Local News

Aug. 25, 2026

A Waynesville Farm Just Combined Alpacas and Fresh-Baked Goods

Alpacas grazing in a green pasture on a small farm near Waynesville, North Carolina.
Photo by SnapSaga (@catauggie) on Unsplash

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 25, 2026

At a Glance

Winchester Creek Farm is a working alpaca farm in Waynesville, North Carolina, in Haywood County, that has added a new on-site bakery to its visitor experience. The …

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Posted in Local News
Aug. 21, 2026

The Crown of the Blue Ridge: Why Blowing Rock Keeps Drawing National Attention

Layered Blue Ridge Mountain ridgelines seen from an overlook near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, in autumn.

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 21, 2026

At a Glance

Blowing Rock, North Carolina, is nicknamed the Crown of the Blue Ridge for its perch near 3,500 feet in the High Country. The town centers on a compact, walkable Main Street, the cliff attraction that …

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Posted in Local News
Aug. 20, 2026

A Crooked 400-Year-Old House Is Asking $867,750. Here's What That Money Buys in Haywood County.

Historic brick storefronts along Main Street in Waynesville, North Carolina, with Haywood County mountains rising behind them.
Photo by Jon Sailer (@jonmsailer) on Unsplash

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 20, 2026

At a Glance

The Crooked House in Canterbury, England, a Grade II listed 17th-century building famous for its slanted doorway, is listed at $867,750 for 3,134 square feet across …

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Posted in Local News
Aug. 20, 2026

From Fontana to Mattamuskeet: A Mountains to Sea Guide to North Carolina's Best Lakes

Morning fog lifting off Fontana Lake with forested Smoky Mountain ridges rising behind the still water.
Photo by Audri Van Gores (@audrivangores) on Unsplash

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 20, 2026

At a Glance

North Carolina's best lakes split into three types. The mountains hold deep, cold reservoirs like Fontana, Santeetlah, Glenville, and Nantahala, most ringed by national forest. …

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Aug. 19, 2026

The One-Mile Hayride That Turns a Corn Maze Into a Bryson City Fall Tradition

Golden corn maze paths cut through a working farm field beneath the mountains near Bryson City, North Carolina.
Photo by Ash Willson (@ashwillson) on Unsplash

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 19, 2026

At a Glance

Darnell Farms runs its corn maze and hayride Wednesdays through Sundays, September 12 through November 1, at 2300 Governors Island Road in Bryson City. A one-mile …

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Posted in Local News
Aug. 17, 2026

The 25-County Group Behind WNC's Music and Craft Trails Has Something on the Calendar for August 19

Layered Blue Ridge Mountain ridgelines at sunrise above a quiet valley in Western North Carolina.
Photo by Wes Hicks (@sickhews) on Unsplash

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 17, 2026

At a Glance

The Blue Ridge Mountain Collaborative Project appears on the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's events calendar for August 19, 2026, listed as regional rather than tied …

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Posted in Local News
Aug. 17, 2026

The Highlands Art Center Where You Can Watch the Work Actually Happen

A potter shaping clay on a wheel inside a sunlit mountain art studio near Highlands, North Carolina.
Photo by Taylor Heery (@taylorheeryphoto) on Unsplash

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 17, 2026

At a Glance

Studio Alive at The Bascom opens the working studios on the arts center's six-acre Highlands campus so visitors can watch artists throw pottery, print, weave, and …

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Posted in Local News
Aug. 14, 2026

Bigfoot, Old Movie Sets, Lotus Blooms and Bookstores: Four Road Trips That Show You a Different Side of WNC

A two-lane road curving through layered forested ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina.

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 14, 2026

At a Glance

Four themed road trips cover Western North Carolina without repeating the usual overlook stops. Sasquatch lore runs from Haywood County's Boojum legend to the Sasquatch museum near Murphy. Film sites cluster at DuPont State Recreational …

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Aug. 13, 2026

A Greek Wine Bar Is Opening in Asheville

Glasses of crisp white wine and small meze plates on a wooden bar table in Asheville.

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 13, 2026

At a Glance

Ontos is a new Greek-inspired wine bar opening in Asheville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. Greek wine is one of the least explored categories in American wine bars, built on indigenous grapes like assyrtiko, xinomavro, …

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Posted in Local News
Aug. 13, 2026

Asheville Got a Vinyl Listening Bar, and It Says a Lot About Where WNC Nightlife Is Headed

Vinyl records and a turntable glowing under warm bar lighting in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.

By Jon Tharp, Broker · August 13, 2026

At a Glance

Asheville has opened a vinyl listening bar, a venue built around high-fidelity sound where full albums play on a serious stereo system and conversation stays low. The format started in postwar Tokyo and has spread …

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Posted in Local News