Presented by the Town of Sylva, the 27th annual Greening Up the Mountains festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 26, along Main Street and Bridge Park in Sylva. 

A beloved Western North Carolina tradition, the “Easter Hat Parade” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 19, in downtown Dillsboro. 

An evening of old-time dancing (contras, rounds, squares and mixers) will be held from 7-9 a.m. Thursday, March 20, at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center in Franklin.  

This past weekend our family attended the 4th annual Waynesville Chili Cookoff Stroll in downtown. The event spanned the districts of Main Street, Frog Level and Haywood Street and lasted from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The Plunge is back for its 13th consecutive year. On Saturday, Feb. 8, Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) and Lake Junaluska Assembly are hosting the annual “Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek & Environmental Education.” 

The 16th annual ColorFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, in downtown Dillsboro. 

On a sunny morning, I met Robin Arramae at Panacea Coffee House in the Frog Level District of Waynesville. We sat on the back deck amid other coffee-goers and the relaxing sounds of a nearby creek. The goal was to conduct an interview about her popular business, WNC Paint Events. 

The Marianna Black Library in Bryson City has Fitness Classes each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Fitness is known to build strength and energy, help with focus and assist with weight loss.

The Haywood Community College Foundation is hosting the inaugural Charity Disc Golf Tournament, Discs in the Dogwoods, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, June 13, on the campus of Haywood Community College in Clyde. 

Kids ages 5-13 can become citizen scientists.