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.

This year’s leaf season is extending. It is still beautiful in Burnsville, and on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it is supposed to be a high of 75 degrees all week. So come on the one of the prettiest parts of the world you can imagine.

This weekend is the WNC Literary Festival, come and see some great seminars on writing and learn about some wonderful books. Fred Chappel is speaking and reading his poetry.

Old Timey Day will be Sept. 24 most all day, with all sorts of events on the Town Square starting with a parade of old tractors and cars.

Come and enjoy the fun

Leaf looking season runs from late Sept to early Nov, depending on the weather we get and the altitude and we get booked up in Oct. So plan ahead and give us a call. Hope to see you soon.

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.

Tractor Food and Farms

Check out our director, Robin Smith, and grower, Adam McCurry, discussing TRACTOR and our upcoming Farm-to-Fork Dinner on WJHL’s Daytime Tri-Cities from last Friday!

The dinner is on September 4th from 6 to 9 PM and tickets are available NOW on our website.

Amy talks to Yancey County farmer Adam McCurry and Robin Smith, director of TRACTOR (Toe River Aggregation Center Training Organization Regional) about their organization and upcoming Farm to Fork Dinner on the Square event.  http://wjhl.com/…/tractors-farm-to-fork-event-in-yancey-co…/

For more information, check out TRACTOR’s website.

There will be fireworks on the Square tonite and at Mountain Air on the 4th. Tonite the square will be full of telescopes to do some stargazing after the fireworks.  Happy 4th America…

The Blind Squirrel Restaurant is open serving food and their own hand crafted beers.