A free youth fishing clinic will coincide with an Old Time Music Jam 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee.

Learn the art of Southern Appalachian fly tying with an eight-week course taught by local expert Tommy Thomas.

Celebrate the Year of the Trail with an easy 5-mile hike on the Buck Springs Trail near the Pisgah Inn Saturday, Oct. 14.

Tickets are now on sale for Winter Lights, an open-air walk-through light show of more than 1 million lights running Nov. 17-Dec. 31 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

Celebrate the inaugural Great Trails State Day in North Carolina by giving Panthertown some love Saturday, Oct. 21.

Help restore the trail to the beloved Craggy Pinnacle overlook during a workday Saturday, Oct. 14.

Hike Pinnacle Park in Sylva during an excursion starting 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, offered through the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department.

In the largest Carolina Mountain Club outing ever, 95 people converged on Max Patch to celebrate National Public Lands Day with a blitz of trail work Saturday, Sept. 23.

Learn how to stay safe in the woods with a course 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at Standing Rock Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Learn about the work being done to conserve Haywood County’s pristine waterways 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the Maggie Valley Town Hall Pavilion, as part of Trout Unlimited Cataloochee’s regular monthly meeting.

A gathering of women who love the outdoors will take place Saturday, Nov. 4, at Vogel State Park in Georgia.

Middle school students are invited to try some hiking and fly fishing, with events planned Oct. 10, 19 and 24.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Jim Avett will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at The Blue Stage in Andrews.

For anyone looking to get into the field of nursing, Southwestern Community College will offer a Practical Nursing program starting in the spring semester.

Missing in action for more than 54 years, Air Force Capt. Frederick Mervyn Hall of Waynesville will return home for a memorial service and burial next week.

A moderate to strenuous 3.5-mile hike exploring the Waynesville Watershed will embark at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Learn about the upcoming partial solar eclipse during a session at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva with Matt Cass, a physics instructor at Southwestern Community College.

A feature documentary exploring the release of the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan, “The River Runs On,” is now available digitally.

Celebrate the forest heritage of Western North Carolina during the annual Forest Festival Day and John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodmen’s Meet, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Cradle of Forestry in America.

During the N.C. Mountain State Fair Sept. 8-17, The Smoky Mountain News’ coverage area of Haywood, Jackson, Swain and Macon counties was well represented in the list of winners.

The recently adopted 2023-2025 state budget includes $2.5 million for trail construction in the Pisgah National Forest surrounding Old Fort. The allocation represents a portion of the $24.9 million total set aside for specific trail and greenway projects statewide.

The Jackson County Coon Hunters Association will hold a day full of events aimed at youth 15 and under 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at 44 Oak Hill Drive in Sylva.

Dry conditions have returned to the mountain region, with parts of Macon, Jackson, Buncombe, Transylvania and Henderson counties labeled as abnormally dry in the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map.

Learn the fundamentals of survival and first aid during Women’s Wilderness Weekend, coming up Oct. 13-15 at Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County.

An island campsite in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is closed following a wildfire reported around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26.

 Hear the true trail story behind the book “Jingles’ Promise” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Applications are open through Thursday, Oct. 12, for participants in the fifth cohort of the Waypoint Accelerator, which is the first outdoor business accelerator east of the Rockies.

Plott hound enthusiasts and their pups from across the United States will assemble to compete in bear bay and coon treeing contests, as well as a sanctioned UKC bench show as part of Plott-tober Fest in Canton from Oct. 5-8.

Hear the spectacular story of a Haywood County native’s expeditions to the world’s highest mountain peaks at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville.

Waynesville’s Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center celebrated the International Day of Peace last week by installing a peace pole.

The zebra mussel, a harmful invasive aquatic species, has been confirmed in the wild for the first time in North Carolina.

Starlight Night, the annual fundraiser for Full Spectrum Farms, will take place 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, on the farm.

The WNC Sierra Club will host a presentation focusing on the benefits of electric vehicles at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, in room 102 of the Reuter Center at UNC Asheville.

Take a hunters education course at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Jackson County Recreation Complex in Cullowhee.

Canton native Betty Y. Henderson earned a bronze medal at the National Senior Games held this summer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

A South Carolina woman fell to her death from a steep cliff along the Blue Ridge Parkway Saturday, Sept. 23.

Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations will go into effect in Western North Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 1.

Trout fishing topics good for beginners and seasoned anglers alike will be discussed during Trout Unlimited Sylva’s monthly dinner gathering 6:15-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the United Methodist Church on Jackson Avenue in Sylva.

The first ever Hispanic Heritage Fest will bring the colors, flavors and rhythms of Latin America to the Cradle of Forestry in America, located in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1.

The 24th annual Mountains to Coast bike ride will tour scenic North Carolina between Banner Elk and Emerald Isle Sunday, Oct. 1, to Saturday, Oct. 7, with Sept. 30 serving as check-in day.

Celebrate the Water New Year with a guided hike through Panthertown Valley 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. 

Registration for youth basketball with the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department is open through Saturday, Sept. 30.

Learn how to raft guide with a three-day clinic Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County.

The curriculum is suited for everyone from beginners to experienced paddlers seeking to solidify their skill and confidence on the river. Professional instructors from NOC will meet participants at their skill level and ensure they leave with newfound knowledge, technique and confidence.

Cost starts at $550. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Learn more or register at noc.com/courses/learn-to-raft-guide.

A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, the 49th annual Mountain Heritage Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Americana/bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the gazebo in downtown Franklin.

There will be a stage production of “Good Ol’ Girls” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22-23, 29-30, Oct. 5-7 and 2 p.m. Sept. 24, Oct. 1 and 8 on the Fangmeyer Stage at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

An intimate performance by renowned Americana/indie act Hurray For The Riff Raff will be part of the “Salon Series” at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Highlander Mountain House in Highlands.

Americana/indie singer-songwriter A. Lee Edwards will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, in the Speakeasy Bar at the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley.

A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City. 

The Haywood County Arts Council’s annual “Haywood County Studio Tour” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24.