The Jackson Paper Manufacturing Company has awarded a $500 scholarship to Candace Erin Ridley, a Smoky Mountain High School graduate whose father works at Jackson Paper.

This fall, Ridley will enter Southwestern Community College, where she is enrolled in the physical therapist assistant program. Jackson Paper has been awarding college scholarships annually to the children of its employees since 1992. Recipients are selected based on their grade point average, letters of recommendation, and school and community activities and honors.

Smoky Mountain OB/GYN will hold a patient appreciation day from 1 until 4 p.m. Saturday, July 9.

All past, present and future patients are encouraged to attend. There will be a magician, face painting, watermelon, a cakewalk, balloons and refreshments. Attendees will also have a chance to meet the new nurse midwives, Melanie Emery, CNM and Anne Karner, CNM, and visit with existing providers, Dr. Janine Keever, Dr. Anton Van Duuren, Ellen Howard, CNM, and Betsy Swift, CNM.

828.631.1960.

The Jackson County Public Library will hold a “yard sale” on Saturday, July 9, from 8 a.m. until noon inside the old library.

Items in the sale include free-standing bookshelves, chairs, tables, desks, filing cabinets and some miscellaneous items from the old library, prior to the move to the new facility.

Each sale item will be tagged with a cost. Prices are non-negotiable. Cash is the only acceptable form of payment. Buyers are asked to bring vehicles to remove the items by the close of the sale at noon. No pre-sale viewing will be allowed.

Cackleberry Mountain’s yearly charitable campaign has returned, and through it, you can purchase a raffle ticket for $3 to benefit The Good Samaritan Clinic of Haywood County, a nonprofit medical clinic serving adults in Haywood County.

The clinic provides life-changing health care and mental health services to many who are struggling financially to make ends meet. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to the clinic. Raffle tickets available through June 30. 828.452.2432.

Steve Brown, the former head of the Haywood County Schools Foundation, has been named the director of foundations for three hospitals under MedWest Health System in Haywood, Jackson and Swain counties.

Brown said he is excited about the opportunity to work on behalf of health care in the region. His father, Dr. Alan Brown, was a prominent and dedicated doctor in the community and founder of Midway Medical Center. He remembers his childhood playing in the unused areas of the old hospital while his dad worked.

With 11 years of experience in all phases and development as executive director, Brown said he is excited about developing a 10-year strategic plan to help MedWest Health System grow.

“This is an opportunity for me to spread the good word about MedWest to people who know and trust me,” Brown said.

Patsy Dowling, the executive director of Mountain Projects, has been appointed to serve on the Haywood Community College Board of Trustees.

Dowling was appointed to the HCC board last week by Haywood County commissioners. She is one of 12 college trustees.

For 13 years, Dowling has been director of Mountain Projects, a nonprofit agency that administers social assistance programs for the elderly, disabled and poor. She has been active in numerous civic organizations.

Dowling was nominated for the post by Mark Clasby, the county’s economic development director.

Haywood Community College and Haywood County Schools have signed an agreement between the schools that will give high school students credit at HCC for certain courses.

More than 35 courses are included in the agreement, which will be recognized by HCC if they got a grade of “B” or higher and a proficiency level of “93” on the VOCATS, and recommendation of their instructor. Some courses included are: Business, Web Design, Marketing, Masonry, Construction, Drafting, Allied Health, Horticulture, Networking, and Welding.  

828.627.4500 or www.haywood.edu/high_school_programs or 828.456.2400.

On the second Mondays of the month, City Lights Bookstore in Sylva hosts the Sylva Monday Mingle with free appetizers, free massage and free tastings in the café from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The third Mondays of the month are game nights with games in the bookstore, and Cornhole and Washers in the café from 6 to 8 p.m. The third Thursdays of the month are Coffee with the Poet at 10:30 a.m., while the fourth Tuesdays of the month are Yappy Hour & Puppuchino Day with Pups on the Patio from 6 to 8 p.m. The proceeds from coffee drinks that day benefit ARF, an animal rescue organization.

www.citylightsnc.com

There will be four different Family Clay Day workshops on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning July 8 at Southwestern Community College’s Swain Center.

In the July 8 workshop, participants will create Dr. Seuss Houses. On July 15, Clay Critters will be created. July 22 will be Face Jugs, where participants will learn to create a jug and put a face on it. The final workshop on July 29 will deal with Treasure Boxes. Children ages 8 to 12 are invited and class size is limited.

828.488.6413

The Art League of the Smokies will meet at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, at the Swain County Center for the Arts. A DVD with Tom Lynch titled “Secrets of Painting on Watercolor Canvas” will be shown to exhibit various tips and techniques for working on watercolor canvas with any water media.

Some tips and techniques that will be demonstrated in the DVD are: preparation of the watercolor canvas, wet on wet, bright over dark, texturing techniques, variety of edges, dry brush, pure color highlights, use of natural hair brushes, dry lifting, tape resist, liquid frisket resist, gallery wrap edges and spray fixative finish.

Anyone interested can attend free of charge. 828.488.7843

As part of a summer series of music, Lee Knight will visit the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City for an evening of traditional music and storytelling at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 30.  

Raised in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, Knight became interested in folk music while in high school. During college, he became familiar with the music and stories of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, learning them people who had them as part of their culture and community for generations. He has also collected songs and stories from other parts of the world, including England, Scotland, Central Asia, Columbia and the Amazon region of Peru.

This program is free and open to the public. 828.488.3030 or visit www.fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

Mountain Artisans Arts and Crafts Show will be at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 2 and 3. William H. Roy from Macon County will be at the show to unveil his Uncle Sam folk art statue and will also be selling his one-of-a-kind sculptures. Other Macon County participants will include Hugh Franklin, who will be demonstrating pottery throwing and Janet Anderson, a glass artist.

New exhibits this year will include Arlene Ball, who paints ornaments, and Betty Cabe, who creates corn shuck dolls. Neal and Nanci Hearn will be back with glass boxes, copper sculpture and jewelry. Steve Simonelli, a master woodcrafter, will be present along with Laura Nelle Gobel, who will demonstrate traditional quilting on her lap frame. Other items that will be available are: pine needle baskets, weavings, goat milk soap, and woven cotton rugs and soup mixes from Louisiana. Contemporary crafts will include jewelry, glass art, woodcraft and sculpture. Demonstrators will be making brooms, blacksmithing, and basket weaving.

Admission is $3 for adults and children under 12 are free. Parking is free and concessions are available. 828.524.3405 or visit www.mountainArtisans.net.

The 3rd Annual Steve Whiddon Music Fest will be at 6 p.m. on July 8 at the Grandview Lodge. The proceeds from this event will benefit the four animal non-profit agencies in Haywood County, Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation, Save the Animals Rescue (STAR) Ranch, HAWA Spay/Neuter and The Francis Fund. Featured artists will include The Steve Whiddon Band, Karen “Sugar” Barnes and Dave Magill, Angie Toomie, Bobby Wallace Country Classics, Susan Costine and more, plus a few big surprises.

The event will be held inside the Grandview Lodge and on the wrap-around porch. Haywood Equipment Rental is donating tents, tables, and chairs for additional space. The fish fry buffet dinner will be served following a short skit by the four animal non-profit agencies along with an introduction of animals available for adoptions.  

Tickets are $25. 828.421.1290 or visit www.grandviewlodgenc.com.

Galleries in Sylva and Waynesville will stay open late this Friday, July 1, for evening art walks held the first Friday of the month.

This month in Sylva, the Hallway Gallery will feature fresh paintings of blooming rhododendrons representing late spring. Just for summer inspirations include paintings of mountains, lakes, waterfalls and beach scenes of a realistic style.

Robert L. Shook will be signing his novel A Journey in Courage from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Monday, July 4, at Books Unlimited in Franklin.

Based on the true story of Shook’s ancestors, the book captures the incredible legacy of the Schuck family, a family connected by their faith in God and their deep love for their country and one another. This fascinating account will treat you to a remarkable three-dimensional trip through time and leave a lasting impression on your heart.

828.369.7942

Laura Boosinger will begin the 2011 Songcatchers Music series at the Cradle of Forestry at 6 p.m. on July 3. Also performing will be the local old-time music trio Galloway, Gordon and Hudson.

Boosinger’s music focuses on the interpretation of traditional music from the southern mountains. She plays banjo, guitar, dulcimer and autoharp.

The Songcatchers Music Series continues with the Crooked Pine Band on July 10, Sparky and Rhonda on July 17, Josh Goforth on July 24 and Don Pedi and Bruce Greene on July 31. Admission for all shows is $6 ages 16 and older, and $3 for 15 and under and America the Beautiful and Golden Age pass holders. The Cradle of Forestry is located on U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, six miles north of Looking Glass Falls and four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Attendees can bring picnics, chairs, and blankets for use on the grass. Concert-goers can arrive early and view indoor and outdoor exhibits, two interpretive trails and the Cradle of Forestry’s gift shop

828.877.3130 or visit www.cradleofforestry.org.

Jaime Lauren Webb, a singer-songwriter, will be performing from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, July 1, at the Wine Seller in downtown Waynesville. She will be performing with her banjo, ukulele, harmonica, and harp. Jarred Teague will also be performing.

ClassicWineSeller.com

The Friends of the Library Used Book Store in Jackson County received a large donation of books that includes some historical fiction books and many non-fiction history books. The books deal with U.S. history, military history, the Civil War and World War II. Many are first editions and some are signed copies.

Also included with the collection are approximately 100 videos on a variety of subjects, including Walt Disney classics and some series. First editions of fiction and non-fiction books with a variety of titles from other donations are also on display at the bookstore.

828.586.1640 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Local author Barbara Dumas Ballew will be available to sign copies of her novel, George’s Creek to Georgia, July 1 and 2, at the Smoky Mountain Firecracker Fest in Franklin.

George’s Creek to Georgia is a journey through four generations of Barbara Dumas Ballew’s family. Ballew, a genealogist and storyteller, takes readers back to a simpler time when a young, illiterate pioneer purchased land for his first farm, met the woman of his dreams and started a family.

888.361.9473 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The annual Firecracker 5K sponsored by the Bryson City Rotary Club is set for Monday, July 4, in conjunction with downtown festivities scheduled for later that day.

The race will begin at 8 a.m. with registration starting at 6:45 a.m.

It’s a fast, flat, road race through the Deep Creek community near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The race begins and ends at the administration building in downtown Bryson City.

Cost is $20 with a T-shirt or $15 without a T-shirt if you register online by 5 p.m. Friday, July 1. Cost goes up $5 afterwards.

To register by mail, send checks payable to Rotary Club of Bryson City with the completed registration form to Brian Thomas, P.O. Box 2305, Bryson City NC 28713.

www.runbrysoncity.com or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.342.5015.

Stories of Appalachian conservation by a native son and award-winning storyteller Gary Carden will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 30, in Highlands.

The program is hosted by the Highlands Biological Foundation as part of the “Think About Thursdays” summer event series. The event will be held at the Highlands Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Road.) Free. 828.526.2221.

A raising trout class will be held Saturday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for ages 4 to 7. The event will cover the ins and outs of the Bobby N. Setzer trout hatchery operations, plus kids can feed the fish. The program is free, but spaces are limited and pre-registration is required. 828.877.4423

On Friday, July 1, a Women’s Introduction to Fly Fishing class will be presented from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., covering equipment, knots, casting techniques and aquatic entomology.  Equipment and materials provided. The program is free and open to ages 12 and up. Spaces are limited and pre-registration is required. 828.877.4423.

The Canary Coalition will hold its annual membership meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30, in Sylva.

All members of the public interested in grassroots action to further this cause are invited. There will be a general discussion about the direction of the organization. Director Avram Friedman called the past year a “landmark” one for the group.

The Canary Coalition began in 1999 as a small, dedicated group of grassroots activists who were determined to bring clean air back to the mountains of Western North Carolina. Since then the organization has grown to include more than 2,000 people, organizations and businesses. Most are here in North Carolina, but there are now 23 states with members represented in the Canary Coalition.

The Canary Coalition’s annual meeting includes a potluck dinner. Bring a favorite dish to share, along with a plate or bowl, cup and silverware.

The results of the annual board of directors’ elections will be announced at the meeting.

The meeting will be at the Community Services Building, room 234, at 538 Scotts Creek Road. www.canarycoalition.org.

The U.S. Forest Service is warning hikers and campers that there has been an increase in black bear encounters in the vicinity of Graveyard Fields on the Pisgah Ranger District.

There have also been reports of increased bear activity around North Mills River and Wash Creek areas. Although none of these areas are currently closed, forest users are encouraged to use caution and follow bear-safety practices when in the forest.

Suggested practices include:

• Keeping a clean camp site by properly disposing of food scraps and garbage.

• Not leaving food or coolers unattended.

• Never storing food in a tent.

• Staying away from any black bears spotted in the area.

“Hunters of the Sky,” a program featuring live birds of prey, will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, at the Village Commons at the Crossroads in Cashiers.

The program, by Michael Skinner of Balsam Mountain Trust, is part of the Village Nature Series. This is a rare opportunity to learn about the Bald Eagle, Peregrine falcon, and other birds of prey.

Before working at Balsam Mountain Trust, Skinner was the Emmy nominated host of “Georgia Outdoors” on Georgia Public Television. He is an experienced field ecologist, naturalist, nature photographer and environmental educator.

The event is free. The Village Nature Series is the result of collaboration between two local non-profits: Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust and the Village Green. www.hicashlt.org or www.villlagegreencashiersnc.com.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking nominees for its annual Lawrence G. Diedrick Small Game Award, given to an individual and an organization whose actions significantly and positively impact North Carolina’s small game populations, including Northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse, squirrel and rabbit.

In the individual category, past award winners were landowners who improved and integrated small game habitat into their forestry or farming operations. In the organization category, past award winners included corporations, government agencies, and non-government organizations whose actions improved small game habitat.

Nominations for this year’s award are due Aug. 1.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission,  Division of Wildlife Management, c/o Martha Homovec, 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1722.

Fifth graders at Clyde Elementary school worked with Haywood Waterways Association to stencil storm drains in their school campus parking lot this month.

The drains now provide the message that the water that flows into them goes straight into the stream next to the school and on to the Pigeon River. The students not only learned where water goes once it disappears through the grates of a storm drain, but also broadcast it to the public.

Christine O’Brien, project assistant, and Jane Falkenstein, outreach specialist, with Haywood Waterways, went over the basics of the water cycle and demonstrated why it’s so important to use water wisely, and keep it clean and free of debris.  

Then, using bright green paint and stencils to label each storm drain in the parking lot, kids cleaned each area, set up the stencils, and spray painted each one.

“It was environmental stewardship in action, a perfect example of how education plus service learning and a chance to make a difference can lead to a sense of ownership by the kids and a feeling of responsibility for taking care of our waterways,” O’Brien said.

The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will hold its annual summer meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 27, at Monteith Farmstead Park in Dillsboro.

Anyone interested in water quality is welcome. The meeting will include an overview of WATR initiatives and projects, including creek cleanups.

People can also check out the new Interpretive Buffer Trail being constructed with the help of the Oconaluftee Jobs Corps students. This trail demonstrates the critical benefits of a natural riparian buffer to the health of creeks and forests. 

Dinner will consist of hot dogs, potato salad, and cookies, plus drinks. It is free, though contributions are welcome.

828.506.0899 or www.WATRnc.org.

Recent storms have left debris on and other damage to trails in Panthertown Valley, a national forest recreation area located in southern Jackson County near Cashiers.

Friends of Panthertown will hold a workday to clean up those trails from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Meet at Salt Rock trail-head (located at the end of Breedlove Road). Tools will be provided.

www.panthertown.org or 828.269.4453.

Western Carolina University faculty member and writer Ron Rash is putting the final touches on his new novel even as he is honored for the contributions he has made to Southern literature through his previous novels, short stories and poems.

Rash, who serves as WCU’s Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Culture, is currently making last revisions to The Cove, which is scheduled for release next April. Set in Western North Carolina during World War I, the novel tells the story of a mountain woman who comes upon a mysterious stranger in the woods whom she saves from a near-fatal accident.

As Rash gets The Cove ready for publication, he also is working on a new book of short stories. He has about one-third of the stories written, and one of them, “The Trusty,” was recently published in The New Yorker magazine, along with an interview with Rash.

Rash is the author of seven books of fiction set in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (including the best-selling novel Serena) and three books of poetry. A native of Boiling Springs who was raised there and in Chester, S.C., he teaches Appalachian literature and creative writing at WCU.

Local author Barbara Dumas Ballew will be available to sign copies of her novel, George’s Creek to Georgia, July 1 and 2, at the Smoky Mountain Firecracker Fest in Franklin.

George’s Creek to Georgia is a journey through four generations of Barbara Dumas Ballew’s family. Ballew, a genealogist and storyteller, takes readers back to a simpler time when a young, illiterate pioneer purchased land for his first farm, met the woman of his dreams and started a family.

888.361.9473 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Maggie Valley will be hosting Red, White, and Boom 2011 at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds July 1 through July 4. There will be 14 mechanical rides available, three inflatable attractions, a fun house, a caged ferris wheel and a hot air balloon ride among the various attractions. Live music will be featured as well, including Glen Shelton, John Emil, Caribbean Cowboys, Sarkadelics, Sound Extreme Entertainment and Karaoke with Dan Massey. Novelty items, food, beverages, crafts and games will be available all weekend.

Tickets are now on sale to get unlimited rides with a daily bracelet. Early-bird online purchases start at $7 and $10. 828.926.0866 or www.maggievalleyfestivalgrounds.org.

The Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will hold auditions for its August production of the Noel Coward comedy hit “Hay Fever” at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, June 26 and 27, in the HART Theatre in Waynesville. The production is being directed by Jeff Bachar and opens Aug. 19.

“Hay Fever” is a witty comedy set in the English countryside in the 1920s and focuses on the Bliss family, an eccentric bunch, each of whom has invited a guest for the weekend. It features roles for four men and five women all colorful characters of various ages.

Actors will be given scenes to read from the script. Anyone interested in working backstage on the production should also come during auditions to sign up.

Didgeridoo Down Under will visit the Marianna Black Library at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28.   

The show is a high-energy, Australia-themed program that combines music, puppetry, comedy, environmental education, character building and audience participation. They have presented more than 3,000 shows and workshops at 1,800-plus venues for well over 300,000 viewers and participants.

828.488.3030 or fontanalib.org/brysoncity.

“Guys and Dolls,” the Tony award-winning musical, will be performed by the Overlook Players at 7:30 p.m. June 23, 24, and 25 and again at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

“Guys and Dolls” is a musical take on gamblers, night club singers and missionaries in 1940s New York. The play is directed by Scotty Corbin, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts Artistic Director, and stars Heather Lenox as missionary Sarah Brown; Chase Byrd as gambler Sky Masterson; Kathi Graham and Fred Berger as showgirl Miss Adelaide and her beau Nathan Detroit; and father-and-son Steven and Samuel Crabtree as pals Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet.

866.273.4615 or GreatMountainMusic.com.

Penland School of Crafts has open spaces in several classes in the third summer session available at half tuition to local residents. Regular room and board charges apply, but students are not required to stay on campus.

The session runs June 26 to July 8 with openings in clay, metals, photography, print and letterpress, and a textiles class with a special emphasis on teaching. The clay class, taught by Stephen Dixon will explore unconventional approaches to figurative sculpture. Angela Bubash’s metals class will include ways to incorporate natural and found materials into jewelry. Students in Maritza Molina’s intermediate-level photography class will create dramatic theatrical scenarios and photograph them. In the print and letterpress studios, Amy Pirkle and Bill Hall will combine letterpress printing with copperplate etching. And in textiles, Sherri Wood will teach improvisational quiltmaking in a class especially geared for teachers who want to bring artmaking into the classroom.

The photography class requires prior experience. All of the other classes mentioned are open to students of all levels.

828.765.2359, ext. 15 or visit www.penland.org.

The Macon County Art Association’s Uptown Gallery, located on Main Street in Franklin, will host an art workshop from 9:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, for children age 8 and older. The project will consist of studying and reproducing VanGogh’s “Wheatfield with Cypress” using acrylic paint on canvas.

Pre-registration is required by signing up at the gallery. 828.369.0356 or 828.349.4607 or visit mcaauptowngallery.org.

Local artists in Swain and surrounding counties are invited to submit up to four original works for the annual community art exhibit at Swain County Center for the Arts. Artwork for this nine-week exhibit will be received in the lobby of the Center for the Arts between 8-11 a.m. on Thursday, July 28, or earlier by appointment. All artwork submitted should be available for display through the end of September and can be priced to sell.  

The venue is equipped to show almost anything that can be hung on the wall or large sculptures that sit on the floor. There are four maple cases with locked glass doors where items such as pottery, jewelry, baskets, carvings and other handcrafted items or small paintings can be displayed.  

If artwork is sold as a result of this exhibit, artists are asked to agree to donate ten percent to the ongoing programs and exhibits at Swain County Center for the Arts.

828.488.7843 or visit www.swain.k12.nc.us/cfta.

Local bluegrass group The Sweet Tater Band will perform at the Jackson County Public Library Complex at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, in the Community Room.

The Sweet Tater Band is made up of musicians from Cullowhee and Canada. They have appeared on stage throughout the region. Recently, Sweet Tater was filmed on the History Channel series, “Only in America,” with host Larry the Cable Guy.

The performance is part of the adult services summer program series and is free to the public.

828.586.2016.

This month’s Fourth-Sunday contra dance will run from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 26, at The Gateway Club in downtown Waynesville.

The venue is air conditioned and dances will be called by Diane Silver, with music by Laura Lengnick and Karen Gaughan

Tickets are $5.

The Summer Concert Series at Western Carolina University will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursdays in June and July and is held on the University Center Lawn. The lineup for this summer includes: Lionz of Zion on June 23, who fuse funk and reggae for a unique sound that gets people dancing and Luke Webb on June 30, a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Sylva and recently formed The Imperative, which features an unusual brand of alternative folk.

July will feature the Buchanan Boys, a progressive country group that blends high-energy country, ballads and three-part harmony, singer-songwriter Beau Bristow and Serious Clark, a folk-fusion trio.

828.227.3622 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The third annual Cashiers Mountain Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 2-3, will feature folk music legend Doc Watson, accompanied by David Holt.

Watson and Holt will close out the festival. Sweet Tater, Hurricane Creek, the Harris Brothers, the Darren Nicholson Band, the Songs of Jackson County band and the Rye Holler Boys will also perform.

Local favorites Balsam Range will perform Saturday, along with Suite Caroline, Mountain Faith, The Hims, Rafe Hollister, Nitrograss, and Dehlia Low.

A fireworks display will mark the end of the festival. There will also be food and beverages available, a children’s zone, a car show, and an arts and crafts show. The festival is also looking for local vendors to sell their wares at the festival.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate and are good for both days of the festival. 828.743.5191 or visit cashiersnorthcarolina.com/cmmf/index.htm.

The Heritage Alive! Mountain Youth Talent Contest will be held again during the Franklin Folk Festival beginning at 1:30 p.m. on July 16. Joe Deitz of the Deitz Family Band will emcee the contest. Categories will include: poetry/storytelling, vocal performance, instrumentalists, and dance.

Talents in these areas must reflect heritage and old Appalachian ways of the region. Prizes are offered for first-, second- and third-place winners. First Place best of show winner will have the opportunity of playing on the Heritage Stage at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day on Saturday, Sept. 24. Contestants that wish to participate must register by July 1.

828.586.4009 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The year’s first Summer Barn Dance will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, at the Bascom Center for the Visual Arts in Highlands. The Wild Hog Band will be performing and food and beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets are $5 per person (cash only) and can be purchased at the door. The Summer Barn Dances are sponsored by the Bascom, Highlands Historical Society, Mountain Fresh Grocery and the Ugly Dog Pub.

828.526.4949 or www.TheBascom.org.

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer the XBox 360 Dance Central contest at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, at the Waynesville Recreation Center.

The contest is open to all ages and is free to enter. There are also prizes for the winners.

828.456.2030 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Taste of Downtown Sylva walking culinary tour will be from 2 p.m. through 5 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Tickets are on sale at participating businesses now for $15 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under (cash or check only).

Sample items from Papou’s Wine Shop and Bar, Lulu’s on Main, Signature Brew Coffee Company, Eric’s Fresh Fish Market, City Lights Café, Hooper’s Downtown, Heinzelmannchen Brewery, Annie’s Naturally Bakery, Pixies Emporium and Breakfast Togo will be available.

828.586.1577 or www.downtownsylva.org

The Friends of the Rickman Store will be hosting a forum for music and poetry at 7 p.m. on June 24, at the store in Franklin. Performers such as Steve Brady, Angela Faye Martin and many more will take the stage.

All are encouraged to come out to the store, dust off that flat-top or bring out some of that stowed poetry you would like to share among neighbors, songwriters, poets and local talents.  Short stories are welcome, too. The time of each presentation will be kept to around 15 minutes to increase the chance that everyone gets a chance to present. To sign up ahead of time, call 828.369.5595 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..