Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird In Hand will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Santé Wine Bar in Sylva. 

A magically festive, full-length stage version of “The Nutcracker” featuring professional classical dances and the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville’s celebrated pre-professional company will be held at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 and 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Bardo Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 

The Haywood County Arts Council’s (HCAC) “Small Works” exhibit will run through Dec. 31 at the HCAC Gallery & Gifts showroom in downtown Waynesville. 

There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

Singer-songwriter Andrew Wakefield will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, at The Scotsman in Waynesville. 

Popular blues/folk singer-songwriter Heidi Holton will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, in the Speakeasy Bar at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. 

Western Carolina University is delighted to announce its recent exhibition “Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson” will now be extended through June 28 in the Fine Art Museum at WCU in Cullowhee. 

 The Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation announced that Charlotte Muir has been appointed as its new executive director. The announcement comes following an extensive nationwide search conducted by the Succession Planning Committee and approval from the Board of Directors. 

A new hiking trail is now open in Old Fort, offering an opportunity for people with disabilities to get outside. 

Held Sunday, Nov. 12, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cades Cove Loop Lope raised more than $110,000 to support the park. 

Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley is set to open Wednesday, Nov. 29, after an unseasonably warm November kept it from turning on its snow guns until Wednesday, Nov. 22. Tube World will open Saturday, Dec. 2. 

Winter Gary has been appointed interim executive director of the Highlands Biological Foundation as the organization works through a leadership transition after Charlotte Muir left for an executive director position with the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation. 

Check out Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville with a group leaving from the Waynesville Recreation Department at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12. 

Newly released economic data measuring the outdoor recreation industry’s impact on the U.S. economy shows that, despite ongoing economic challenges, the industry continues to be a powerful driver in North Carolina. 

Registration opens Dec. 1 for a program offering discounted rates to ski and snowboard Cataloochee Ski Area on Friday nights this season. 

A visual exploration of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail will be on display through Jan. 6, 2024, at The Bascom in Highlands. 

A virtual public hearing will take input on the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s planned application for the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7. 

Help remove invasive plants on the Jackson County Greenway 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. 

The MADE X MTNS Partnership has launched an online directory to help find locally made gifts for outdoor enthusiasts this holiday season. 

Hike through winter with a trio of outings offered this month through Haywood County Recreation and Parks. 

Work has started on a new 3-mile trail near Old Fort. 

Ride the trails with an experienced mountain bike instructor at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park in Canton. 

Popular regional Americana/bluegrass act Jeremy Rilko will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, in the SpeakEasy Bar at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley. 

The 40th annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 1-2 and 8-9 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro. 

Award-winning violinist Andrew Finn Magill will play a program of holiday music at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, at the First Presbyterian Sanctuary in Highlands.

Rising Americana/bluegrass act Appalachian Road Show will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, on the Grand Stage at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville. 

The annual “Stecoah Arts & Crafts Drive-About Tour” will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 24-25 at featured studios in Bryson City, Stecoah and Robbinsville. 

Presented by REACH of Haywood County and Adamas Entertainment, the second annual “Jingle Jam” will be held from noon to midnight on Saturday, Dec. 2, at The Lineside, the new indoor music venue at Frog Level Brewing Company in Waynesville. 

A special reading and signing for “Treatment Plan,” the latest work from author Darryl Bollinger, will take place from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. 

After canvassing, the vote count is official, with Brad Waldrop, Mark Jones and Blitz Estridge winning seats on the Sylva Town Council, in addition to incoming Mayor Johnny Phillips. 

Lakeview Drive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City is now open, but rehabilitation work on the road is still ongoing. 

Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Saturdays, Dec. 2 and 9, for the 26th year running to practice his chimney-climbing game on the iconic rock as Christmas festivities abound. 

The No Man’s Land Film Festival, the premier all-woman adventure film festival, will screen at New Belgium Brewing’s Liquid Center in Asheville at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, and it will also stream online. 

More than 67,000 pounds of trout will be stocked in the mountain and piedmont regions of North Carolina between Nov. 29 and Dec. 21, including locations in Jackson, Macon, Buncombe and Transylvania counties. 

See a live hellbender during a program at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. 

The Haywood County Master Gardeners will hold their annual wreath-making event Saturday, Dec. 9, providing an incredible selection of fresh greenery, natural embellishments and knowledgeable Master Gardeners to teach the ropes. 

North Carolinians continue to breathe the cleanest air in decades as emissions of harmful air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter reach historic lows, according to the latest update of the “Air Quality Trends in North Carolina” report published by the N.C. Division of Air Quality. 

Celebrate the Pigeon River Watershed during Haywood Waterways Association’s annual membership meeting and holiday dinner 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska.

The evening will include a year-in-review presentation highlighting projects, programs and accomplishments from 2023, a sneak peak of what 2024 will bring and a ceremony recognizing three deserving Watershed Heroes. Additionally, a silent auction will offer an opportunity to search out some unique Christmas presents.

Dinner is $30 per person, with payment accepted at the door or online at haywoodwaterways.org. Haywood Waterways is looking for donations of auction items valued at $25 or more.

RSVPs required by Tuesday, Nov. 28, to 828.476.4667, ext. 1, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To donate an auction item, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The committee responsible for advising on U.S. Forest Service recreation fees is looking for new members. 

Through Nov. 28 agricultural employers can apply for grants through a pilot program designed to improve the resilience of the food and agricultural supply chain by addressing workforce challenges farmers and ranchers face.

Meet Santa at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County at one of three events coming up next month. 

During the month of November, military members and veterans can receive a discount on tree seedling orders from the N.C. Forest Service. 

The Nantahala Hiking Club will recognize outstanding volunteers during its annual awards banquet 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at First Presbyterian Church in Franklin. 

A turkey shoot will be held 9 a.m. Saturdays at the American Legion in Waynesville, continuing weekly through mid-April 2024. 

Old Edwards Inn in Highlands has teamed up with Asheville’s Chemist Spirits and the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT) to create an exquisite botanical gin using native wild juniper that was hand-harvested nearby on a protected parcel of land under the trust’s stewardship. 

The Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum will host its annual “Bachelor of Fine Art Portfolio Exhibition” through Dec. 8 at the Fine Arts Museum on campus in Cullowhee. 

Haywood County rock/country act Outlaw Whiskey will hit the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Unplugged Pub in Bryson City. 

The iconic Plastics are reclaiming the spotlight in an all-new production of “Mean Girls Jr.” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17-18 and 2 p.m. Nov. 18-19 at Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

Rock icon Jason Bonham will bring his “Led Zeppelin Experience” to the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at Harrah’s Cherokee.