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Where to hear live music this summer
The Inn at Ragged Gardens in Blowing Rock attracts a crowd in lawn chairs on Friday nights in the summer for “Music on the Lawn.” (Photo: Tony Mecia/The Mountain Ledger)
Is there anything better than sitting out on a pleasant summer night, breathing the fresh mountain air and holding a cold drink while listening to a band cover your favorite songs?
The good news is that in the summer in the Blowing Rock/Boone area, you have plenty of chances to listen to live music, both indoors and out.
The Inn at Ragged Gardens’ Friday “Music on the Lawn” is a favorite in Blowing Rock, with half the crowd enjoying the tunes in lawn chairs while the other half congregates closer to the open-air bar.
Throughout the region, restaurants, breweries and wineries provide plenty of chances to chill out to some tunes.
Here’s where you can find live music every week (check with each venue to confirm before heading there, as schedules change):
Banner Elk
◼️ Banner Elk Concert Series: A free summer concert series at Tate-Evans Town Park Amphitheater in Banner Elk. Local and regional bands play everything from classic rock to soul and funk. Food trucks and drink stands on site, or bring your own.
Live music: Thursdays, June 25 – August 13, 6:30 p.m. More info.
◼️ Blind Elk Tap Room: Banner Elk's go-to craft beer spot, with an impressive rotating tap list, Prosecco on tap, wine by the glass, and plenty more to choose from. Live music most weekends.
Live music: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (times vary — more info)
Beech Mountain
◼️ 5506' at Beech Mountain Resort: Take a scenic chairlift ride to the highest bar in Eastern America for free live music every Saturday afternoon all summer long. Panoramic mountain views, a full bar, and Mexican food from Claudia's at the summit, a pretty hard combination to beat.
Live music: Saturdays 2:30–5:30pm (lift ticket required to access)
Blowing Rock
◼️ Blowing Rock Ale House: Blowing Rock Ale House is a casual downtown gathering spot known for its beer selection, pub-style food and outdoor patio.
Free live music: Sundays 2-5 p.m. More info.
◼️ Inn at Ragged Gardens: “Music on the Lawn" is Blowing Rock's favorite free outdoor concert series, drawing crowds in the hundreds to the inn's beautiful grounds each Friday all summer. A different local act every week, plus a cash bar and lawn menu. Bring a chair and arrive early.
Free live music: Fridays May to September, 5:30–8:30 p.m. More info.
◼️ Speckled Trout: One of Blowing Rock's best-known dinner spots, with a local, easygoing vibe and some of the High Country's best live music at the bar. Grab a seat at the bar or one of the high-top tables to be close to the music.
Free live music: Thursdays 6-8 p.m., Sundays 12:30–3 p.m. More info.
◼️ Town Tavern: A great spot in Blowing Rock for wings, cold beer, sports on TV and live music four nights a week.
Free live music: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m., Fridays at 9 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m. (early shows on the patio). More info.
The Speckled Trout in Blowing Rock is a crowd favorite on Thursday nights. (Photo: Tony Mecia/The Mountain Ledger)
Boone
◼️ Appalachian Mountain Brewery: A Boone staple with a great outdoor space, cold craft beer, and a steady lineup of live music most Friday nights. A reliable spot to catch local and regional acts in a relaxed setting.
Live music: Most Fridays 6-9 p.m. More info.
◼️ The Beacon: An upscale Boone restaurant on N.C. 105 serving seasonal, locally sourced Italian-inspired cuisine and craft cocktails.
Live music: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-8 p.m. More info.
◼️ Boone Saloon: A downtown bar anchored by a 25-foot live-edge white oak bar, with a stage for live music, a covered outdoor deck, and a GameChanger Arcade.
Live music: Many days of the week (check site for dates and times)
◼️ Booneshine Brewing: A popular Boone craft brewery with a great outdoor space, wooden tables and a stage that comes alive every Friday night. Grab a local brew and settle in.
Live music: Fridays at 7 p.m. More info.
◼️ Lost Province Brewing: A laid-back brewpub with wood-fired pizza and house-brewed beer, booking Americana, bluegrass, folk and more from musicians with N.C. and Appalachian roots. A great spot for families and beer lovers alike. It gets busy, especially on weekends.
Live music: Fridays and Saturdays, 6-9 p.m. More info.
The band at Lost Province on a recent Friday night. (Photo: Tony Mecia/The Mountain Ledger)
Valle Crucis
◼️ Music in the Valle: A beloved summer concert series featuring local and regional musicians every Friday from 6 p.m. to dusk, all summer long. It’s in Valle Crucis Community Park, next to the Mast General Store Annex. Bring a chair and enjoy the mountain setting. Suggested donation $5 per person or $10 per family.
Live music: Fridays, June 5 – September 4, 6 p.m. More info.
Wineries
We looked closer at wineries last week. But they all have music regularly.
◼️ Banner Elk Winery: Live music: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 1-5 p.m. More info.
◼️ Eagles Nest Winery: Open Mic: Thursdays 6-9 p.m., live music Fridays 6-9 p.m. More info.
◼️ Grandfather Vineyards: Live Music: Mondays-Saturdays at 2 p.m., Sundays at 12:30 or 1 p.m. More info.
◼️ Linville Falls Winery: Live music: Thursdays-Sundays 2–5 p.m., June–September. More info.
◼️ Mill Camp Wines & Ciders: Live music: Occasional Saturdays and Sundays. Check schedule — more info.
—Compiled by Matthew Mecia
➡️ Did we miss any of your favorite spots? Drop us a line and let us know, and we’ll include it next time.
3 QUESTIONS WITH…
Tinsley Osteen
Owner, My Mountain Home — store in Blowing Rock with home decor, gifts and furniture
Q. When people come into town and ask for things to do, what do you tell them?
Blowing Rock is fun. The Parkway, since we're so close, so you can hop on and go see any of the overlooks there.
Tinsley Osteen
And then downtown, Main Street. The BRAHM is a fun little museum downtown, so I always point that direction.
Q. What about going out or places to eat?
Hellbender. Bistro Roca actually burned down, so they have taken them in as the sister restaurant, and they're serving all Bistro Roca's menu at Hellbender right now. And then the Blowing Rock Brewing Ale House right across the street.
In Boone, Cobo. I'm kind of a wuss, so I usually get the Appalachian roll, and it's like salmon, cream cheese, avocado, tempura-fried. That's so good. There are dumplings. There’s seaweed salad. They have really good sashimi.
Q. Tell me about the idea behind My Mountain Home.
We're half local and regional artisan. It's from North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina. We offer custom live-edge furniture, custom live-edge shelving, local blacksmiths, North Carolina pottery, that kind of thing. We do mantels. We do a lot of furniture. We do a lot with lamps, mirrors, large-scale furniture.
THINGS TO DO
Horse show, kids’ fishing derby, scavenger hunt + hike, alpaca shearing
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
"Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show," 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve, 1500 Laurel Lane, Blowing Rock. One of the oldest horse shows in the country, running since 1923. Features Saddlebred, Hackney pony, hunter, and jumper classes. $10 at the gate. Children 12 and under free.
SATURDAY
"National Trails Day Scavenger Hunt," 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Boone Fork Parking Area, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 299.9, Blowing Rock. Meet a ranger, grab a scavenger hunt and hike the 3-mile Nuwati Trail to Storyteller's Rock. Self-guided. Wear appropriate hiking shoes.
“Kiddo Fishing Derby,” 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Lake Coffey, Beech Mountain. The annual Kiddo Fishing Derby at Lake Coffey is a free fishing competition for children ages 12 and under. Participants should bring their own fishing pole and tackle and can enjoy gift bags and prizes while competing.
"Daniel Boone Day," 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hickory Ridge Living History Museum, 591 Horn in the West Drive, Boone. Celebrate National Daniel Boone Day with guided cabin tours, blacksmithing, hearth cooking, wool spinning and tomahawk throwing. Good for all ages. $10 adults, $7 children.
"Alpaca Shearing Day," 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Apple Hill Farm, 400 Apple Hill Road, Banner Elk. Watch alpacas get shorn live, meet the animals, and browse the farm store for yarn, socks, and gifts made from alpaca fiber. Tour guides on hand. Advance reservations required. $5 adults, $5 children, $3 infants.
"Coolest Corner Ashe Bash," 5-9 p.m. at Ashe County Government Complex, 150 Government Circle, Jefferson. Free outdoor concert featuring the Kruger Brothers at 6 p.m. and Fireside Collective at 8 p.m. Food vendors on site. Free shuttles from Ashe Civic Center, Ashe County High School, and Ashe Memorial Hospital starting at 5 p.m. Bring a lawn chair. No alcohol or pets. Free.
📆 Planning ahead
July 10-11: “A Mid-Summer Harvest Dinner,” 5:30 p.m., Carringer Farms in Newland (Avery County), about 40 minutes west of Blowing Rock. Guests enjoy appetizers, live music and a guided walk through the fields before gathering for a seasonal farm-to-table dinner. $85 per person, BYOB.
Sept. 17: “Bourbon Under the Blue Ridge,” 5-10 p.m. Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock. The Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge is holding an evening of “bourbon, barbecue and philanthropy” to benefit programs serving women and girls in the High Country. Tickets went on sale this week. Features premium bourbon selection, culinary pairings and a live auction. Shuttles from Hound Ears, Banner Elk and Jefferson Landing. Tickets: $225. Sponsorships start at $1,000.
REAL ESTATE WATCH
Unique Airbnb: Geodome north of Boone with a hot tub and fire pits
Visitors to the Boone and Blowing Rock area have plenty of lodging options: hotels, condo rentals, luxury resorts.
And they can also stay in a 315-square-foot “Tiny Treepod” with a hot tub.
On a lark, we scoured Airbnb listings to find something a little bit different – and found this listing about 25 minutes north of Boone, near the community of Todd:
(Photo: Tiny Escapes on Airbnb)
It’s billed as a “a unique and upscale experience for the nature-loving adventurer” and has a full kitchen, separate 100-square-foot bathhouse, grill, fire pit, hanging chairs and outdoor furniture. There’s also high-speed wi-fi.
(Photo: Tiny Escapes on Airbnb)
It’s one of five properties from Tiny Escapes, a husband-and-wife company that builds and rents tiny vacation home rentals in the area, with a mission “to create one-of-a-kind nature immersion experiences for the adventurous individual that support a deep connection with nature and a smaller footprint on the planet.”
It goes for between $220 and $390 a night, and the online reviews are glowing.
Would you stay in a dome vacation rental?
LOCAL NEWS OF NOTE
Man rescued after fall from cliff
A man who had been missing for several days was rescued after falling about 20 feet from a cliff into the Watauga River near Beech Mountain, with crews from Avery and Watauga counties conducting a two-hour swiftwater rescue before he was airlifted to a Winston-Salem hospital with serious injuries. (Watauga Democrat)
RECENT MOUNTAIN LEDGER ARTICLES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
On our website, we also have 20 independent reviews and recommendations of restaurants, hikes and activities — with more added each week!
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