You sure as heck can pack a lot into 365 days, especially when it comes to the immensely vibrant arts and culture scenes right here in our backyard of Western North Carolina. 

A special stage production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas Musical Extravaganza” will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, 2 p.m. Dec. 14 and 5 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville. 

The Haywood County Apple Harvest Festival will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in downtown Waynesville.

Hailed as one of the “10 Best Fall Harvest Festivals in the Nation,” the annual festival is a celebration of the autumn harvest and Haywood County’s agricultural heritage, attracting upwards of 20,000 attendees throughout the day. 

The annual Stecoah Harvest Festival will return Oct. 18-19 to the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Robbinsville. 

The 28th annual PumpkinFest will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19, in downtown Franklin. 

A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, Mountain Heritage Day will spotlight its 50th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. 

The Haywood Community Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 16 at the Maggie Valley Community Pavilion, 3935 Soco Road.

Meandering up Fie Top Road in Maggie Valley, just as your vehicle’s engine is pushed to the limit and it seems you may eventually drive off the edge of the earth, you emerge atop a mountain ridge, a large rustic lodge appearing in the distance — the Cataloochee Ranch. 

The Friends of the Greenway (FROG) will host an arts and crafts fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the FROG Quarters, located at 573 East Main St. in Franklin. 

Emergency federal funding provided quick relief to school systems burdened by costs incurred during the COVID-19 Pandemic. For Macon County Schools, some of that funding provided the opportunity for additional art teachers. Now, with that federal funding coming to an end, those additional art positions could be in jeopardy.