The High Country Host Blog

Archive for August, 2009

Mountain bikers and mountain boarders can enjoy a holiday weekend of competition this Sept. 5-6 at Beech Mountain Resort.

The resort is hosting a combined mountain bike/mountain board event that encompasses the final leg of the Triple Crown Downhill Bike Competition and the inaugural High Ground Mountain Board Competition. The mountain board contest has a $1,000 cash purse, one of the largest purses for mountain boarders in the Southeast.

In the Triple Crown biking competition, there will be races in separate divisions for professionals, amateurs and beginners, with all riders competing on the same course. The course descends the full elevation of the ski slope at Beech Mountain and includes four sections in the woods, one section that navigates boulders and three opportunities for sprints.

Entry fee for mountain bikers is $55 per person, with helmets mandatory for all racers.

“The Triple Crown series has been successful. We’re averaging about 100 competitors per event and expect to have that many or more for the finale,” said Ryan Costin, director of operations at Beech Mountain Resort. “It’s been a nice re-introduction of mountain biking at Beech Mountain.”

The High Ground Mountain Board Competition showcases the resort’s new board park. The all-wooden park was built by Ground Industries of Greenville, S.C., and Ground Industries is sponsoring this inaugural event in which boarders will showcase their best in a slope style competition and a big air competition. Entry fee is $55 per person.

Spectators can enjoy scenic lift rides, food, craft vendors and music, in addition to watching the thrilling competition. The resort is also offering overnight camping for a small fee.

“We’re excited to be in the forefront of mountain boarding here in the Southeast,” Costin said. “It should be a good time for participants and a great spectator event. Our goal is to have a fully operational mountain board/mountain bike park open weekends next June though October. It will be a lift-access park, which will hopefully be a big draw for mountain boarders and mountain bikers throughout the region.”

For info, visit www.skibeech.com

For lodging and other travel information, contact North Carolina High Country Host at 800-438-7500 or visit: www.mountainsofnc.com.

Stay Connected!

The Broyhill Inn & Appalachian Conference Center will be hosting a social media workshop series beginning on September 8, 2009 at 9:00am.

In this economy, businesses small and large are striving to pull ahead of the crowd – to be heard above the cacophony in the marketplace.

Social Media (ie: Blogs, Facebook,You Tube, Twitter, Flikr, etc) are unique platforms to engage your target audience and create the kind of viral buzz that can make or break your business. These days, consumers want to do business with people they know and trust. And we can effectively forge these relationships, without breaking the bank, using Social Media.

The “Talk of the Town” Workshop Series will delve extensively into each mode of social media, and include knowledgeable speakers as well as peer coaching. We will come alongside you as you navigate the world of new media and customize it to suit your needs.

Sarah Pinnix, the Organizer of the “Talk of the Town” Series, is founder of Real Life Media and High Country Mom Squad, as well as co-Founder of WiiMommies.com. Sarah is currently host of the interactive WebTV show “Get Real,” and co-host of the Wii Mommies internet radio show.

To learn more and register now, visit www.talkofthetown.eventbrite.com!

For lodging and other travel information, contact North Carolina High Country Host at 800-438-7500 or visit: www.mountainsofnc.com.

Stay Connected!

BOONE, N.C. – The second annual Daniel Boone Days Music & Culture Festival is set for Sept. 4-5 in Boone.

This newly-minted Labor Day weekend tradition kicks off Friday, Sept. 4, with a symposium on Daniel Boone followed by a wine dinner featuring the wines of Fess Parker, television’s original Daniel Boone. Saturday, Sept. 5, provides a full day of music and activities at the Horn in the West Amphitheater.

Saturday’s festivities run from 1-11 p.m. and include an evening performance by the nationally-known band, Donna the Buffalo. Activities throughout the day include: arts & crafts vendors, storytelling by Orville Hicks, kids activities, an inflatable 15-foot slide, a telling of the adventures of Daniel Boone by author Randell Jones, a Daniel Boone look-alike contest, and the second annual Watauga Arts Council Fiddlers Competition.

As the day slips into evening, live music takes center stage. The lineup features Upright & Breathin’ of Boone, along with Larry Keel & Natural Bridge from Virginia. Headlining will be Donna the Buffalo, making the last stop on their 20th anniversary tour.

Tickets for Saturday’s festivities are $16 in advance, or $20 at the door. A special family ticket is available for just $20 per car between 1-3 p.m.

Meanwhile on Friday, Dr. Edwin Arnold of Appalachian State University will hold a symposium about Daniel Boone. Arnold will enlighten attendees on the true life story of this pioneer and his connections to the region. The symposium is from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break. It will be at Raley Hall on the ASU campus and cost is $3 per person.

Friday evening, back by popular demand, is the Fess Parker Wine Dinner at Gamekeeper Restaurant. Parker has become a noted winemaker at his private vineyard in Los Olivos, Calif., and a selection of his finest vintages will be paired with wild game entrees for the dinner, which will include special guests. There will be two seatings and reservations are required.

For complete information on Daniel Boone Days, call (828) 264-2262 or go online to: www.DanielBooneDays.com.

For lodging and other travel information, contact North Carolina High Country Host at 800-438-7500 or visit: www.mountainsofnc.com.
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BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. – Looking for something different this Labor Day weekend? Go fly a kite.

The seventh annual Mile High Kite Festival is a free event that takes place Sunday, Sept. 6, in the meadows at the top of Beech Mountain next to the Brick Oven Pizzeria.

The festival allows children of all ages to fly a kite at an altitude one mile above sea level. It is sponsored by the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Richmond Air Force kite club from Virginia and the Winds Across Carolina Club and Okra Society from Charlotte.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no charge for admission and free kites are given to the first 200 children under 12. There will also be a vendor selling a variety of kites, and folks are welcome to bring their own.

Contests will be held for biggest, smallest and best-decorated kites. All participants receive an official certificate from Beech Mountain mayor Rick Owen that proclaims: “I flew a kite a mile high at Beech Mountain.”

Two members of the Richmond Air Force – Terry Murray and Will Smoot – serve as announcers for the festival, sharing their knowledge of kiting while playing kite-themed music throughout the day.

“The neatest thing about the event is when people drive up the mountain and walk into the field,” says Calder Smoot, the event organizer. “There is just this blast of color with all these kites flying everywhere.”

The field is divided into two areas: one for exhibitions/demonstrations from the kite clubs and one for the general public. Other activities include: children’s races while pulling bol kites, face painting, and a variety of craft vendors.

Festivities for the Mile High Kite Festival weekend actually begin Saturday, Sept. 5, with a special clinic for kite makers from 2-4 p.m. Folks are encouraged to bring their homemade kites, and members of the kite clubs will be on-hand to discuss the intricacies of building kites.

There will also be an all-ages street dance from 7-9 p.m. Saturday in front of town hall.

For information, call (800) 468-5506 or visit www.BeechMtn.com.

For lodging and other travel information, contact North Carolina High Country Host at 800-438-7500 or visit: www.mountainsofnc.com.

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August 14th from 5-8pm in beautiful downtown West Jefferson, NC!

Join the throngs of people who flock to historic downtown West Jefferson to visit the shops and galleries for an Open House beginning at 5 p.m. Free music, entertainment and refreshments will be served to “crawlers” and much merriment is guaranteed!

For more information, visit: www.ashechamber.com

For lodging and other travel information, contact North Carolina High Country Host at 800-438-7500 or visit: www.mountainsofnc.com.

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