North Carolina…
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A scary, page-turner of a story
Sometimes life seems too short to read every novel and author on your list. Oftentimes, I tend towards classics and…
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Rock rolls into Boojum
Asheville rock group The Andrew Thelston Band will hit the stage at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at The Gem…
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HART to present ‘Inherit the Wind’
A special production of “Inherit the Wind” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22-24 and 2 p.m. Aug.…
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‘All Summer Long’ at Lake J
The Haywood Community Band (HCB) will host its “All Summer Long” concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, at Stuart…
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Mission in the Rain: Sam Grisman Project to play Earl Scruggs Fest
When stand-up bassist Sam Grisman wanted to start his band, aptly titled the Sam Grisman Project (SGP), he had one…
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‘An Imaginative Proclivity’: Gary Carden and “Stories I Lived to Tell”
In “Stories I Lived to Tell: An Appalachian Memoir” (The University of North Carolina Press, 2024, 152 pages), 89-year-old storyteller…
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Porch 40 returns to the stage
After an extended hiatus, one of Western North Carolina’s most popular rock acts, Porch 40, will host a special performance…
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AVLfest returns to WNC
Any live music fan knows the feeling of the energy in a crowd before a show begins. And, despite its…
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Jokes, laughter, happiness and good health
As part of my gifts for Father’s Day this year, my daughter bought me a book. She apologized before handing…
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Love you madly: A retrospective on rock rebels Cake
In the vast annals of American rock music, alternative rock act Cake remains a beacon of eccentricity — this sonic…
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‘The Anxious Generation’ — Part 2
Editor’s note: This first part of this review was published in the July 24 edition of The Smoky Mountain News…
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Experience ‘Textures’ at Haywood Arts
The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) latest exhibit, “Textures,” will run through Sept. 1 at the HCAC gallery on Main…
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Experience ‘Textures’ at Haywood Arts
The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) latest exhibit, “Textures,” will run through Sept. 1 at the HCAC gallery on Main…
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The ‘Anxious Generation’ – Part 1
A month ago I called my brother-in-law, known to all the family as Uncle Jim, to ask a favor. He readily…
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Carry this together: Zoe and Cloyd
With their latest album, “Songs of Our Grandfathers,” rising Asheville Americana/folk duo Zoe & Cloyd decided to take a different…
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A bird’s eye view of feathered friends
In a remarkable book that combines eco-poetry, poetic prose and personal and scientific information by award-winning African-American ornithologist and professor…
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HART to present 'Footloose'
A special production of “Footloose” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. July 18-19, 25-27 and 2 p.m. July 20-21…
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Chamber music returns to Waynesville
The popular Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas (CMSC) will perform at 4 p.m. July 21 and 28 at First…
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Blurring the Lines: A conversation with Liam Purcell
Straddling the line between neo-traditional and progressive bluegrass, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road are a fiercely ambitious and purposely…
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Dealing with loss, grief, and the balm of love
On the first Saturday of June, my friend John and I were just leaving McKay Used Books in Manassas, Virginia,…
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Mural celebrates past, present and future of Pigeon Center
A visually stunning amalgamation of images — both historic and aspirational — now adorns Waynesville’s Pigeon Community Multicultural Development center, breathing new…
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Southern stories for summer reading
Perhaps like many people, summer is a time for me to finally read those books I’ve been wanting to get…
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Time to stop the bashing, says Nina Power
When I heard British writer and philosopher Nina Power interviewed recently, I ordered her book. I was interested in her…
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Reflections on lessons learned at Bonnaroo
Wednesday morning, June 12, I left my sister’s house in Sapphire for my very first music festival. I’d been to…
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Scarred but smarter: A conversation with Drivin N Cryin
In the annals of American rock music, few storied bands have withstood the test of time and endured with such…
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Sebastian Junger on death, visits and physics
Every once in a while, I find myself engrossed in a book that suddenly delivers my ignorance to me on…
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Haywood Community Band Grows into Regional Ensemble
A delighted crowd of more than 350 people responded with a standing ovation at the season’s opening concert of the…
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Coming together: Bryson City Brewing to join WNC craft beer scene
It’s a sunny afternoon in downtown Bryson City. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is pulling into town with numerous locals…
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Books, parrots, love and regrets
If Monica Wood’s “How to Read a Book” were a painting rather than a novel, it would be a triptych,…
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Will you ‘Bee the Change’?
Author John Kotab will present his latest book, “Bee the Change: If We Protect, Nature Will Provide,” at 1 p.m.…
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Haywood Community Band grows to regional ensemble
The Haywood Community Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 16 at the Maggie Valley Community Pavilion, 3935…
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