The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has transferred 1,060 acres in Haywood County to the State of North Carolina to become part of public lands managed by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

These tracts include land for the Cold Mountain Game Land and Pisgah Game Lands, including the 409-acre White Oak Mountain tract adjoining the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that SAHC purchased in December 2024.

The Nantahala Racing Club and Nantahala Outdoor Center announced they have been honored with the American Canoe Association’s 2025 “Event of the Year” award for hosting the 2025 Junior Olympics and Regional Teams Development Camp. 

Dreaming of spring? Beat the winter blues by planting native seeds.

Late fall and early winter are the perfect times to sow many native species, which benefit pollinators, wildlife, soil and water quality — all while being low-maintenance in your garden.

A turkey breeding operation in Wayne County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza. The positive sample was first identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh.

 This is the first case of high path avian influenza in commercial poultry in North Carolina since January 2025.

Ten North Carolina Veterinary practices were recently awarded grants to help support their large animal practices. This $130,000 recurring fund was created by the N.C. General Assembly in 2023 and is annually administered by the N.C. Ag Finance Authority. 

Renowned Americana/bluegrass act Appalachian Road Show will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, on the Grand Stage at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville.

Right out of the gate with its self-titled debut album, ARS garnered big attention by the bluegrass industry, with its fanbase growing steadily. That would soon parlay itself into the outfit taking home the honors for “New Artist of the Year” and “Instrumental Group of the Year” at the 2021 IBMA awards. 

A beloved annual tradition, the “Christmas at Lake Junaluska” celebration will be held Dec. 12-14 at the Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center. 

A special production of “Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberly” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5-6, 11 and 13, 2 p.m. Dec. 7 and 5 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

The second annual Cold Mountain Christmas Craft Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Bishop Johnson Dining Hall in Lake Logan.

Holiday shopping, pictures with Santa, cookie decorating, live music and more. Guests will experience a charming holiday event in a pristine gem of Haywood County. 

Florida-based indie/soul singer-songwriter Shane Meade will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company in Bryson City.

Hailing from Elkins, West Virginia, Meade is a self-taught late bloomer who borrowed an old guitar from his father.

A special production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12, 19-20 and 2 p.m. Dec. 13-14, 20-21 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.

When the unruly Herdman kids, the “worst children in the history of the world,” show up at church and muscle their way into the annual Christmas pageant, everyone expects total disaster.

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

A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2025 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, in downtown Waynesville. 

The 42nd annual “Lights & Luminaries” will return from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 5-6 and 12-13 in the streets of downtown Dillsboro.

Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Over 2,500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. 

Haywood Community College continues to expand university transfer agreements with North Carolina universities. HCC offers transferable degree programs and credit options as students choose to start their postsecondary education locally before transferring to a four-year institution. 

Michelle Harris, director of engagement & marketing and public information officer at Haywood Community College, has been named the 2025 District 2 Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations.

This award recognizes outstanding achievement and leadership in two-year college communications. 

Students in the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College will host a holiday craft sale from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 on campus in Clyde. The sale will feature student work in four mediums: fiber, metals, ceramics and wood. Held in the Mary L. Cornwell Gallery in the Sycamore Building, the sale is open to the public. 

Slumber time for black bears is quickly approaching, and in some cases, already happening. Now is the time to start bear-proofing residential and commercial properties to discourage winter denning.

Black bears have been known to den in surprising places: under decks and storage sheds, crawl spaces, vacant homes and the brush or debris pile in the yard.

State veterinary officials are asking horse owners in North Carolina to watch for symptoms of a highly contagious equine disease following diagnoses of multiple horses with Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy, the neurologic disease associated with Equine Herpes Virus. Cases were confirmed Nov. 9 by the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of EHV-1/EHM in North Carolina. 

Farmers, homeowners and small businesses in the region are invited to safely and responsibly dispose of unwanted pesticides at a Free Pesticide Disposal Collection Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Mountain Research Station, located at 265 Test Farm Road in Waynesville. 

Waynesville’s farmers market is getting into the holiday spirit by hosting holiday markets. The markets will run from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 29, and Dec. 6. 

“The Polar Express” train ride will roll down the tracks on select dates from the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot in downtown Bryson City.  

Climb aboard one of the powerful locomotives and historic train cars as it departs the Bryson City Depot for the North Pole to pick up Santa Claus himself.

The Summit Charter School Foundation announced that the 2025 Cashiers Festival of Trees will open on Friday, Nov. 28, at 370 Mitten Lane in Cashiers. The festive fundraiser — accessible both in person and online — will run through Saturday, Nov. 29, with doors open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Jackson County Recreation is hosting a guided nature journaling walk, during which participants will deepen observation and recording skills while meandering along the greenway.

The walk will take place from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21. It is open to everyone 13 and older who can comfortably walk two miles. Meeting place is the Locust Creek Greenway entrance in Cullowhee. 

This year, folks in Haywood County will have the chance to embellish their homes with a one-of-a-kind wreath at the annual NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ Wreath-Making Workshop on Saturday, Dec. 6. The extension office will provide a selection of fresh greenery, natural embellishments and knowledgeable extension master gardener volunteers. 

The Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) awarded 12 grants totaling $350,365 to environmental groups working to improve surface water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, expand public use and access to waterways, and increase water quality awareness in Buncombe, Haywood, and Madison counties. With these grants and since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed $10,594,556 in grants.  

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

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. 

Right now, the N.C. Forest Service is offering a 20% discount on tree seedling orders placed by active, honorably discharged or retired military personnel throughout November. The discount applies to the first $500 for all new orders, up to a $100 discount. 

The Environmental Action Community of Western North Carolina (EAC) invites supporters and the public to its year in review celebration from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Folkmoot Auditorium in Waynesville. The evening will feature an informative program, raffle prizes, partner presentations, resource tables and light refreshments. 

A still photo extracted from a deputy’s body-cam video shows a critical moment in the events of April 6, 2024, in front of a home near Lake Logan Road, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch told jury members this week. 

In the photo the defendant, Steven Hawkins, 49, is pictured. He grips a double-barreled shotgun and directly faces law enforcement officers. 

Nineteen new small business recovery projects in Western North Carolina have been awarded grants totaling $13.8 million through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program. 

Haywood Community College continues to expand university transfer agreements with North Carolina universities. HCC offers transferable degree programs and credit options as students choose to start their postsecondary education locally before transferring to a four-year institution. As spring 2026 registration opens, HCC has two new transfer agreements in place. This offers students additional guaranteed transferable options to two North Carolina universities. 

The U.S. Department of Labor has released additional funds to help North Carolinians get back to work in areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

The new funds, totaling $4 million, represent the remaining portion of a $10 million Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant that the U.S. Department of Labor initially awarded to North Carolina in 2024 in the wake of Helene.

Starting Dec. 1, 2025, contractors will be on-site at the Haywood County parking deck located at 143 Branner Ave. in Waynesville to begin replacing both elevators.

The elevators currently in use are more than 20 years old and upgrading them is necessary to keep things running safely and smoothly. The project will take about six months to complete. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reporting the first presumptive detection of Chronic Wasting Disease in Edgecombe County. NCWRC has received a preliminary positive test result on a white-tailed deer harvested by a hunter in the eastern corner of the county. The closest confirmed location from this new suspected site is 92 miles away in Cumberland County. 

The Women’s History Park in east Franklin has received statewide recognition as a “Great Place for Public Art” for its Sowing the Seeds of the Future sculpture.

The North Carolina chapter of the American Planning Association presents the “Great Places Across NC” awards. The annual awards range from public recreation parks, downtown redevelopment areas, com-prehensive plans and public art. 

Now is the time to submit soil samples for faster turnaround time on results and avoid peak-season testing fees. This year, the peak laboratory season starts Wednesday, Nov. 26, and runs through March 31, 2026.

Samples must physically arrive at the Agronomic Services’ loading dock by Tuesday, Nov. 25, by 5 p.m. or earlier to avoid being charged a peak-season fee of $4 per sample.

Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina (GOTR WNC) will host its annual Fall 5K Presented by AdventHealth. Hundreds of girls, families, coaches and community members will lace up their sneakers for this celebration of confidence, connection and joy. 

Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies will continue to provide funding to ensure Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains open with basic visitor services and limited staffing from Nov. 3, through Jan. 4, 2026. 

Jackson County is now home to two certified forest therapy trails endorsed by the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy. The most recent certified trail is the Jackson County Greenway. The first trail certified was the popular Pinnacle Park lower loop section. 

Haywood Waterways is putting out a call for volunteers to collect water samples.

In 1996, the Volunteer Water Information Network program was established as a water quality monitoring program for many Western North Carolina counties.

Farmers, homeowners and small businesses are invited to safely dispose of unwanted pesticides Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mountain Research Station, 265 Test Farm Road, Waynesville.

This free collection, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and N.C. Cooperative Extension, is open to individuals, farmers and small businesses—no dealers or large retailers. 

Acclaimed Western North Carolina author Thomas Rain Crowe will present his new book, “New Natives: Becoming Indigenous in a Time of Crisis and Transition,” with photographer Simone Lipscomb at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

A planned gift from a longtime Western North Carolina economic development and marketing professional and his spouse has pushed Western Carolina University’s “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign past its minimum goal of $100 million in philanthropic support. 

The U.S. Department of Labor has released additional funds to help North Carolinians get back to work in areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

The new funds, totaling $4 million, represent the remaining portion of a $10 million Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant that the DOL initially awarded to North Carolina in 2024 in the wake of Helene.

Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies will continue to provide funding to ensure Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains open with basic visitor services and limited staffing from Nov. 3, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026. The latest agreement allows the popular Cades Cove Loop Road to remain open to the public along with all visitor centers and picnic areas that are normally open this time of year.

Henry T. and Priscilla M. Ireys will share their new book, “The Keep: Living with the Tame and the Wild on a Mountain Farm,” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 

The “North Carolina Glass 2025” showcase will run through Friday, Dec. 5, in the John W. Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 

The Franklin Chamber of Commerce announced that plans are underway for the Annual Christmas Parade, which will officially ring in the holiday season. The celebration will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30.