Mark Your Calendar for these May Events in the High Country
By Chris Murphy
The month of May is full of fun and exciting events in the High Country, from Boone and Blowing Rock to Banner Elk. Whether you’re searching for family-friendly events, food and drink events, live music or free festivals, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Be sure to pick up a High Country Visitors Guide to find even more events throughout the year.
Top May Events in the High Country
Here are our top events happening in the High Country during May.
May 1: First Friday Art Crawl
Join us for First Friday Art Crawl each month in Downtown Boone, February through December. Check out the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts on King Street, as well as the Mazie Jones Gallery in the Jones House Community Center. Art exhibits, live musicians, and wine tastings are in various downtown shops and restaurants.
May 7, 14, 21, 28: Old-Time Jam at the Jones House
Every Thursday in the month of May from 7pm-10pm, enjoy local and visiting musicians at the Jones House for an old-time jam session. Bring your banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin – or whatever old-time acoustic instrument you have – and spend a few hours playing along with fellow musicians of all skill levels and backgrounds. Guests and visitors are welcome to observe and enjoy the music but are asked to be respectful of the musicians. After catching up and choosing a key the music will begin, with the last call for tunes coming around 9:45. Jams are not held on holidays and may be canceled on days of inclement weather. Call the Jones House with any questions.
May 23-24, July 4-5, Aug. 1-3, Sept. 5-6: Art on the Greene
Four times each summer, the green at the Historic Banner Elk School comes to life with Art on the Greene, featuring quality, hand-made arts and crafts from select local and regional artisans.
The number of artists exhibiting at each show ranges from 40 to 60. They represent a variety of media, such as metal, glass, ceramics, wood, watercolor, acrylics and oil.
Each show allows shoppers to add to their art collections while supporting historic preservation at the same time. Booth rental proceeds go to the Town of Banner Elk for ongoing efforts to transform the Historic Banner Elk School into a center for visual and performing arts.
There’s no charge for admission to Art on the Greene, which is situated in the heart of town. Attendees may come and go as they please, and are encouraged to stroll to adjacent restaurants, shops, boutiques and galleries.
Art on the Greene takes place Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend, the first weekend in August, and Labor Day weekend.
Want more Events?
CALENDAR: Check out our High Country calendar of events to help plan your activities!
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up for our High Country Destination Newsletter to receive exclusive content for planning your vacation getaway to the North Carolina High Country!
