Marquee country star Terri Clark will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

From paying her dues at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville to holding the honor of being the only Canadian female member of the Grand Ole Opry, Clark continues to build an unforgettable legacy primed for the history books of country music. 

Rising Jackson County singer-songwriter Anna Victoria will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin. 

A special stage production of “Honk! Kids” will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 6 and 13 and 2 p.m. March 7-8 and 14-15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

Featuring book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe and music by George Stiles, “Honk! Kids” is a charming 30-minute adaptation of “Honk! Jr.,” specially designed for young performers and family audiences. 

Western Carolina University’s annual “Juried Undergraduate Exhibition” will run through March 20 at the Fine Art Museum on campus in Cullowhee.

This exhibition is an extraordinary opportunity for WCU undergraduate students to share their artwork with a larger public and to enhance their skills in presenting artwork in a professional gallery setting.

The latest exhibit, “Little Hands, Big Imagination,” will be showcased through April 13 in the Haywood Handmade Gallery at the Haywood County Arts Council in downtown Waynesville.

Join the HCAC for a joyful exhibit of large-scale collaborative artwork created by elementary students across Haywood County. Each school contributes one piece, made with many little hands and big imaginations. All works will be auctioned off to support each school’s art program. 

The Haywood Community College Foundation will hold its annual gala event, the “Lavender Ball,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in the HCC Library on campus in Clyde.

Each year, the event supports the area in the most need for HCC. This year, support for the event will benefit the Lavender Fund. These funds are available for HCC students who face an unexpected financial hardship during their time at the college. 

A “Community Contra Dance” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Contra dance is a form of social folk dancing from which square dancing evolved, so it shares many of the same movements. As always, no partner is necessary, generations mix. All are welcome, including beginners. No dance experience or fancy clothing are necessary. Those who would like to come out just to listen to the music are welcome, too. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission have entered into a $290 million Good Neighbor Agreement to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina. The agreement — the largest of its kind for the Forest Service — will speed up recovery efforts, create new jobs, reduce overall costs and strengthen communities impacted by the hurricane. 

North Carolina’s annual greenhouse gas emissions are at their lowest levels in decades. However, forecasts indicate that increased reliance on natural gas and coal for electricity generation could temporarily offset these gains in the coming years.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has released an update to the state’s greenhouse gas inventory.

In 1996, the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) program was established as a water quality monitoring program for many Western North Carolina counties. In Haywood County, Haywood Waterways Association manages 25 sites on 19 streams. The program’s purpose is to provide long term water quality monitoring information to help leverage grant funding for water quality improvement projects.

The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener plant sale is taking place now. Available are bare root strawberries, raspberries, black raspberries, elderberries, blackberries, asparagus and horseradish, along with potted blueberries at excellent prices.

This sale is pre-order only. You may order online with a credit card or download the order forms (to print and mail in with a check) at go.ncsu.edu/haywoodplantsales. 

After nearly a decade at the helm of Waynesville government, Town Manager Rob Hites announced Feb. 27 that he will retire July 1. 

Hites arrived in 2016 following a long career in local government across North Carolina. Born in Reno and raised in Alabama, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. An urban government course led to an internship with the Greensboro mayor, setting him on a path that would lead to decades of local government administration.      

The Human Resources Department at Lake Junaluska will host a recruitment event from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 5; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 19; and noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 9, in Room 202 of Harrell Center.  

These events are for potential employees to learn more about Lake Junaluska’s open positions for full- and part-time seasonal opportunities and to interview on the spot. 

In honor of Black History Month, the annual “Soul Food Dinner” will start at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville.

The community center will be serving up delicious fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, cornbread and cobbler, all for just $15 a plate. Come eat at the center or take a plate to go. Food will be served until it’s gone. 

Americana/folk singer-songwriter A. Lee Edwards will perform at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley.

Edwards has been a singer-songwriter for over 30 years. His music holds an honesty and an authenticity not built on outward style but inner substance.

Western Carolina University’s annual “Juried Undergraduate Exhibition” will run through March 20 at the Fine Art Museum on campus in Cullowhee.

To note, an awards ceremony and reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at the museum. The exhibition and the reception are both free and open to the public. 

Regional country/rock artist Jon Cox will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at The Scotsman in Waynesville.

The Asheville singer-songwriter rolls through an array of classic country gold and rock melodies. Known for his “high-energy outlaw music,” Cox is a rising voice in Western North Carolina. 

A special showcase, “Didanisisgi Gadagwatli: A Showcase of Pottery from the Mud Dauber Community Workshop,” is now on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee.  On view through May 2026, the exhibition features works by students of Tara McCoy (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive three-month workshop. 

A special production of “The White Chip” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27-28 and 2 p.m. March 1 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

“The White Chip” tells the story of one man’s journey through addiction, ambition and the messy art of starting over.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has identified infestations of spongy moth in seven counties across North Carolina that it anticipates treating in 2026.  

Residents within the impacted areas were notified by mail in February about these infestations as well as proposed treatments. Informational sessions will be held within these communities in March to collect public comments for consideration.

Have you ever thought about keeping bees? Ever wanted to have more pollinators on your property? Do you just want to know more about it? March 7 will be your chance.

The Haywood County Beekeepers Association is offering a one-day introductory class on beekeeping. Topics will include the life cycle of the bee, what you need to do through the calendar year to maintain a hive, what equipment you will need and the cost involved.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources is awarding more than $7.3 million to support repairs for several high-hazard dams that were damaged during Hurricane Helene.  

A high-hazard dam is defined as one where failure would likely result in loss of life or significant damage to homes, buildings, public utilities, primary highways or major railroads. 

The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener plant sale is taking place now. There are bare root strawberries, raspberries, black raspberries, elderberries, blackberries, asparagus and horseradish, along with potted blueberries at excellent prices.

This sale is pre-order only. People may order online with a credit card or download the order forms (to print and mail in with a check) at go.ncsu.edu/haywoodplantsales. 

A study by a Western Carolina University economist indicates that Jackson County saw more than $144 million in total economic impact from the $770,000 that county government invested in the local Department of Social Services to administer Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits last year. 

Lenten worship services will be held each Wednesday during Lent at Lake Junaluska’s historic Memorial Chapel and include a Maundy Thursday and Good Friday service.

The services, which will include communion, will be at noon and again at 6:30 p.m. starting on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, and continue weekly until March 25. Services on Maundy Thursday, April 2, and on Good Friday, April 3, will be at 6:30 p.m. only. 

A Graham County man recently pleaded guilty to felony littering of hazardous waste for throwing used needles on the ground in a local park, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch announced.

Jeffery Charles Heid, 53, of Robbinsville, also pleaded guilty to assault on a law enforcement officer and communicating threats. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allocated a combined $686 million to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene-related drinking water, wastewater and septic system projects, with a focus on resiliency and a goal of reducing risk and vulnerability in systems as they face future storms. 

Residents, business owners and community leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Swain County are invited to attend a pair of public open house meetings.

The Swain County open house will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the Community Room of the Swain County Administration Building in Bryson City. The EBCI open house will be held from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Yellowhill Community Building in Cherokee. 

The Forest Service released its final decision on the Crossover Project, which seeks to restore and strengthen native hardwood forests on more than 1,900 acres of the Nantahala National Forest throughout the Snowbird Mountains near Topton.

Work on the Crossover Project started in 2017 with the goal of making the area healthier and more enjoyable for visitors.

Deadlines are coming up quickly for vendors, concessionaires, suppliers, Got to Be NC members and farm equipment hobbyists interested in participating in the Got to Be Festival May 15-17 at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.

Got to Be NC members have until Feb. 27 to apply to be part of the Got to Be NC Pavilion in the Agri Supply Exposition Center. The pavilion showcases Got to Be NC products, beverages and food samples and is only open to members of the program. 

The 2026 Assault on BlackRock trail race has been set for Saturday, March 21 in Sylva.  

All proceeds from this race will go to the Sylva Art & Design Committee with a focus on bringing more art (outdoor murals) to downtown Sylva. 

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Services Lab will raise some of its testing fees beginning March 2, with most increases ranging from $3 to $5 depending on test.

Soil testing will remain free for North Carolina residents outside the peak season which runs late November or early December through March. In the fall of 2026, the peak-season rate will increase from $4 to $5 per sample.

Shortly after opening the doors of the Don Tomas Health Sciences Center back in 2021, Southwestern Community College developed a strategy for not only filling the area’s tremendous healthcare workforce needs — but also providing a promising future for soon-to-be high school graduates. 

A former bookkeeper from Topton was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for orchestrating an embezzlement scheme that stole $1 million from three businesses, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Rising regional singer-songwriter Old Sap will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.

According to himself, Old Sap is a “Poet from Chicago, rambled out to Montana, cut a banjo from a tamarack, strings across the country, foot like a freight train, voice rushing down over lush Appalachia, sings a thrush tune through the rush hour and into your long-forgotten prairie dreams.” 

Western Carolina University’s annual “Juried Undergraduate Exhibition” will run through March 20 at the Fine Art Museum on campus in Cullowhee.

To note, an awards ceremony and reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at the museum. The exhibition and the reception are both free and open to the public. 

The “Rotunda Show” artwork exhibition is currently being showcased at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.

This group exhibition features work from regional artists working across a variety of mediums, highlighting the depth of artistic expression within our Western North Carolina community. 

A special showcase, “Didanisisgi Gadagwatli: A Showcase of Pottery from the Mud Dauber Community Workshop,” is now on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee.  On view through May 2026, the exhibition features works by students of Tara McCoy (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) handcrafted during an intensive three-month workshop. 

The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) latest exhibit “Inspired by a Song” is being showcased at Haywood Handmade Gallery in downtown Waynesville.

“Inspired by a Song” explores the powerful connection between music and visual art. In conjunction with HCAC and the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre’s recent “Cool Jazz” concert, artists were invited to create work inspired by a song of their choosing — any genre, any era — that moves or motivates them.

NCDOT partners with wildlife agencies on creative concept for bat habitat. Sometimes, it helps to step away from the workplace to get the creativity flowing. That’s what happened to Kenny McCourt, an N.C. Department of Transportation resident engineer overseeing a set of bridge replacement projects on Interstate 40 in Haywood County. 

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will host expert fly-tying instructors from the Cataloochee Chapter of Trout Unlimited and conduct an “Introduction to Fly Tying” class on three evenings in February. Intended for first-time fly tyers wanting to learn the basics, the class will also appeal to crafters seeking a challenge, as well as to anglers looking to get some expert tips. 

Join the fun and the community at Lake Junaluska Cleanup Day held from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at Lake Junaluska.

The cleanup will focus on clearing debris that has collected along the shorelines of and entrance roadways to Lake Junaluska. Volunteers should dress accordingly for the weather and potentially muddy conditions. All work will be done outside, rain or shine. 

Jackson County Recreation is hosting a class for those wishing to learn more about birding.

The class will be provide an interactive presentation, and prior experience isn’t necessary. Those who participate will learn about the “four keys to bird identification” and how to recognize species unique to the region. 

People new to vegetable gardening and folks looking for a refresher to hone those skills can learn from a master gardener next week.

Topics covered in the class will include starting a new garden, planning a garden for spring and fall planting, following a garden calendar, improving soil and composting. The class will involve both lectures and hands-on demonstrations. 

Longtime Western Carolina University supporters and friends have come together to honor the legacy and dedication of the university’s former sports information director, Steve White, a man many affectionately refer to as “the walking encyclopedia of Catamount athletics.”

WCU alumni David and Joy Wiggins have made a lead gift to the university’s “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign and chosen to direct their gift toward the naming of the football stadium’s new Western Skybox media center in White’s honor.

The Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site in Johnson City, Tennessee  will host its 23rd Annual Maple Syrup Festival and pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.

Come out to Tipton-Haynes to discover the history, lore and method of making maple syrup.

The 23rd annual Business of Farming Conference, presented by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 28, at A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville. The conference offers beginning and established farmers financial, legal, operational and marketing tools to improve farm businesses and make professional connections. 

The Raccoon Creek Bike Park remains closed to the public as construction continues on the site, which is still an active work zone. Haywood County officials appreciate the community’s patience as work moves forward on the project and is anticipated to open in Summer 2026.

Once complete, the Raccoon Creek Bike Park will be a family-friendly outdoor amenity designed to serve riders of all ages and skill levels. The park will provide a safe and welcoming space for recreation, skill development and community programming. 

People interested in learning how to start plants from seeds can do so through a class offered at the N.C. Cooperative Extension of Haywood County.

Participants will learn how to select seeds, increase germination rates, create the proper environment for growing and timing for starting seeds and moving plants into a garden.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting grant proposal applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the marketplace. Nonprofits, commodity associations, state and local government agencies, colleges and universities wishing to apply have until March 10.