Saturday, July 1
Buncombe Turnpike: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. Buncombe Turnpike plays a variety of heartfelt tunes ranging from traditional and contemporary bluegrass to gospel and handcrafted originals. With their crowd pleasing demeanor, seasoned musicianship, and powerful vocals, the band has made a name for themselves among traditional and contemporary listeners alike. Band Website 

Adults $15; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artist Dana Thacker.

Saturday, July 8
Balsam Range: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. Enjoy the acoustic bluegrass "dream team", a perennial favorite on the Grand Old Stage. All the fellows - Tim Surrett, Buddy Melton, Caleb Smith, Darren Nicholson and Marc Pruett - grew up steeped in traditions of The Grand Ole Opry ...as well as the important influences of the Scotch-Irish settlers of the Southern Mountains, English ballads, and Western songs. 2015 IBMA Vocal Group of the Year winner and 2015 IBMA Song of the Year: Moon over Memphis. Band Website

Adults $30; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artist Wendy Cordwell.

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Saturday, July 15
Helen White & Wayne Henderson: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. Wayne Henderson a musical legend known worldwide for both his lightning fast “pinch picking” guitar style and the beautiful guitars, mandolins and banjos he crafts. Helen White is respected as an old-time fiddler and folk singer, as well as the founder of the Junior Appalachians Musicians Program. Band Website 

Adults $25; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artist Joanna Lengle & Liz Anderson.

Saturday, July 22
The Snyder Family: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. The Snyder Family features the talents of siblings Zeb and Samantha Snyder from Lexington, NC. Backed by their dad, Bud, on upright bass and mom Laine on harmony, this band has delighted and surprised audiences at venues including Merlefest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer Festival in Columbus, OH, and the Red White and Bluegrass Festival in Morganton, NC. 2015 Nominee for IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year. Band Website

Adults $20; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artist Ron Thompson.

Saturday, July 29
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper: Michael Cleveland is one of the premier bluegrass fiddlers of his generation and, with ten International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Fiddle Player of the Year awards under his belt, he is the most awarded and celebrated fiddler in the history of Bluegrass music.

Cleveland plays with such fire, drive and virtuosity that audiences are often left shaking their heads in amazement. Together with his band Flamekeeper (four-time IBMA Instrumental Band of the Year award winners) Cleveland delivers some of the most powerful, exciting and authentic bluegrass you can find. Band Website

Adults $25; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artist Appalachian storyteller, Amy Ammons Garza.

Friday, August 4
"The Great American Eclipse of 2017 Over Graham County." 7 - 8 pm. Enrique A. Gom‌éz, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Western Carolina University will discuss what will happen during the upcoming eclipse. Free and open to the public. Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.

Saturday, August 5
Stecoah School Reunion. 10 am - 2 pm.

Saturday, August 5
The Bankesters: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. The Bankesters are a fast rising group on the bluegrass and roots music scene. This legacy family act offers some of the best harmonies in the business. They won an Independent Music Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2014. Band Website 

Adults $15; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artist Allyson Gernandt.

Friday, August 11
"Capturing the Solar Eclipse." 7 - 8 pm. Jim Baker, Ph.D. will talk about how to capture the phenomenon on your camera and enjoy this once in a lifetime event. Free, and open to the public. Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.

Saturday, August 12
The Freight Hoppers: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. Presenting music rooted deep in Southern tradition, The Freight Hoppers' wild, archaic String Band music will make you want to dance. Band Website 

Adults $15; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artist Betina Morgan.

Saturday, August 19
The Jeff Little Trio: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. With few exceptions, the piano does not play a prominent part in Appalachian music, and is rarely the lead instrument. But Jeff Little is an exception – and a remarkable one. His distinctive two-handed style, much influenced by the mountain flatpicked guitar tradition, is breathtaking in its speed, precision and clarity.  Band Website

Adults $25; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artisan Susan Coe.

Monday, August 21
Total Solar Eclipse Event: 11 am - 3 pm. Join us at Stecoah Valley Center for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The partial phase will start at 1:05 pm and at approximately 2:34 pm, the valley will have 2 minutes, 35 seconds of total darkness. With our beautiful 10-acre campus with sweeping mountain views, Stecoah Valley Center is your Natural Destination to view the Eclipse. The Center will have free admission and free glasses for the first 500 visitors, food and cold drinks for sale, educational activities and music.  $5 per car parking.

Saturday, August 26
The Kruger Brothers: 'An Appalachian Evening' Summer Concert. Swiss brothers Uwe Kruger on guitar, and Jens Kruger on banjo, team up with bassist Joel Landsberg. Kruger Brothers performances are exciting, calming, entertaining and spontaneous all-in-one, exhibiting their sheer joy in playing music. Although each of these musicians has earned high credit for his skills individually, it is the interaction of the three together which makes their music so uniquely special. Band Website

Adults $30; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. All concerts at 7:30 pm in the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium. Dinner served in the Schoolhouse Cafe beginning at 6 pm. Featured artisan Nina Fette.

Saturday - Sunday, October 20-22: Harvest Festival
A 3-day festival celebrating all things Fall with music, food, art & crafts vendors, country fair, quilt show, artisan demonstrations. Learn more.   Vendor Application

Friday Night – Enjoy the evening campfire and storytelling.

Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm. Music, food, art & crafts vendors, demonstrations and much more. 7:30 pm concert featuring Mountain Heart. Widely known throughout the music industry for continually redefining the boundaries of acoustic music, the band has gained legions of loyal fans both as a result of their superlative musicianship and just as notably, their incendiary live performances. Mountain Heart or members have been nominated for Grammy’s, ACM, and CMA awards. The band has also been nominated for and won multiple IBMA's. Band Website

Adults $25; Students/K-12 $10; plus tax. Purchase Tickets. In the air-conditioned Lynn L. Shields Auditorium.

Sunday – 2:30 pm. Gospel singing featuring area groups.

Friday & Saturday, November 24-25
Arts & Crafts Drive-About Tour — 10 am - 5 pm both days. A free self-guided driving tour of the galleries and working studios of Graham and Swain County. On the tour you will meet some of the artists that make Western North Carolina famous for our handcrafted arts and crafts. Brochures that include the map and information for the driving tour are available at all studios on the tour. The Schoolhouse Café will be open for light snacks both days of the tour. Learn more

Saturday, December 2
Breakfast with Santa – 9 - 11 am. Join us for breakfast with Santa and enjoy delicious pancakes, sausage, juice, milk and coffee. After breakfast Santa will be available for photos and wish lists. Bring your camera to capture this special event. $5 per person. Reservations preferred.

Christmas in the Mountains. 9 am - 2 pm. Indoor art and craft show and sale with visiting artisans just in time for holiday giving. The Schoolhouse Cafe will be open all day.