Community Tidbits – Winter ’25-’26
Following you’ll find information on local events and programs, interesting people and a variety of opportunities from innovative organizations and businesses.
High Country Radio Marks 75 Years “On the Air” | In our Winter issue, CML Cultural Arts Editor Keith Martin highlights this milestone for a local radio station that, according to the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, “has long been the High Country’s heartbeat, from delivering trusted local news and weather to offering beloved music and programs tailored just for our region.” Read more about the station’s 75th celebration in our print issue. And below, listen to CML publisher Babette McAuliffe, along with Keith Martin, in their recent on-air interview with High Country Radio’s Mark E. Norris of “Wakin’ Up In The High Country / Mark in the Morning”.
Take a Stroll Through Banner Elk | Banner Elk is a winter wonderland this time of year, and offers unlimited fun for visitors to the area. The town’s latest Holiday Stroll Map highlights shops, restaurants and activities happening in the heart of Banner Elk. If you can’t be here to pick up your copy over the holidays, head to bannerelk.com, where you can download a map and access a list of Banner Elk restaurants and an events calendar by scanning a QR code.
2025 Valle Country Fair Sets Record | Last October, the popular fall festival Valle Country Fair in Valle Crucis, NC, shattered its attendance record, with fairgoers numbering more than 12,200 people from at least 23 different states. “The fair is a testament to our community coming together to pull off this massive undertaking, with helpers coming from as far away as the west coast to join our dedicated local volunteers,” said organizers. “We are thrilled that every dollar, every penny raised at the VCF goes back into our community.”
vallecountryfair.org
Denim’s Our National Color… | “So true,” 200 diners at Camp Yonahnoka in Linville might have proudly proclaimed. Dancing in all manner of the iconic indigo-cotton weave, from blue jeans to wrangler jackets, they were best-dressed for a uniquely High Country gala this past September—the Denim Ball. Wearing what some fashion designers indeed playfully call our national color, ball guests celebrated the legacy of North Carolina textile magnate Moses H. Cone (and wife Bertha) for bringing worldwide recognition of denim manufacturing to the U.S. (from 1891). At this, the 8th Denim Ball hosted annually by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, guests and sponsors raised more than $230,000 for ongoing maintenance of the 3,500-acre Cone family estate, Flat Top Manor in Blowing Rock. Some 250,000 visit this
destination on the National Register of Historic Places each year, many wearing denim, too! – Contributed by Gail Greco | Pictured above: Maureen and David Moses; brpfoundation.org
48th Annual Woolly Worm Race Results | This year’s official winner of the 48th Annual Woolly Worm Festival was Maribel Murphy from Indiana, with her winning worm named “Billy.” The firstplace caterpillar earned Maribel a $1,000 cash prize! Each year, the winning woolly worm gets to forecast the upcoming winter weather based on the colors of its
body segments. There are 13 body segments in a Woolly Worm and 13 weeks in the winter season. Each segment of the Woolly Worm corresponds to that week’s weather.
Here we share the winning woolly worm’s coloration and prediction for this winter…
Week 1-4 – Black: Snow and below average temperatures.
Week 5 – Fleck: Light snow or frost, with below-average temps.
Weeks 6-10 – Brown: Average temperatures.
Week 11 – Fleck: Light snow or frost, with below-average temps.
Weeks 12-13 – Black: Snow and chilly, below-average temperatures.
Learn more at Woollyworm.com.
Special Events at Beech Mountain | Join Catalyst Sports at Beech Mountain Ski Resort for the 44th Annual Adaptive Ski Week taking place January 27–30. The oldest adaptive ski clinic in the country is celebrating over four decades of inclusive mountain experiences. This “Learn to Ski & Snowboard” event brings together expert instructors, dedicated volunteers, and participants from across the Southeast for four days on the slopes.
For over 40 years, Beech Mountain Resort has hosted the event, with continued support
from the Costin family and a strong network of adaptive sports programs across the Southeast. Through generous sponsors and volunteers, this event has become a cornerstone of adaptive winter recreation—providing the instructors, equipment, and resources needed to open the slopes to everyone. catalystsports.org/adaptiveskiweek
In early March, join the crew at Beech Mountain for a day of skiing, snowboarding,
and making a difference at the Resort’s annual Runs for Buns event, taking place
March 6-8. Last year’s Runs for Buns event raised more than $112,000 for the Colon
Cancer Coalition. Awards are given for most ski runs, most snowboard runs, top
fundraising team, and most spirited team. Food and music events take place throughout the three days, with the main event on Saturday, March 7. Learn more at coloncancercoalition.org and beechmountainresort.com/event/runs-for-buns-2026/
“Que” Joins Banner Elk Police Dept. | K-9 Que, a two-year-old Labrador Retriever,
is a highly trained police dog specializing in narcotic detection, article searches, and
tracking missing persons. K-9 Que and her handler, Officer Logan Blair, recently
completed an intensive certification course through the National Narcotic Detector Dog
Association.
“This addition strengthens our ability to keep the community safe,” said Chief Kevin
Hodges. “K-9 Que will be an invaluable resource not only in criminal investigations
but also in search and rescue operations and community outreach.”
New Valle Crucis School Now in Session | The new Valle Crucis School project was recently completed and the building opened its doors to students in late October. Before Hurricane Helene, students were holding classes in the old school building, but were displaced by Helene’s destructive floodwaters. To continue the school year, classes had to be split among
four temporary locations. The new building reunites the school’s elementary, middle, and kindergarten students under one roof. On opening day, the community marked the return
of approximately 400 students to a single campus for the first time in over a year.
The new campus includes individual and exploratory classrooms, a gym, a cafeteria,
and outdoor spaces, including a sunken courtyard and vegetable gardens.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors… | “That’s the reason why Blue Ridge Energy was founded in 1936 and remains at the heart of all we do,” says the Blue Ridge Energy team. That spirit
of cooperation and dedication to raising everyone’s quality of life is also the inspiration
behind the company’s community improvement program, Operation Round Up®.
When you join Operation Round Up, your contributions help provide food, clothing, shelter, health care and other vital community services that benefit people in need throughout the energy provider’s service area.
Your contribution also helps keep your neighbors warm in winter by assisting those having trouble paying their electric bill. As a voluntary contributor to Operation Round Up, you choose to have your monthly electric bill rounded up to the next highest dollar amount.
Your monthly contribution could be as little as a penny, but never more than ninety-nine cents. That small amount, combined with other contributors’ amounts, makes a huge difference in the lives that it touches. blueridgeenergy.com/community/operation-round-up
Focusing on Heart Health | February is American Heart Month, which is observed every February to raise awareness about heart disease and promote heart-healthy living. Established by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, it encourages people to take steps to prevent heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. You’ll find an abundance of Healthy Eating and Lifestyle topics at heart.org, the American Heart
Association’s informative website. For those here in the High Country with heart-related issues, the UNC Healthcare Appalachian system includes Heart and Vascular Centers committed to providing you with diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular disease close to home. With three locations in Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties, it has never been
easier for patients to access comprehensive intervention and diagnostic services.
unchealthappalachian.org
Beech Mountain Brewing Co. Wins Meaningful Medal | Beech Mountain Brewing Co. recently took home a bronze medal that it won at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival,
held in Denver, CO, last fall. The Brewery’s Red Baron Vienna Lager stood out among hundreds of entries from top breweries nationwide. “This award is a testament to
our team’s dedication to brewing authentic, balanced beers that reflect the spirit
of the mountains and the community we love,” shares Head Brewer Aaron Maas
(pictured above). Visit Beech Mountain Brewing Co. this winter and raise a glass
to the Red Baron and its brew team—the Taproom & Grill has a freshly renovated
space and updated menu this season. beechmountainbrewingco.com
Keep the “Wild” in Wildlife | This winter, please refrain from feeding deer. According to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, feeding deer can:
– provide food sources that are often less nutritious and that can compromise the animals’ digestive systems; deer are adapted to adjust as their diet changes throughout the year–eating anything they don’t feed on naturally can cause severe illness or even death.
– discourage deer to forage for themselves, which in turn makes them less resilient.
– increase disease risk (which can spread to other deer).
The biggest action High Country residents and visitors can take to encourage healthy deer populations in our area is to keep them dependent on their natural food sources. White-tailed deer by Ken Taylor, courtesy of NCWRC
Tour the Historic Banner Elk School | The historic 1939 stone building in downtown Banner is home to the Town’s Cultural Arts Center and one of the many stops on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails (https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/blue-ridge-craft-trails/). Shop for local arts and crafts at BE Artists Gallery (www.beartistsgallery.com), book tickets for live theatre performances at the Ensemble Stage Theater (ensemblestage.com), “bring a book, take a book” at the Banner Elk Book Exchange (BannerElkBookExchange.com), learn about the Lees-McRae student organization, Common Ground, at commongroundlmc.org, enjoy yoga at Playful Heart Studio, and pick up an extra copy of CML at the CML Magazine “headquarters.” (CMLmagazine.online)
Let Us Hear from You! Have an event or tidbit you’d like to share with CML readers? Send your information to the editor at tamara@NCexplorers.com.