WNC Magazine  Sep/Oct 2017
Writer: Melissa Readon
Photographer: Hannah Brown

One great reason to head to Burnsville is to visit Mount Mitchell, the East’s tallest peak: The Yancey County town sits in its shadow, just north. But there are plenty of other reasons to go, including a robust artist community, a quaint and thriving downtown, and the starriest night skies around. You could make a day trip, but to take it all in, spend several days and plan to go during one of the town’s myriad celebrations, such as the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival (September 7-9).

One attraction not to miss is the new Bare Dark Sky Observatory, which opened in June at Mayland Community College’s Earth to Sky Park. Community nights are held once a week, when the public can sign up and pay $10 for the chance to peer through the largest optical telescope for public use in North Carolina. The 34-inch custom-built Newtonian scope can make visible galaxies that are around 30 million light years away. In 2014, Burnsville became the first International Dark Sky Park in the southeastern United States, a designation that recognizes and protects places with distinguished starry nights. There are currently only 52 such parks worldwide.

For as many stars as there are in the sky, the number of artists in the Burnsville area might come close. The Toe River Arts Council is the nexus for this talented community of creators, so a stop at TRAC’s gallery downtown is a must (there’s a second location in nearby Spruce Pine). You can check out the work of some 100 artists. Or better yet, plan to visit during one of the biannual studio strolls, when you can go straight to the source. The next one is December 1-3.

A quick jaunt away (four miles down NC 80) is One of a Kind Art Gallery in Micaville. Grab a coffee or gelato next door at Maples and then browse the huge collection of exquisitely crafted pottery, jewelry, garden art, and more, all made by area artists. On Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m., the gallery hosts $5 concerts in the loft above the store. Featuring local musicians, these gatherings are great opportunities to mix and mingle with the community.

You could also cheers with local characters over a pint at one of two new-ish breweries in town: Homeplace offers a varied selection of beers made with locally sourced ingredients, and Blind Squirrel Brewery serves beer, wine, and food that can be enjoyed inside or out on the street-side patio—perfect for people-watching.

Don’t leave town without stopping into Rad Dawgz Hotdog Joint. This hip eatery serves up the chill surfer vibe in spades, with surfboards and colorful tiki-themed paraphernalia tastefully hung about. The counter-service joint offers 57-plus (a nod to Heinz 57) toppings, and recently added tacos to the menu. Upstairs, there’s a game room, retro lounge area, and I-spy tables full of vintage toys and trinkets. Conveniently, you can satisfy dessert cravings next door at the rockabilly-esque Cool Catz Candy & Cream—a sweet finale to a sweet excursion.

Continue reading Road Trip to Burnsville: Discover Close Encounters With Creative Characters and Starry Nights →

By Sue Wasserman

If Jon Wilmesherr has his druthers, more Western North Carolina residents and visitors will be taking a walk on the dark side. Don’t worry. His plot isn’t sinister, just celestial. The director of Academic Support Services and Learning Resources Center for Mayland Community College (MCC) is eager to show off the recently opened Bare Dark Sky Observatory located at the college’s Earth to Sky Park in Burnsville. The observatory is named for two key donors: Warren and Larissa Bare.

The basics are stellar enough. The observatory sits at an elevation of just over 2,700 feet and offers a 360-degree view. What elevates the experience to “out of this world” status is the site’s certification as a Certified Star Park from the International Dark-Sky Association, meaning it’s about as pitch dark as possible to ensure an optimum star-gazing opportunity. This is the first such certification to be given in the southeastern US—and one of only 15 in the world.

While the dark sky provides a perfect backdrop, the sky’s the limit thanks to a custom-built f/3.6 StarStructure Newtonian telescope with a 34-inch mirror, the largest such telescope in the Southeast dedicated for public use. It has been nicknamed the “Sam” for long-time MCC funder Sam Phillips, whose Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation provided funding.

“It took us a long time to get the observatory just right,” says MCC president John Boyd. “We’ve already fielded international calls and visits from people who are excited to see what we’ve been able to accomplish.” With the observatory launched, the college is now focused on funding a planetarium that will be constructed in the park. The goal is to integrate education and tourism.

“We look forward to being able to give our students, residents and visitors access to a facility that doesn’t exist elsewhere in the Southeast,” Boyd adds. “I have no doubt this observatory is going to become a great source of pride for the region.”

MCC Foundation executive director Margaret Earley- Thiele sparkles when talking about her most recent star-studded observatory visit. “Not only could we see Jupiter, we could see its four moons and the colors of the gas clouds surrounding it. When we looked at the moon, we could see individual craters. I felt like we were sitting in a space ship looking out. It was pretty spectacular.”

Visits to the observatory are by reservation only. The facility is also available for evening rentals. MCC provides onsite transportation. For more information, visit mayland.edu/observatory or call 828-766-1233.

23rd Annual Burnsville Metric Offers Two Options

Listen to a segment about the Metric April 12th on “Breakfast with The 828” on Rewind 100.3.

23rd Annual Burnsville Metric Offers Two Options

It’s known for being one of the most scenic rides in the state, and every mile you pedal makes a difference for local heroes. Mark the start of the spring and summer cycling season with the 23rd annual Burnsville Metric, April 29 through Yancey and Mitchell counties. This year’s event includes the usual 60.7-mile loop, as well as a shorter 43-mile ride.

The ride, which is casual and not considered a race, begins and ends in downtown Burnsville on the historic Town Square. The route heads west on US 19E toward Asheville, turns north as it follows the Cane River, heads east to Bakersville and then winds its way south down NC 80 along the Toe River before returning to Burnsville.

The shorter ride splits off at mile 30, heading back to Burnsville along Jacks Creek Road.

“It’s exciting to get out first thing on a cool spring morning,” says Van Roldan of the planning committee and owner of Solstice Cycles. “People ride around Town Square to warm up. The event brings together a lot of old friends and different organizations that ride together.”

The ride is organized by a small group of volunteers who promote bicycling in the scenic northern mountains, and the event supports several nonprofits in the area. In the last five years, the Burnsville Metric has raised nearly $25,000 for local volunteer fire departments and rescue squads, along with Hospice, Healthy Yancey, Mountain Heritage Eco Club and others.

Scenic mountain roads and low population density make the area ideal for cycling.

“We love riding these mountains,” Roldan says. “And we love to share that with others. We look forward to bringing people up here to ride.”

Three well-supplied rest stops will be located along the route. Roving SAG support vehicles will patrol the course to provide mechanical assistance.

After the cyclists return to Town Square, the Nu Wray Inn will serve a post-race meal on the deck. Barbecue plates consist of pulled pork, bread, potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans. Blind Squirrel Brewery, a Plumtree-based brewery that opened its Burnsville Outpost taproom and restaurant this past summer, will provide craft beer.

Early registration, through April 15, is $45 for adults and $35 for full-time students, age 22 or younger. All registrations after April 15 are $55. The post-race meal is included in the registration fee; additional plates may be purchased for $12 each. Day-of registration and packet pickup begin at 7:15 am at Burnsville Town Center. The ride starts at 9. You can sign up here.

Beginning Friday Dec. 2, the landscape of Mitchell and Yancey counties changes for a weekend. As if blooming from beneath the muted grays and shadowy rusts of fallen leaves, hundreds of big red and white “Studio Tour” signs will dot the roadways, intersections, and front and side yards. All lead the way to a magical tour of arts and artists.

Each day through Sunday, Dec. 4 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. determined visitors will travel the highways and back roads in search of a piece of art and the creative artist behind it. The second of two open studio tours that the Toe River Arts Council sponsored this year, the event has been happening for over two decades in the beautiful Toe River Valley.

People plan their vacations around these TRAC fall tours, seeing artists they’ve gotten to know over the years. Many people will embark on the tour for the first time this year. Studio tour signs will help them navigate the new territory and give them comfort in knowing they are on the right path. Still others will continue to marvel at the numbers of artists who live and work so close to the Swannanoa Valley.

The signs point to studios of new, established and visiting artists working in clay, glass, fiber, wood, metal, photography and paint. Many mix media. Some make jewelry, craft soap or weave blankets. All open their studios every year for one magical weekend in December.

The tour – as much or as little as you want of it – is an adventure. And it’s free. There are excellent restaurants and hotels in the area, and gorgeous scenery to be seen.

The Toe River Arts Council hosts a reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at its Spruce Pine gallery, 269 Oak Ave. There one will find works from the participants, displayed geographically to make the tour easy to plan (the work will be on display through the end of the year). There are too many artists to visit in a day, but with the tour guide brochure, available at TRAC galleries in Spruce Pine and Burnsville, will give visitors directions.

The Toe River Arts Council, a 40-year-old, not-for-profit organization, can be contacted at toeriverarts.org, 828-682-7215 and 828-765-0520.

Farm to Fork Dining on the Square in Burnsville

Long tables covered in linen will line Main Street in downtown Burnsville Sunday, September 4, when the first Farm to Fork Dining on the Square event is hosted from 6–9 P.M. The community dinner benefits the agricultural nonprofit Toe River Aggregation Center Training Organization Regional (TRACTOR).

“It will be an elegant evening,” says Robin Smith, director of TRACTOR, “a seated affair with white tablecloths and china.”

Beginning at 6 P.M., spirits and hors d’oeuvres will be served on the porch of the Nu Wray Inn. The seated meal for up to 230 guests will follow, consisting of multiple courses prepared by White Falls Catering. TRACTOR will have purchased the ingredients from farmers and proceeds will go toward the nonprofit’s mission to spread awareness of local agriculture, broaden access to fresh food, and increase farm income in the community.

TRACTOR works with more than 50 small farms throughout Yancey, Mitchell, Burke, McDowell, Avery, Madison, and Buncombe counties. The organization aggregates produce from farms, processes it, and distributes it to retailers and restaurants. “This event not only provides income to farmers, but also supports existing businesses and brings attention to the town center,” Robin says. “The broader vision is to promote agriculture as an economic driver and teach the community about how we’re all interrelated.”

Tickets are $125 per person and are available at the Yancey County Cooperative Extension office, TRACTOR office, and Yancey County/Burnsville Chamber of Commerce. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit tractorfoodandfarms.com or call 828.682.7413.

North Carolina’s State Parks set an attendance record in 2015, welcoming 17.3 million visitors to the state’s 41 parks and recreational areas, an increase of 1.7 million from 2014.

 Mount Mitchell State Park is the highest point east of the Mississippi.

The attendance figure is expected to grow again in 2016, when the state’s park system celebrates a centennial of providing history, outdoor recreation and education to visitors.

In March 1915, after a group of citizens urged the government to protect the Summit of Mount Mitchell (the highest peak in the eastern U.S. at 6,684 feet above Yancey County) the N.C. General Assembly authorized Mount Mitchell as the first North Carolina State Park. With the property acquired by the state in 1916, the first state parks system in the nation began.

This year, North Carolina celebrates 100 years of state parks growth, from 525 acres on Mount Mitchell to more than 228,000 acres across the state today. Visitors travel through the gates of these parks to learn more about an area’s bio-diversity, history and culture, escape into wilderness, grab a picnic under a tree, paddle the waterways, hike various levels of trails, follow the footprints of critters and breathe in the smells of the surrounding flora.

Mt. Mitchell will be hosting a signature event August 27th

You can learn more about North Carolina’s State Parks Centennial Celebration by visiting this article from the April 2016 issue of Carolina Country

Yancey & Mitchell Counties, Burnsville Bike Ride

The 22nd annual Burnsville Metric takes place on the scenic roads of Yancey and Mitchell counties. This event is near Asheville, NC and Johnson City, TN off I-26.  and is 60.7 miles long with three well-supplied rest stops. Registration and packet pick-up: Burnsville Town Center, 7:15 a.m.-8:45 a.m. Ride begins 9 a.m. Nu Wray Inn will provide a post-race barbecue meal.