Presented by the Town of Sylva, the 28th annual Greening Up the Mountains festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, along Main Street and Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

The festival is a heritage arts gathering that celebrates the arrival of spring through both traditional and contemporary forms of Appalachian art, music, food and beverage which honor our community and local artisans.

A “Community Contra Dance” will be held from 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center 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. 

The Haywood County Arts Council invites the community to experience “Art Off the Wall,” a unique and intimate fundraising event taking place from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, at the HCAC’s Haywood Handmade Gallery in Waynesville.

With only 30 tickets available, this exclusive evening promises a memorable blend of art, atmosphere and excitement. Guests will enjoy heavy appetizers, beverages and live music by Betina Morgan, whose harp performance creates a soothing, dreamlike backdrop for the night. 

Haywood Christian Ministries has announced its fourth annual Farm Fresh 5K on to be run at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 18.

The Farm Fresh 5K is a chance to come together as a community and make a difference. Runners will support local farmers, putting food on the tables of families in need while strengthening the local economy. 

The Community Table is in a small and unassuming brick building nestled between Sylva’s Municipal Drive and Poteet Park. It’s also a local lifeline. Every year, tens of thousands of community members visit the nonprofit — which since 1999 has envisioned a Jackson County in which no one “goes to bed hungry” — and are welcomed inside its doors. 

Haywood Community College will host the annual Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. Each year, the event is held at a different location, and in 2026, HCC will welcome seven collegiate teams to campus for two days of competitive lumberjack events. This event is free and open to the public. 

A beloved winter spectacle in Western North Carolina, the 19th annual “Outhouse Race” will return to the slopes at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at Sapphire Valley Ski Area.

Crazy? Maybe. Dangerous? Perhaps. Fun? Without a doubt. Dozens of outhouses race to compete for the throne. Spectators come from throughout the southeast to line the course and cheer on those brave enough to see if the outhouse crashes and burns or sails across the finish line. 

A beloved winter spectacle in Western North Carolina, the 19th annual “Outhouse Race” will return to the slopes at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at Sapphire Valley Ski Area.

Crazy? Maybe. Dangerous? Perhaps. Fun? Without a doubt. Dozens of outhouses race to compete for the throne. Spectators come from throughout the southeast to line the course and cheer on those brave enough to see if the outhouse crashes and burns or sails across the finish line. 

Ron Rash has never been to an opera. But later this month, he’ll sit down to enjoy an opus based on stories and poems he wrote about the Southern Appalachian mountains he calls home. 

“Shelton Laurel: An Appalachian Opera” takes place over a few years around the Civil War. The opera, which will see its world premiere later this month, tells the tale of farmers in Madison County’s Shelton Laurel, not far from Western Carolina University’s Bardo Arts Center in Cullowhee where the work will be performed. 

Grace Church in the Mountains in Waynesville will host a daylong series of worship services, presentations and artistic offerings focused on peace, education and action in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.