The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the 15th season of the annual “Concerts on the Creek” music series. 

The annual Cold Mountain Music Festival will be held on Saturday, June 1, at the Lake Logan Retreat Center in Canton. 

Nearly seven years ago, Laura Elliot first stepped foot on the bucolic grounds of the Lake Logan Retreat Center, cradled by the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was June 2017 and the event onsite was the inaugural Cold Mountain Music Festival. 

Bearing witness to a few fine folks chomping down on handfuls of raw ramps last Sunday afternoon at American Legion Post 47 in Waynesville, it dawned on me that I’ve lost touch with this region. 

Americana/bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Happ’s Place in Glenville. 

A multi-day event celebrating Appalachian heritage, Carolina Heritage Weekend will take place April 18-20 around Haywood County. 

It takes something special to draw me out of Moses Creek — there’s so much here to see and do and write about.

Editor’s Note: Since first rolling into Haywood County in August 2012 to start work as the arts and entertainment editor for The Smoky Mountain News, Garret K. Woodward has been extensively documenting banjo players around our backyard.

Americana/bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the gazebo in downtown Franklin.

As it has been stated in this publication many times before, the litmus test of the strength of a community is by how strongly its arts is supported.