Riddle Fest is June 25th, music by the man who inspired the Carter Family. Headlined by the Burnsville Jubilee Choir with pianist Brian Gurl. An Easley tribute by singer song/writer Steve Barnes
Burnsville is #3 in WNC Magazine’s “13 Best Small Towns in WNC”
Sometimes, smaller is better. That’s certainly the case with those comparatively little towns that offer an unexpectedly large amount of amenities, entertainment, and recreation for locals and visitors alike. Just what is it that makes a small town great? We found out by exploring 13 in Western North Carolina that share some characteristics—a population under 5,000, a pedestrian-friendly downtown, ample food and nightlife options—but possess unique attributes as well.
Written by Jonathan Ammons, Jon Elliston, Tim W. Jackson, Randy Johnson & Melissa Reardon
3. Burnsville {pop. 1,693}
Nearby Penland School of Crafts has certainly played a role in establishing the Burnsville area as a haven for high-caliber artisans. Many of their works can be found at The Design Gallery or at the Toe River Arts Council in downtown. Though if you want to explore more in depth, embark on TRAC’s biannual Studio Tour, held every June and December. And the Mt. Mitchell Craft Fair, which takes over Burnsville’s quaint town square and celebrates its 60th anniversary in June, offers even more opportunity to shop for local art and crafts.
Culturally speaking, the Parkway Playhouse presents top-notch theater productions, and the Appalachian Quilt Trails offer routes to roam the countryside and learn about historic and notable sights marked by hand-painted quilt squares. Writers can partake in the offerings as well at the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, held in September. And outdoor enthusiasts will love the town’s close proximity to Mt. Mitchell, accessible via the Mt. Mitchell Scenic Byway, which meanders through the lovely Toe River Valley.
There is also plenty on offer in downtown, with dozens of businesses scattered near the charming town square park. Shopping options include home accouterments at A Touch of Cass and 5,000 square feet of art and antiques at Menagerie Mercantile, while the list of restaurants ranges from pancake breakfasts and pulled-pork lunches at Pig & Grits to pub fare and pints at the local watering hole, Snap Dragon. Learn more at www.exploreburnsville.com.
—Melissa Reardon
Cycling ‘Final Four’ returned to WNC
Teams from across the country descended on Western North Carolina for the 2016 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. After years of dominance by Western locales, last year’s event was held here under a two-year contract with USA Cycling. This year’s edition Friday to Sunday, May 13-15, saw top college athletes face off in Division I and Division II competition in Madison County and nearby Burnsville. Continue reading Cycling ‘Final Four’ returned to WNC
Parkway Playhouse opens its 70th Season May 7 with Steel Magnolias
N.C. State Parks Centennial Celebration
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
Annual Burnsville Metric – Apr. 30
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.
Spring has sprung
It is incredibly beautiful at the moment, the flowers and trees are blooming and the weather is great…Come and see us…North Carolina in the Spring is the best.
January
It is beautiful here, the sun is shining on the fallen snow, and it is melting. It was 10 degrees this morning, but warm as toast inside.
It it supposed to warm up today and the snow gone by early this week.
Keep well and warm
Halloween
We will have about 400-500 Trick or Treators at the Terrell House on Sat, so come and have a look, or come and stay and help….
Find Great Riches in Nature, Art in N.C. Mountains
In Burnsville, N.C., both the only town and county seat of Yancey County, you won’t find a lot of the things that often come to wealthier places – high-rise buildings, avenues of McMansions, also gridlock traffic and the noise of honking horns.
What you will find in this small, mountain town and its surrounding area are great riches in nature and art.
Indeed, Yancey County is the most mountainous county in North Carolina, having within its boundaries five of the highest peaks in eastern America, including Mount Mitchell, which, at 6,684 feet, is the highest point east of the Mississippi. Amid these peaks lie not only diverse forests, nationally protected land and a host of small communities, but a population that is thick with artists.
You cannot roam far without encountering an artist, public work of art, mural, artist studio or gallery. Scattered around the county, you will see the work of woodworkers, glassblowers, potters, metalsmiths, weavers, quilters, basketmakers, painters, sculptors, papermakers, photographers and more. Everywhere you look there is nature inspiring art.
Visitors will delight in the local galleries such as the downtown Burnsville Toe River Arts Council (TRAC) Gallery. Stop in at One of a Kind Art Gallery in nearby Micaville, N.C. Call ahead to visit artists in their studios/galleries. Many of them, including Potter, Claudia Dunaway and mixed-media artist John Richards at Yummy Mud Puddle, as well as glassblower Rob Levin welcome visitors to enjoy a behind-the-scenes look and see their work.
Plan ahead to take part in the Toe River Studio Tour held twice annually in June and December. Save a lazy afternoon to drive through the Mount Mitchell Scenic Byway Quilt Trail.
Art takes the stage at the Parkway Playhouse where the 2015 season is in full swing. Coming up are performances of All Shook Up, Red, and The Glass Menagerie. Many artistic events and festivals take place in Burnsville’s town square.
Continue reading Find Great Riches in Nature, Art in N.C. Mountains