By James DeLo
Songwriters and music lovers will take over downtown Boone from September 24–26 for Antlers and Acorns, The Boone Songwriters Festival. Rather than sticking to one stage, the festival spreads across the Appalachian Theatre and restaurants, bars and other venues throughout town, giving audiences a chance to hear the stories behind the songs straight from the people who wrote them.
This year’s lineup includes Lera Lynn with Jess Klein on Thursday, John Moreland with Laurel Lewis on Friday and James McMurtry with Betty Soo on Saturday. Both free and ticketed events are planned throughout the weekend. Moreover, the festival will take place at 559 West King St.
By CDD Staff
Join the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society for a special evening of boots, bites and big-hearted giving.
An intimate summer evening in the mountains awaits. This refined yet relaxed celebration will benefit the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society, with attendance limited to ticketed guests.
Guests will enjoy live music, curated food and beverages, pop-up shopping and a thoughtfully assembled auction, all set against the beauty of the mountains at sunset.
Paws & Boots is an elevated “country casual” gathering that blends community, style and philanthropy, with every detail designed to support animals in need while creating a memorable Cashiers experience. Please visit their website to learn about sponsorship opportunities and to sign up.
By CDD Staff
The 2026 Asheville Film Festival will be held August 21st-23rd, 2026 at the Asheville Masonic Temple in beautiful downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
Asheville Film Festival, Co. is a North Carolina 501(c)3 non-profit whose vision is to create and grow a platform for regional and local innovative filmmakers with stories to tell. That vision landed with a “relaunch” of the Asheville Film Festival in 2025 and its continuation into its second year. The festival weekend begins Friday, August 21 with the “First Day Matinée Film Block, which is followed by more short film screenings, an awards night gala on Saturday, and ending with more film blocks on Sunday, August 23. Filmmaker Q&As will follow each film block so remember to stick around for a few after the screenings.
The festival is open to the public and anyone wishing to attend can purchase tickets for individual screening blocks and workshops, and the awards night gala. VIP all-access passes get you into all the events throughout the festival and day passes are also available for an elevated experience without the need for multiple tickets for every event.
Buy your tickets in advance by clicking here: https://www.ashevillefilmfestival.org/festival-passes-tickets.
The screening may be found at the Asheville Masonic Temple at 80 Broadway St. in Asheville.
By CDD Staff
High Country Wine + Provisions presents Fleetwood Mac by Candlelight on Friday, August 21 at 6:30 p.m. This gathering is billed as “an intimate tribute to the timeless music of Fleetwood Mac, performed in a warm glow of candlelight.”
Tickets are $40; reserve them by visiting reservations@highcountrywineprovisions.com.
Find this event at 621 Franklin Rd. in Highlands.
By CDD Staff
Price Lake Boat Rentals will be offering canoes, double kayaks, and single kayaks for rent to enjoy paddling around under the full moon on Aug. 28. See Price Lake and the Blue Ridge Parkway from a whole new light. Registration is required ahead of time. Life jackets, paddles and head lamps will be provided on site. Dogs are not allowed during full moon paddles.
The experience lasts from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Get your tickets and find out more by clicking here: https://www.pricelakeboatrentals.com/event-list. The organizers are located at milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock.
By CDD Staff
Those interested in learning how to identify wildflowers have an opportunity this Saturday. Join Lauren Lampley from 10-1 as she walks around the North Carolina Arboretum property to go over different ways of identifying plants and different families of flowers. Some flowers are very difficult to identify to species, and others are relatively easy.
Lauren will talk about how to get as close as possible with tools that you may easily carry into the field. Participants will be using Newcomb’s guide to key out some of the less common flowers but will focus on learning how to look closely at flowers to identify them.
Lauren began her career at Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation as a park naturalist, which solidified her interests in ecology and a passion for teaching others. She has led walks and hikes in a variety of subjects from geology to birding and especially enjoys learning and teaching about our local ecology. She currently works at the N.C. Arboretum as the adult education coordinator.
Click here to reserve your tickets: https://shorturl.at/ufOCb.
The event will be held at 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way in Asheville.
Note: This program will take place outside and will follow easy trails and paved walkways. Dress for the weather and prepare to be outside for the entire program time.
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