Experience the finest among North Carolina Vacation Rentals in Highlands NC at The Lakehouse on Lake Glenville in Cashiers

There’s no better time to explore the hamlets and villages tucked among North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains than in the Fall when the mornings are crisp, leaves are brightly colored and festivals and fairs celebrate the harvest. The next several blog posts will feature some of my favorite towns and villages that surround the Lakehouse and Lake Glenville.

A stop in Bryson City is a great way to begin. Train buffs should stop a the model railroading museum, Smoky Mountain Trains. More than 7,000 Lionel locomotives and cars, some dating back as far as 1918, are on display. There’s more than a mile of track where six trains run simultaneously post a five-foot waterfall and animated scenes.

A short walk to the Bryson City depot is where you will find the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, a full sized train that offers daily excursions through some of the most scenic country of Western North Carolina. The 10th annual RailFest will be held September 16 – 18th. The weekend event offers guests a taste of railroad food, memorabilia, storytelling, music and special train excursions and events that happen only once a year.

Works of one of the world’s most influential artists is on display at The Bascom, July 8 – September 25, 2011. It includes works on loan from private collectors, the Albright-Knox Museum, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Florida; and Jacksonville University, Florida. Works on display include monumental printmaking, mixed media and sculptural pieces from the artist who dominated modern and contemporary art for five decades.

The Bascom is a nonprofit visual arts center occupying a six-acres, $13,000,000 campus in the mountain resort community of Highlands, North Carolina. Highlands is a short drive along Bright Mountain Road from the Lakehouse. Combine a visit to The Bascom and al fresco lunch at Madison’s on Main Street in Highlands for a perfect punch of mountain culture.

For more information, contact The Bascom at 828.526.4949 or visit www.thebascom.org.

The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, a local tradition since 1948, showcases the work of the best of the best craftspeople in the Appalachian region. Craft Guild members are artists living in the mountain counties of 9 states from Maryland to Alabama. Their work is diverse: crafts rooted in Appalachian traditions are displayed along with the work of contemporary artists.

In addition to showing the work of over 200 craftspeople, the Fair also features craft demonstrations and local musicians performing traditional mountain music. This year’s event takes place July 21 – 24th at the Asheville Civic Center, 87 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC, nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains and long recognized as an arts and crafts destination, provides a perfect backdrop for the Craft Fair and is a picturesque 90-minute drive from Lake Glenville and Cashiers.

The Cashiers Historical Society presents an exhibit featuring the work of renowned photographer Tim Barnwell a the Zachary-Tolbert House from 1 – 3 pm on Saturday, June 25th.

Tim Barnwell is a commercial and fine art photographer based in Asheville, North Carolina. His career has spanned over 25 years as both a professional photographer and a photography instructor, including eight years as executive director of the nationally recognized school, Appalachian Photographic Workshops (1980-1988).

His images have been widely published, appearing in dozens of magazines including Time, Newsweek, Southern Accents, House Beautiful, American Craft, Outdoor Photographer, Sky and Telescope, US Air, Blue Ridge Country, U.S. News and World Report, Billboard, Travel South, American Style, Black & White Magazine, LensWork and National Parks.

The Zachary-Tolbert House is located on Highway 107, 2 miles south of the Cashiers Crossroads (intersection of Highway 107 and 64), just a short drive from the Lakehouse at Katie Camp.

11/05 & 12/03.  Art After Dark transforms Waynesville into an exquisite visual, culinary and performance venue the first Friday evening of each month. There are few destinations in the mountains where you can find such a wide array of talented artists and craftspeople in one location. All participating galleries are open until 9:00 pm. Light refreshments are offered to visitors and there’s live music played by local musicians and bands. Many galleries invite guest artisans to demonstrate their talent or craft and answer questions about their work in a relaxed atmosphere filled with art, music and small town warmth.

Lomo Grill at 44 Church Street is a good choice for a late dinner before heading back to the Lakehouse at Katie Camp.  Southern Living magazine said of Lomo: “…We’re getting used to extraordinary restaurants popping up in the most unexpected places, but even we were amazed with the talented kitchen skill at the Lomo Grill, which mixes Mediterranean cuisine with an Argentine grill…”

Dillsboro, NC hosts a juried pottery festival showcasing more than 40 master potters demonstrating a variety of techniques. It’s one of the top arts events in the mountains, with an average attendance of several thousand people. While at the festival, stop by Dogwood Crafters Coop. Dogwood Crafters began in 1976 with 12 members and has grown to over 100 craftspeople selling a wide variety of handmade crafts. The Coop is located in the village of Dillsboro at 90 Webster Street within walking distance of the pottery festival displays.

Historic Dillsboro is a short drive north of the Lakehouse at Katie Camp on Highway 107. Pottery Festival hours are 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on Saturday, November 6.  Admission is $3.

An eagerly anticipated annual event since 1948, for four days each October, the Civic Center in Asheville showcases the fine traditional and contemporary crafts of the 900-member Southern Highlands Craft Guild. These craftspeople and artists living in the mountain counties of nine states from Maryland to Alabama represent the best of the best in the Appalachian region. Over 200 craftspeople fill the two-level civic center selling their works of clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, natural materials, paper and wood. A pleasant day trip from our luxury lake lodge.

The Fair focuses on the process of craft, the work of the hand – iron is hammered to become a fireplace tool, splints of white oak are harvested to become a basket. The Fair features craft demonstrations as well as individual craft booths. Visitors interact with highly-trained craftspeople selling their work and sharing a bit about their process and inspiration.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, local musicians share their love of traditional and bluegrass mountain music.

October 21 – 24. 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.  Asheville Civic Center.

Works by Southern Highland Craft Guild members will fill two floors of the Asheville Civic Center during this biannual fair. Demonstrations on wood turning, natural dyeing, blacksmithing, and spinning will showcase the members’ skills. Additional entertainment will be provided by 12 bands, including Buncombe Turnpike and Split Rail. All within a few short miles of our luxury lake lodge.

Thursday – Saturday, October 21 – 23, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm; Sunday, October 24, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; $7, free for children 12 & younger. Asheville Civic Center, 87 Haywood Street. (828) 298-7903

The town celebrates the harvest season with many apple varieties and fruit-infused treats, as well as a recipe contest. Just a short drive from our luxury vacation rental you’ll find live Celtic, bluegrass, and country acts, along with clogging troupes performing, and works by local crafters for sale.

Saturday, October 16, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, free. Main Street, Waynesville. (828) 456-3021

For 74 years the hills of western North Carolina have come alive with music from mid-June to early August thanks to the Brevard Music Center in nearby Brevard, North Carolina. For seven weeks each summer, talented students ages 14 through post-college, participate in a rigorous and enriching program of music education, and delight audiences with more than 80 public performances throughout the summer Festival season. Performances, under the direction of Keith Lockhart, Artistic Director, take place in an 1800-seat, open-air auditorium of redwood and natural stone. World-class visiting artists have appeared here, including such musicians as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinists Joshua Bell and Midori, pianists Andre Watts and Emanuel Ax, soprano Renee Fleming and mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. Enjoy an evening of world-class music en plein air just a short drive from our North Carolina mountain lake lodge.

Rave On!
Part of the Variations Concert Series
Presenting an electrifying new show paying homage to Rock ‘n’ Roll immortal legend Buddy Holly.
Orch 1: $40; Orch 2: $35; Orch 3: $30; Lawn: $20
Saturday, June 19, 2010 – 7:30 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium

Opening Night: Lockhart and von Stade
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano
Frederica von State joins Artistic Director Keith Lockhart to celebrate the beginning of the 2010 Brevard Music Center season in this very special performance.
Orch 1: $45; Orch 2: $40; Orch 3: $35; Child: $15; Lawn: $15
Friday, June 25, 2010 – 7:30 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium

Tintypes: A Musical Review
A nostalgic turn-of-the-century musical featuring songs of Scott Joplin, Victor Herbert, George M. Cohan and others. 
Orch 1: $30; Orch 2: $25; Orch 3: $20; Child: $15; Lawn: $15
Saturday, June 26, 2010 – 7:30 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium

Lockhart conducts Gershwin and Copland
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Norman, Krieger, piano
Orch 1: $35; Orch 2: $30; Orch 3: $25; Child: $15; Lawn: $15
Sunday, June 27, 2010 – 3:00 pm
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium