Balsam News

The Avett Brothers, Elvis Costello, the Steep Canyon Rangers and Little Feat are among the acts booked at the 2010 Merlefest music festival in Wilkesboro, organizers have announced.

More than 50,000 people are expected to attend Western Carolina University's Mountain Heritage Day this weekend as hundreds of crafters, musicians, Native American stickball players, shaped note singers, woodcarvers, potters, food vendors and a 'who's who' of traditional regional culture spread across the campus.

An impressive stone monument sits hidden in the shade of a dogwood tree in Hazelwood, outside of downtown Waynesville.

The sound of bluegrass music and the smell of country barbecue filled the air at Pickin' in the Park held at the Fletcher Community Park Saturday night.

Western Carolina University's student body has grown to 9,429 students - the largest total student enrollment in the university's history and a 4 percent increase from last year.

Balsaman was bringing Burningman back to size and smiles at Baker Beach in San Francisco yesterday.

For the second year in a row, Odell Thompson will get on his bike before the sun rises and ride nearly 50 miles from Newfound Gap in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Balsam Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Probably very little about freshmen move-in day at Western Carolina University has changed over the years: the "nervous but excited" students, the teary-eyed, mostly just nervous parents following close behind, the authoritative, no-nonsense Resident Advisors directing their new underlings, and of course, the rows of suitcases and cardboard boxes ...

The summer may be slippin' away, but Downtown After Five is going strong at 5 this afternoon on Lexington Avenue at the I-240 overpass.

It's all aboard to the top of the charts for local bluegrass band Balsam Range. Their new single, 'Last Train to Kitty Hawk,' has chugged its way to No.

For this summer vacation column, I selected three historic inns that not only provide the bed and breakfast experience, but also host full service restaurants that serve dinner.

STAFF REPORTS * communitynews@citizen-times.com * published June 26, 2009 3:20 pm STECOAH An acoustic bluegrass 'dream team' known as Balsam Range will take the stage at the historic Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center in Graham County,at 7:30 p.m. June 27 to kick off the Center's annual 'An Appalachian Evening' summer performing arts series.

Come the start of fall semester, some Western Carolina University freshmen could find themselves residing in unusual living quarters.

Local residents and tourists have a new resource to help them support the farms and farmers of Haywood County.

The first performance this morning comes from Triple Threat Performing Arts Academy of Sylva.

Get ready for a fun-filled day in downtown Sylva at the 12th annual Greening Up the Mountains spring festival on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Greening Up the Mountains - named for the way spring creeps up the mountain sides - began over a decade ago as a celebration of Earth Day.

Festival season is kicking in. Among the events coming up in April is Greening up the Mountains 2009, happening at 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 25 on Main Street in downtown Sylva.

In Scotland, 'give way' means 'watch out, coming through.' GiveWay is also the name of a talented quartet of sisters playing some fab Celtic music at 8 p.m. Friday at Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place.