BOONE
my 2026-27 hometown
A Great Place To Visit - An Even Better Place To Live!
BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE
Real Estate • Community Leaders • Workforce Focus • Development Fun Events • Locally Made and more.
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Celebrating 92 Years of Serving Our Community
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Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 3
PHOTO BY DAVE PARRISH COURTESY BOONERANG
BOONE
my hometown
2026-27
A special publication produced by Adams MultiMedia & Mountain Times Publications
What’s Inside the 2026-27 Edition
Welcome from the Mayor................................... Page 6 Welcome from the Chamber............................... Page 8 Your Hometown............................................... Page 10 Downtown Map................................................ Page 13 Community Awards.......................................... Page 20 Emerging Leaders............................................ Page 32 Where are they now........................................ Page 36 Made in Boone................................................ Page 42 Real Estate..................................................... Page 52 Boone Market FAQ........................................... Page 54 Chamber of the Year........................................ Page 59 Future Workforce............................................ Page 62 Boone Events.................................................. Page 66 Business of the Year........................................ Page 71 Howard Knob................................................... Page 73 Parks and Rec................................................. Page 78 What’s going up.............................................. Page 84 Nightlife Events............................................... Page 90 Family Forward................................................ Page 91 Young Professionals......................................... Page 94 Numbers of note.............................................. Page 98 4 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
PUBLISHER Gene Fowler EXECUTIVE EDITOR Moss Brennan ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Mark Mitchell REGIONAL DIGITAL DIRECTOR Trey Fowler CIRCULATION MANAGER Jeff Winebarger WRITERS Carrie Bradbury, Zach Colburn, Georgia Dixon, Lorelei Roberts, Boone Area Chamber DESIGN Darla Allen, Rebecca Portis SALES William Becker, Mitchell Fowler, Teresa Laws, Landon Reed, Owen Storie
Copyright 2026 Mountain Times Publications 584 State Farm Rd., Suite 105. Boone, NC 28607 828-264-6397 ©
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Welcome from the Mayor
s the Mayor of Boone, let me welcome you to our incredible mountain town. Nestled here in the Appalachian Mountains, Boone counts itself as one of the highest towns in the East, and the heights aren’t only physical. Home to a vibrant community where you’ll find artists, one-of-a-kind small businesses, the awe-inspiring outdoors, a dedicated non-profit community, and a large university, our peaks are many. While walking in our downtown, you’ll be sure to enjoy the many experiences Boone has to offer, and the wilderness and wildlife of Appalachia, like the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of our nation’s national parks, are just beyond. Serving as a regional hub, Boone is the place to appreciate Appalachian culture and explore some of the oldest mountains in the world. This history as a “jumping-off ” point pays homage to our pioneering heritage, and you could not find a better town to host you on your next snowboarding, fishing, or hiking adventure. That incredible nature isn’t just outside of town, as Boone has new trails, river access, and incredible parks right in town. You’ll find Boone is home to a
caring community made up of people with deep roots, long-time locals, those dedicated to our mountains, newcomers, students, and everyone in between. I’ve seen this community’s character in some of the toughest moments, and we’re home to hardworking folks who are quick to share a smile and lend a hand when you need
it. That alone is just as special as any view or meal you’ll have while visiting or staying. Having lived in Boone my entire adult life, I know how special this community is, so come see it for yourself!
Dalton George, Boone Mayor
LINKS YOU SHOULD KNOW RELOCATION INFORMATION
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BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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www.boonechamber.com
www.exploreboone.com
LOCAL NEWS
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TOWN OF BOONE
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
www.townofboone.net
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HIGH COUNTRY LIVING
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Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 7
ON THE MAP Accolades for the town of Boone Southern Living’s 2026 No. 1 Place Everyone Should Visit in NC Southern Living’s 2026 No. 5 “Best College Town in the South” USA Today’s 2026 “Best Place to Visit for Fall” runner-up Travel + Leisure 2025 Best Small Mountain Town USA Today’s 2025 No. 3 Best Small Town Beer Scene RentCafe’s 2025 No. 4 Best College Towns in America Our State Magazine’s 2025 Top Coolest Mountain Town To Visit in NC This Summer 2024 “Tree City USA” recipient
An aerial view from Howard’s Knob of Boone. PHOTO BY CHASE REYNOLDS/APP STATE
Welcome to Boone W hether you are a newcomer, visitor, local resident, retired person, business owner or student, there is something for you here in Boone. The High Country offers a quality of life that is unique to many regions in the State of North Carolina. Combined with year-long opportunities for outdoor recreation, our economic viability, technology infrastructure, and diverse business community truly make the Boone area a destination where you can work and play.
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce staff is there to help the community.
Boone My Hometown will help you get to know us as a community devoted to our local residents and serving the needs of our guests. The stories in this publication are prepared by journalists who have witnessed the growth of our area over generations. Their perspectives will help deliver tales of our everyday treasures in a way that connects to your perspectives. We encourage you to visit Boone and enjoy our majestic community. The streets are filled with quaint restaurants, art galleries, and retail shops that combine a strong local business spirit with brands that resonate regionally and nationally. If you need any assistance with your business or family relocation, retirement planning or vacation itinerary, just give us a call — we’re here to make you feel at home in the High Country. If you are a local resident, we thank you for continuing to support business interests that help fuel our community. Together, we can continue to experience all that makes the Boone area a great place to work and live while extending a warm welcome to visitors, which will help further grow our economy and notoriety. We can be reached at (828) 264-2225. For more information on the Boone Chamber, visit www.boonechamber.com. Enjoy!
David Jackson, President/CEO, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
8 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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BOONE AT A GLANCE The following information is compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau, Watauga County, town of Boone, the N.C. Department of Commerce and N.C. State Bureau of Investigation. All stats are from the latest available data. POPULATION • Population, 2025 Estimate • Boone, 19,929; • Watauga County, 54,786 GEOGRAPHY • Land area in square miles (2020): Boone, 6.31; Watauga County, 312.56 • Persons per square mile (2020): Boone, 3,024.7; Watauga, 173.1 PHOTO BY LUKE BABER The iconic Doc Watson statue in downtown Boone draws visitors to take photos with the legendary musician.
Boone
The Heart of the High Country BY MOSS BRENNAN
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n the Blue Ridge of Western North Carolina, Boone has a way of pulling people in and calling them back. As the county seat and largest town in Watauga County, it blends the energy of a college town with family roots that run generations deep. It’s home to Appalachian State University, a downtown full of locally owned businesses, and a community that has repeatedly shown what it means to look out for one another. 10 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
Boone was incorporated in 1872 and takes its name from pioneer and explorer Daniel Boone, who many say hunted and camped in the area. More than 150 years later, the town continues to grow with new businesses, local events and that Appalachian spirit. At more than 3,300 feet, Boone is the highest town east of the Mississippi River with a population over 10,000. Summers stay mild, offering relief from the heat and humidity of the
• Elevation: 3,333’ CRIME • Watauga County’s 2024 index crime rate: 815.9 per 100,000 • Watauga County 2024 violent crime rate: 79.1 per 100,000 • Watauga County 2024 property crime rate: 736.8 per 100,000 OTHER • 2026-27 property tax rate (per $100 valuation): Boone, 44 cents; Watauga, 31.8 cents • Unemployment rate (August 2026): 3.7% • Boone Fire Town Limits: ISO Class 1 (best rating for fire protection) • Boone Fire Rural District: ISO Class 2/9E
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Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 11
The Doc and Merle Watson mural in downtown Boone looks over the crowd at the 2026 Boonerang Music and Arts Festival.
lowland South. It’s no wonder so many Floridians keep second homes up here. Fall covers the ridges in red, orange and gold for views that come straight from a painting. Winter can bring cold and snowy mornings, while spring arrives with blooming rhododendrons and mountain laurel. Getting to Boone is straightforward. U.S. 421, U.S. 321 and U.S. 221 all lead to Boone, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 469-mile scenic route and national park running through North Carolina and Virginia, passes through the county, with several access points within about 20 minutes of town. 12 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
PHOTO COURTESY BOONERANG
Downtown is the heart of it all. Several neighborhoods are within walking distance of King Street, where independent shops, boutiques and restaurants fill historic storefronts. Monthly First Friday Art Crawls bring people out to galleries and shops, and summer concerts on the lawn of the Jones House are a tradition many locals and visitors alike have come to enjoy. Each June, the free Boonerang Music & Arts Festival welcomes Boone-connected musicians and artists home for a weekend of music across downtown. In September, Buskers Fest fills the streets with performers, artists and makers.
A map of Downtown Boone
GRAPHIC COURTESY DOWNTOWN BOONE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 13
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PHOTO COURTESY APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
A snowy view of App State’s campus, which sits right next to downtown Boone.
Right alongside downtown is Appalachian State University, with the campus spread across 1,200 acres, 375 of which are developed. As of fall 2026, the university enrolled 21,308 students, including 17,063 on the Boone campus. Living in a college town has its benefits. From fall football games to concerts and lectures throughout the year, the university offers
residents plenty to do. Getting around once you’re in town is easy, too. AppalCART, the area’s public transit system, offers fare-free bus service throughout Boone, with low-cost routes reaching the rest of the county. Boone’s ties to the land remain strong. The Watauga County Farmers’ Market, voted the best in North
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Carolina, has been a Saturday tradition since 1974. The King Street Market on Tuesdays brings local growers and makers together from spring through fall, and a winter market keeps fresh, local food available through the colder months. More than anything, Boone is defined by its people. Hurricane Helene tested that in September 2024, causing widespread devastation across the town and the High Country. The response showed the community at its best: businesses opened their doors to other businesses and displaced neighbors; chefs and restaurants cooked free meals for volunteers, first responders and anyone in need; and people who had lost much themselves showed up for others. That same spirit has carried the region through the long work of rebuilding. Whether you’re visiting family, here on vacation or thinking about putting down roots, you’ll quickly see why so many people are proud to call Boone their hometown.
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Community leaders honored for making Boone a better place
BY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
T
he Boone Area Chamber of Commerce recognized nine community members at its annual Spirit of Boone membership meeting. “For generations and through challenges and victories, the High Country has shown what it looks like to respond for one another and cheer for one another,” said David Jackson, President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “As communities across Western North Carolina have pulled together, we’ve been able to show that responding in a manner that’s supportive and neighborly is core to the work PHOTO BY SYDNEY GAIL PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE that we all maintain for our community’s benefit.” Boone Chamber of Commerce recognized nine community leaders and The event included remarks from local and state businesses at its 77th annual Spirit of Boone. partners, a video tribute to the honorees and updates access in the community’s food desert. on long-term recovery work from NC Governor Josh “The Spirit of Boone celebrates the very best of our Stein. Recipients were recognized for undertaking the community’s challenges, including hurricane recovery, community, and the inspirational impact of this year’s volunteering for local events, and increasing food award winners has lifted up so many individuals and
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businesses across the High Country region,” Jackson said. “The common thread between our nine honorees is a deep connection to this special place. They wake up each day with the idea of making Watauga County, the High Country, and Western North Carolina stronger than we were the day before. We see that through their leadership, mentoring, creation of innovative programs, and powerful storytelling. These honorees take the responsibilities of leadership and community betterment seriously, and we can’t think of a better way to honor the group by helping connect their achievements in a way that inspires others to follow a similar path.”
Alfred Adams Award for Economic Development STICK BOY BREAD COMPANY/HATCHET COFFEE Represented by Carson and Mindy Coatney, Founders/CoOwners The Alfred Adams Award for Economic Development recognizes CARSON AND MINDY COATNEY those who have worked for the orderly growth and development of Watauga County. Adams served as a local banker and prominent community organizer and provided influence in the Chamber’s formative years. Sponsored annually by Foscoe Companies. Twenty-five years ago, Stick Boy Bread Company was 1,000 square feet of used equipment and two people.
2025
When the laundromat next door closed they took the space and added a coffee shop, and when customers asked for sandwiches, seating, and parking they opened Stick Boy Kitchen. Hatchet Coffee, which began as a Stick Boy program before spinning off on its own, came back into the fold three years ago. Today, the company has about 170 employees and three locations. Founders and owners Carson and Mindy Coatney are also partners in Booneshine Brewing Company and Melanie’s Food Fantasy in downtown Boone. Stick Boy has employed generations of Appalachian State students, and the ownership team now includes four long-time managers who grew from within the business. That approach has made the company a cornerstone of the High Country restaurant industry and a place where a first job can become a career. For building a business that has stayed rooted in Boone for a quarter century and made room for others to grow within and outside it, Stick Boy Bread Company and Hatchet Coffee receive the Alfred Adams Award for Economic Development.
Kathy Crutchfield Citizen of the Year DAVE BREWER The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce presents the Kathy Crutchfield Citizen of the Year Award annually to an individual who exemplifies a selfless work ethic while impacting and DAVE BREWER supporting a broad array of community partners. Presented annually by Beech Mountain Resort. Dave Brewer has spent more than two decades as a fixture of the High Country’s food and music scenes,
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and along the way he has become one of the area’s most dependable connectors. The man of many hats, Dave is a Partner and General Manager at Holloway Corner Kitchen in Foscoe, a multi-instrumentalist with Possum Jenkins, Soul Benefactor, The Dead of Winter, The Junaluska Gospel Choir, Real Companion, and Dave Brewer’s Foscoe Four, a former staff writer at High Country Press, and the longtime host of a radio show that still airs in reruns on the coast. Since 2008, he has run Boone A.M.E.N. (Area Musicians Experiencing Need) Corner, providing financial support to area musicians and their families during hard stretches. He has spent years booking bands and organizing events, including High Country BeerFest and Valle Crucis Community Park Music in the Valle. Holloway Corner Kitchen opened in 2024 in a legacy Foscoe restaurant building, a project Brewer took on with partner Andy Long. The opening brought new life to a corner that had anchored the Foscoe dining scene for decades. Whether keeping the lights on for a fellow musician or opening Holloway Corner Kitchen’s doors when neighbors needed a place to gather, Dave’s selfless work ethic and knack for bringing people together make him a fitting recipient of this year’s Kathy Crutchfield Citizen of the Year Award.
Sue W. Wilmoth Award for Advancement of Tourism NC GOVERNOR JOSH STEIN AND FIRST LADY ANNA STEIN The Sue W. Wilmoth Award for the Advancement of Tourism is named for the former Chamber Director, who used her influence in tourism promotion to capitalize on the region’s natural resources while balancing progress with NC GOVERNOR JOSH STEIN AND preservation. Sponsored annually by Home2 Suites FIRST LADY ANNA STEIN by Hilton of Boone. Growing up in Elkin, North Carolina, First Lady Anna Stein came into her role by way of public health and law. Rural tourism is one of her three priorities as First Lady, a commitment that predates Helene and one she has carried into the High Country in the seasons since. Governor Josh Stein grew up in Charlotte and Chapel Hill, studied at Dartmouth College and Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 23
Harvard University, and served in the state Senate and eight years as Attorney General before taking office in January 2025. Since then, the two have kept a steady habit of showing up in the towns and on the rivers that visitors travel here to see, and their attention has widened from outdoor recreation to the outfitters, restaurants, shops, and lodging that fill in once a visitor decides to come. In June 2025, the First Lady led WNC Open for Business Week, spent the morning in a canoe on the New River, hosted a symbolic ribbon cutting, then carried the day to a far larger audience through her social channels and the state press. That evening, the Governor took the same message to national television, appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This set the tone for the summer ahead and grew into a nationwide call to Rediscover the Unforgettable. The Steins understand that tourism in the High Country is a year-round business. In February 2026, they toured Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort, and Sugar Mountain Resort during the Winter Olympics, drawing attention to a ski industry that brings more than 780,000 visitors to the region each year and supplies over 2,000 jobs. Tourism promotion is usually measured in campaigns
and impressions, but what the Steins offer the High Country is personal presence in the places that needed visitors most, at the moment it matters. For sustained advocacy on behalf of mountain communities and the businesses that depend on visitors, Governor Josh Stein and First Lady Anna Stein receive the Sue W. Wilmoth Award for the Advancement of Tourism.
Ben Suttle Special Services Award JUDITH PHOENIX The Ben Suttle Special Services Award is named for the former Boone Town Councilman and recognizes the spirit of volunteerism in the community. Presented annually by Appalachian State University. JUDITH PHOENIX After working five decades as a social worker, Judith Phoenix retired and found a second career in volunteering, one she is still working in her eighties. Judith’s first act of volunteerism was with Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) in 2013, where she
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started by helping park cars at an event. Eventually, she joined the organization’s board and later became Board Chair, returning to what she had spent her working years doing: connecting people to resources. While Judith is not a farmer, she is a dedicated advocate who understands that a local food system holds only when the whole community rallies around it. Retirement has only widened Judith’s work. When not supporting BRWIA, you will find her ushering at the Appalachian Theatre, serving on the Town of Boone Cultural Resources Advisory Board, sorting and selling items at Village Thrift for college scholarships, or out on the Middle Fork Greenway with Blue Ridge Conservancy. She remains active at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the Blowing Rock Garden Club. Show up almost anywhere in this community and Judith is already there, showing her support by attending as many events as possible. This decades-long commitment to service is exactly what the Ben Suttle Special Services Award was created to honor, making Judith Phoenix a most deserving recipient.
Baker/Jones Woman of the Year MISSY HARRILL The Baker-Jones Woman of the Year award is named
for long-time Chamber volunteers Gillian Baker and Susan Jones. This award honors an inspiring member who exemplifies the qualities of leadership, mentorship, and community involvement. Co-sponsored annually by Blue Ridge Energy and MISSY HARRILL UNC Health Appalachian. Missy Harrill works in an industry where you have to sell an idea before it exists. At Foscoe Companies, that means starting with the finished picture and working backward through the soil samples, the landowner conversations, and whatever else stands in the way. She applies the same method to community issues. Drawing on her own history with the lack of accessible childcare, Missy understands what it costs the regional workforce when parents are left home watching children, and what that means for every employer here, including her own. She has lent that expertise to Kid Cove, to facilities work with Watauga County Schools, and to the Watauga County Early Childhood Education and Development Fund, while making the
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 25
case among fellow business leaders. Her approach to development carries the same sense of responsibility. Rock outcroppings, trees, and the natural features that bring people to the High Country are worth preserving, and the work is making something new fit a place that already has a character worth protecting. That long view extends to higher education, where she serves on the Appalachian State University Foundation Board and has been part of the team behind Mountaineer Tavern, a project built to support App State Athletics through a different funding model. Missy also makes a point of helping other women find their place in the room, sharing what she knows and making space for those coming up behind her. For her leadership, problem-solving, and commitment to community, Missy Harrill received the Baker-Jones Woman of the Year Award.
Wade Brown Award for Community Involvement ASHEMONT TITLE Represented by Lindsay Miller, Director, Community Outreach The Wade Brown Award for Community Involvement is the Chamber’s oldest award, dating back to 1979. Named after the first LINDSAY MILLER OF ASHEMONT TITLE recipient of the honor, this award recognizes a significant contribution through community engagement. Sponsored by The 1850 Hotel. Ashemont Title opened its doors on February 1, 2021, with a simple but ambitious idea: build a company whose growth produces charitable giving. Title insurance protects buyers and lenders against issues in a property’s ownership record, and it is required on any real estate transaction involving a loan. That structure makes the work relationship driven. The team checks in with realtors, lenders, and closing attorneys throughout the year and asks what they are seeing in their own communities, and those conversations shape every gift. In its first five years, the company has given more than $600,000 to nonprofits across North Carolina. Those gifts are unrestricted, allowing nonprofits to direct support to the highest and best need. The giving spans youth, hunger, housing, medical needs, arts and culture, the environment, animal welfare, and equity. Locally, Ashemont Title’s 26 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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support includes Western Youth Network, Blue Ridge Conservancy, and the Children’s Council. Statewide partners include organizations like Band Together, Me Fine, and Habitat for Humanity. Founded in Ashe County and now operating in all 100 North Carolina counties, the company still lets local relationships drive where the money lands. For proving that a business can be built with community support at its center, Brett Summey, Michael Fink, Lindsay Miller, and the team at Ashemont Title receive the Wade Brown Award for Community Involvement.
to come thanks to a partnership between Destination by Design, STITCH Design Shop, Explore Boone, and Watauga County. The park reopened in July 2026 after a $2.2 million redevelopment, DESTINATION BY DESIGN, STITCH capped by a DESIGN SHOP, WATAUGA COUNTY, EXPLORE BOONE horseshoe-shaped Dan Meyer Partnership Award overlook that HOWARD KNOB opens the panoramic view of Appalachian State Destination By Design, STITCH Design Shop, University, downtown Boone, and the surrounding Watauga County, Explore Boone mountains. Destination by Design, headquartered The Dan Meyer Community Partnership Award in Boone, produced the original master plan for the recognizes a community leader for their efforts to bring Watauga County Tourism Development Authority in multiple parties together for a common cause. Meyer 2018 and later led design and engineering. STITCH served as President/CEO of the Chamber for 12 years Design Shop, with offices in Boone, Winston-Salem, before retiring in August of 2016. Sponsored annually and Greensboro, served as architect. Explore Boone by LifeStore Bank. and Watauga County carried the project through Howard Knob has been the postcard view of funding, permitting, and public process, paid for with Boone for as long as anyone can remember, and now occupancy tax and an Accessibility for Parks grant. accessible for all, it will hold that place for generations None of the partners involved worked at a distance.
28 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
They each hold a shared stake in the High Country that shaped every decision, from where the overlook sits to how the walkway meets the summit. For keeping this work close to home and turning a shared idea into a public asset that will outlast all of them, the Howard Knob Park partners receive the Dan Meyer Partnership Award.
everGREEN Award For Sustainability DR. LYNN GIBBARD The everGREEN Award for Sustainability is presented to a business, organization, project, or person who has furthered the inclusion and integration of sustainable development principles. Sponsored annually by Mast General Store. LYNN GIBBARD Dr. Lynn Gibbard has built a career at the intersection of education, professional service, and sustainable communities. A professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Communication, she serves as Co-Founder and Consultant for Frontline to Farm, an App State program that supports military veterans’ transition to sustainable farming as a livelihood. The work pairs hands-on agricultural training with a larger goal of building resilient local food networks. Her work also includes creating community connections that promote sustainable agriculture, strengthen veteran services, and provide ongoing partnerships for education and service. The heart of Gibbard’s work has been creating opportunities for her fellow veterans to transition successfully to civilian life. Her 2015 Department of Education grant established App State’s veteran services unit and increased the number of student veterans on campus. Her recent work as co-founder and codirector of Frontline to Farm was made possible with nearly $800,000 in USDA/BFRDP grant money and supplemental funds. The training also supported community partners and farms as trainers and hosts, as well as community outreach. After Hurricane Helene devastated the area, Gibbard worked with the regional veteran organizations to get immediate relief for veterans. She went on to work with Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture staff to develop and manage the 2025 Producer Relief Grant backed by funds she secured from Farm Aid and the Boone Sunrise Rotary. In 2025, she served as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in which
she taught classes focused on US military culture and American food ways. Dr. Gibbard’s dedication to the principles of sustainability in service to farmers, veterans, and the community she embodies makes her the ideal recipient of this year’s everGREEN Award for Sustainability.
Elizabeth Young Award for Community Leadership TASHA ROUNTREE The Elizabeth Young Award for Community Leadership is presented to a person or organization whose leadership has been pivotal to maintaining the health and vibrancy of our community. The award recognizes leadership that rises above the work of any one TASHA ROUNTREE business or agency in order to unite and mobilize business, government, non-profit, and civic partners toward an improved quality of life for our entire community. Sponsored annually by Highstreet Insurance. Tasha Rountree came to Blue Ridge Energy in
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 29
2018 from a banking career, serving as Ashe district manager before becoming Director of Community Relations and Economic Development. The move put her in a position to do at scale what she had been doing one customer at a time: figuring out what a community needs and finding the resources to meet it. She now runs the programs that connect a member-owned cooperative to the seven counties it serves, from the Leadership Track for high school students to Bright Ideas teacher grants, Operation Round Up, and the Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation. Her work rarely carries her name on it. Someone has to sit in the room where a teacher grant gets approved or a scholarship gets awarded, then go sit in the next room. Rountree is an Appalachian State University graduate, a graduate of both Leadership Ashe and the Watauga Leadership Challenge, and a longtime board member at Watauga Opportunities, an organization built around employment for people with disabilities. For leadership that has quietly moved resources to where the High Country needs them most, Tasha Rountree receives the Elizabeth Young Award for Community Leadership.
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Four community members highlighted
emerging leaders Myles Stacey, Family Caregiver Support Specialist, High ixteen emerging leaders and a longtime community Country Council of Governments, and Jackie Garner, Associate Director, Employer Relations and Student mentor were among the honorees at the 10th Programming Department, Walker College of Business, Annual 4 Under 40 Awards. Appalachian State University, were awarded. The annual The milestone evening drew an event-record crowd of more than 200 to the Appalachian Theatre, with past Respect Your Elder award was presented to community mentor Faye Cooper, a recognition that grounded the honorees and program alumni on hand to celebrate a celebration in the values the program has championed decade of recognizing the High Country’s rising talent. since its founding. More than 30 young professionals were considered “This year’s class of honorees is comprised of some of in this year’s nominee pool. The finalists who rose to the most engaged, community-focused leaders we’ve the top stood out not just for their accomplishments been fortunate enough to recognize in 10 years of but for their unwavering commitment to the people presenting these awards,” said David Jackson, President/ around them, whether students, customers, clients, or neighbors. The evening’s program was designed to offer CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “If you are the leader of a non-profit, focused on board member inspiration and a clear reminder that the future of this recruitment, or a community organization looking for community is in capable hands. capable volunteers that have leadership capacity, this Four category winners, Dr. Kelly Whiteley, Associate would be a great group to sample. All 16 finalists display Dentist, Mountaineer Dental & Sleep Center, Tiffany Weitzen, Co-Owner, Wonder Pelvic Therapy & Wellness, a commitment to building personal connections and BY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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a willingness to work to advance our community in a what this group does next.” positive direction. We congratulate our category winners The event is a signature program of the Boone Area along with each of our honorees. We can’t wait to see Chamber of Commerce and presented by Appalachian
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Rising Star DR. KELLY WHITELEY, Associate Dentist, Mountaineer Dental & Sleep Center, 36 Passionate Kelly has spent the last eight years helping grow Mountaineer Dental and Sleep Center from a two-doctor practice to a four-doctor practice with a team of 20, bringing DR. KELLY WHITELEY the latest in dental technology and a genuine commitment to exceptional patient care to the High Country. She earned her Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry in 2022 and is on track for her Mastership, recently selected to serve on the Academy’s Group Benefits Advisory Council at the national level. Kelly is the lead coordinator of Soldier Smiles NC. This annual Veterans Day event has provided over $90,000 in free dental care to veterans in just three years and she has volunteered with the NC Missions of Mercy free dental clinic since 2008. Rising Star Finalists: • Shirley Alexander, General Manager, Booneshine Brewing Company • Will Burrow, Head Winemaker, Grandfather Vineyard & Winery • Kate Prisco, Assistant Director for Parks and Recreation, Town of Beech Mountain Award sponsored by Beech Mountain Resort
Business Owner TIFFANY WEITZEN, Co-Owner, Wonder Pelvic Therapy & Wellness, 39 Inspirational Tiffany Weitzen cofounded Wonder Pelvic Therapy & Wellness to bring specialized pelvic TIFFANY WEITZEN health care to people of all walks of life, breaking down stigma and making expert care feel accessible. In just two years, the practice earned the Watauga County Startup Business of the Year award. She consistently reinvests in the community through free health fairs, 34 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
nonprofit sponsorships, and collaborative programming with organizations such as Girls on the Run, NAMI, and High Country Doulas. Business Owner Finalists: • Laura Edmonds, Helpwell Co. • Trevor Moody, Lily’s Snack Bar • Garrett Norris, Norris Plumbing Co. Award sponsored by Kid Cove
Nonprofit Professional MYLES STACEY, Family Caregiver Support Specialist, High Country Council of Governments, 28 Compassionate Myles Stacey of the High Country Council of Governments reminds MYLES STACEY us of the treasure of aging, caring and advocating for older generations while building systems of support that help them age with dignity across a seven-county region. He annually supports 50-plus caregivers through individualized assistance, has expanded his Dementia Caregivers and Friends program, and played a vital role in disaster recovery. Holding a Master of Social Work and a former caregiver himself, Myles brings both the training and the lived experience to meet families exactly where they are. From rural support groups to policy briefings in Washington, D.C., he shows up for the people who spend their lives showing up for others. Non-Profit Professional Finalists: • John Caveny, Vice President, Conservation & Education, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation • Shane Hillman, Program Director, F.A.R.M. Cafe • Willard C. Watson, III, Program & Outreach Director, The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum Award sponsored by Carolina West Wireless
Education Professional JACKIE GARNER, Associate Director, Employer Relations and Student Programming Department, Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University, 37 Vivacious Jackie Garner is a powerful presence at App State’s Walker College of Business, serving as Associate
Director of Employer Relations and Student Programming, and playing an integral role in the Women of Walker program. A Boone native with a honed skill set in programming and JACKIE GARNER mentorship, Jackie brings the kind of energy that puts students and community partners immediately at ease. She serves on the Girls on the Run Advisory Board, participates in WYN Festival of Trees, and has completed both Watauga Leadership Institute cohorts. Whether she is building a program, advocating for students, or being a good friend, Jackie does it with her whole heart. Education Professional Finalists: • Bethany Gonzalez, Associate Director, Student Veterans Center, Appalachian State University • Megan Laws, Kindergarten Teacher, Parkway School • Ashley Roberts, Instructional Technology Specialist for Curriculum, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute
Respect Your Elder FAYE COOPER Faye Cooper has spent more than 46 years shaping the High Country through her role building Mast General Store into a multi-location regional FAYE COOPER institution, pioneering employee benefits and workplace flexibility in the small business community, and investing deeply in land conservation, community infrastructure, and the restoration of the Appalachian Theatre. Few have done more to connect people to purpose and leave this region better than they found it, according to the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Award sponsors include Beech Mountain Resort, Carolina West Wireless, Kid Cove, and the Walker College of Business, with additional support from High Country Radio and the High Country Young Professionals.
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4 Under 40: Where are they now?
BY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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ver the past decade, the annual 4 Under 40 Awards, presented by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, have recognized emerging leaders whose work is shaping the future of the High Country. Across four categories, Business Owner, Non-Profit, Education, and Rising Star, these honorees reflect the talent, commitment, and momentum within our community. Since the inaugural event 10 years ago, each class of 4 Under 40 recipients has captured a moment in time, highlighting individuals early in their leadership journeys. In the years that followed, many have gone on to grow their businesses, take on new responsibilities, and deepen their involvement across the region.
Jennifer Warren
2017 Non-Profit Professional
At the time of her 4 Under 40 Award, Jennifer Warren was already leading Western Youth Network as Executive Director. Since then, she has guided a multimillion dollar fundraising campaign to establish Watauga County’s only youth center, creating a lasting impact for local young people. Reflecting on her recognition, Warren shares the credibility that comes along with such an award. “Any community- JENNIFER WARREN
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For the last 10 years, emerging leaders have been recognized by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
wide recognition increases your credibility in the community. Credibility and trust are key components that people look for when they are deciding whether
or not to volunteer with or donate to your agency,” she shared. Advice for Emerging Leaders: If something feels
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off, trust that intuition even if you don’t have a logical reason why. If something feels right, pursue it even when you have no idea how you will get it done.
Caleb Marsh
2017 Education Professional
Since being recognized in his role at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute in 2017, Caleb Marsh has continued to grow as a leader in higher education. He currently serves as the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Blue Ridge Community College. Caleb credits the 4 Under 40 Award as a catalyst in his leadership journey, inspiring him to pursue more advanced roles. Shortly after receiving the honor, he stepped into a department chair position, marking a defining career milestone and setting the stage for continued professional growth. Advice for Emerging Leaders: Take chances, say yes, and be sure to take care of yourself and, if you can, someone else too.
Anna Oakes 2018 Rising Star
At the time of her 2018 recognition, Anna Oakes worked as editor of the Watauga Democrat. She has since transitioned into higher education, now leading as Senior Director of Public Relations in Appalachian State University’s University Communications department, collaborating ANNA OAKES with a talented team on storytelling, media relations, and strategic communications. A career milestone for Oakes has been making the leap from journalism to public relations and returning to her alma mater, where she has embraced new challenges and expanded her leadership and communication skills. Advice for Emerging Leaders: We all have limited resources, including time. Do the best you can with the resources you have, and don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Tyler Moffatt
2018 Business Owner
Tyler R. Moffatt serves as an Attorney and Member at Moffatt & Moffatt, PLLC, where his practice focuses on business transactions as well as business, real estate, and construction litigation. Since receiving the award, a defining professional milestone for Moffatt has been reaching a point in his career where he can be selective about the transactions and litigation matters he takes on, allowing him to focus on the work he finds most meaningful and engaging. He shared that recognition as a 4 Under 40 honoree broadened his exposure to other industries, strengthening his perspective as an attorney and community member. Advice for Emerging Leaders: Your time is your most important asset.
Andy Hill
2019 Non-Profit Professional
Since his recognition, Andy Hill continues in his role as High Country Regional Director for MountainTrue/Watauga Riverkeeper. Hill’s defining milestones include ANDY HILL guiding his organization and the community through recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, deepening connections with his Watauga Leadership Challenge cohort and expanding opportunities for mentorship. Advice for Emerging Leaders: Engage with our incredible High Country community and find opportunities for collaboration.
Tierra Stark
2019 Education Professional
Tierra Stark was serving as an Assistant Principal at Watauga High School at the time of her recognition. She now works at the central office for Watauga County Schools as Director of Accountability, Student Services, Career and Technical Education, Federal Programs, and School Safety, supporting schools across the district. Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 39
Since receiving the award, Stark has reached several defining milestones, including earning her Doctorate in Education and transitioning into a system-level leadership role. Advice for Emerging Leaders: You don’t have to do it all, but whatever you do, give it your all.
and become that expert that people go to for answers.
Lane Moody
2020 Non-Profit Professional
Lane Moody continues to serve the community as Downtown Development Coordinator with the Town of Boone. Since receiving the award, a defining key milestone for Moody has been guiding one of Boone’s most anticipated initiatives, the Howard Street 2019 Rising Star Revitalization Project, from long-standing plans into Danielle Wade is President and CEO of Jackson visible, on-the-ground progress. Sumner & Associates, a firm specializing in highBeing recognized as a 4 Under 40 honoree also had risk insurance. Since receiving the award, Wade has a lasting personal impact. Moody shared that the reached two significant professional milestones: award helped quiet imposter syndrome and provided Completion of the transition of ownership and an renewed confidence to lead with intention, especially invitation to serve on the Wholesale & Specialty on challenging days. “It’s been a reminder that the Insurance Association (WSIA) Board, a national work matters and that others see value in it,” she said, leadership role within her industry. motivating her to continue showing up and serving the Reflecting on her recognition as a 4 Under 40 honoree, Wade shared that the award was a meaningful community with care. acknowledgment from her local community and Advice for Emerging Leaders: Leadership is a helped open new professional connections. journey. Growth comes from showing up consistently, investing in relationships, and giving yourself grace Advice for Emerging Leaders: Never stop learning. Continue to learn new things in your field along the way.
Danielle Wade
Family Billiards: ATradition of Excellence Since 1996 Country eRetreat Family rBilliardsl Family illiBilliards rill andol r Grill’sd pool h room n and ertablesno haved &c Grill ven enis y conveniently a elocated in Foscoe - 8 miles south of been considered top notch and ma n ne a e con on. uth of Band e Blowing d l wi Rock R k off are are maintained in immaculate Boone o highway0105 (next to the Dollar, condition. They are knowno for General), sand t 7 milesn north of their g quality food h & , beverage f Banner. T Elk u and Linville.li This operation, of which, close toe half s summer Family Billiards is is take-out orders. The, majority of ce n 3 ear in o era on as e celebrating 31 years in operation regulars come for for their quality, a a e oo er s, m y g as the High’ Country’s only pool consistent and affordable food h r l h r Th r m room,o featuring o 10 professional offerings, although many have s pool dtables. Family d Billiards o isl never played pool here. The room’s a crfamily d friendly, asnon-alcohol features numerous olarge r screen r recreational destination as well TV’s generally featuring sports t serv es aur n r . as a full service restaurant & grill. or h weather . i during s ther daytime c l They host weekly handicapped and sporting events at night. Chef a o t rou ay, c pool tournaments o for l the s morel Brian Anderson prepares daily l ily Billiards is a small dedicated pool players of all levels, specials Monday through Friday, , l that caterssell to andout. depends largely as well t asi catering to recreational which always Family . l operation and first time pool players. The on Billiards is following a small operation that their loyal of regulars. Family o tes ro na grill operates from 11am - 8pm Billiards caters tois and depends largely on a family friendly recreation, Monday t through d Saturday.ncThe their loyal following of regulars. entertainment, and dining option for locals dining d area includes oa covered Family Billiards is a family friendly as well as tourists visiting the high country. front t porch . for those wishing to recreation, entertainment, and eat d outside. Family Billiards is dining option for locals as well as . closed on Sundays. tourists visiting the high country. 40 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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Brittany Luxton
2023 Non-Profit Professional
At the time of her 4 Under 40 Award, Brittany Luxton was already serving WAMY Community Action, Inc., where she was building a strong foundation in community-based leadership. Since receiving the recognition, she has reached a significant career milestone by becoming Executive Director. Reflecting on her recognition, Luxton shares how the award offered an important moment of reflection and affirmation. “As someone who goes through life doing what needs to be done, taking a pause to recognize all of my accomplishments has solidified me and my role as a community leader,” she shared. Advice for Emerging Leaders: Authenticity shapes how you show up, builds trust, and fosters progress.
Halee Hartley
2023 Business Owner
Halee Hartley is the owner of Kid Cove, operating a single half-day program at the time of her award. Since then, Kid Cove has experienced substantial growth, expanding to two full-day centers serving more than 130 children and a summer camp for 150 school-age
children, creating a meaningful impact for families across the High Country. Reflecting on her recognition, Hartley shared that the award helped establish her as a leader and advocate within the childcare industry. The visibility and connections helped the childcare industry be heard and seen while contributing directly to Kid Cove’s growth and success. Advice for Emerging Leaders: Have a goal? Have a dream? Do everything and anything to reach it. Do not let anything stand in your way.
Jessica Yates
2025 Non-Profit Professional
At the time of her recognition in 2025, Jessica Yates was already making an impact as Family Services Program Director at the Children’s Council, a role she continues to hold today. Since receiving the award, Yates has overseen significant growth within her team and department, including the launch of a Family Navigator Program and a Families First Prevention Services Act Pilot, expanding the organization’s reach and support for local families. Advice for Emerging Leaders: Work hard and keep going, even when it feels like giving up is easier.
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A
climbing harness, a coffee table and a country ham don’t have much in common, except where they’re made. Misty Mountain Threadworks, Charleston Forge and Goodnight Brothers each started small, and each has grown into a business whose work reaches Army mountain kits, Starbucks stores and grocery shelves while still being made in the High Country. Each has also had to change to survive. One went from a retail shop to a furniture factory, one traded produce for country ham, and one turned a recession into a contract with the Army. And each says the same thing is at the root of its staying power: quality.
Charleston Forge
Charleston Forge uses age-old metalsmithing and woodworking techniques to hand-craft its furniture in its factory in the heart of Boone. The company is known foremost for its forging. “The name itself is kind of a celebration of people taking metal and heating it up into beautiful shapes,” Art Barber said. “We combine that metal with wood tabletops, stone or glass.” The company is popular for its coffee tables and end tables but also crafts dining room tables, beds and more. Its furniture is not meant to serve a specific use for a season. It is built to last. “We know of people who have handed down their Charleston Forge pieces to their children,” Susan Barber added. Art and Susan Barber started in the retail business in the 1970s. The couple first opened a small retail shop in 1975, selling fireplace equipment and accessories. In
42 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLESTON FORGE Charleston Forge employees work in the factory.
1984, the business evolved into a hand-forged furniture manufacturer, 42 years ago. Art Barber came up the mountain from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1969 to attend Appalachian State University. He graduated with a business degree and no idea what he would do after graduation. Susan Barber also attended Appalachian State University. Both “absolutely fell in love with the area,” Susan Barber said, deciding to open a business to stay in Boone. They then ventured into manufacturing, starting with fire screens and later furniture, Susan Barber said. The couple started their family in Boone, and some of their grandchildren still call Boone home. “We had no dream of having a furniture factory. No vision. No training. But we had ideas of furniture,” Art Barber said. The Barbers had ideas, but the people they chose and continue to surround themselves with helped create what he calls a “wonderful company.” Charleston Forge ships furniture across America and across the
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Atlantic to Europe. Customers appreciate the quality of the pieces and are willing to pay a premium for American-made furniture, specifically Boone-made furniture. “We love to tell the story that we are as much Americanmade as we can possibly be,” Art Barber said. “We source most of our materials within 100 miles. Our steel comes out of Hickory, North Carolina, and our wood comes from just off the mountain.” Charleston Forge has been built for local, regional, domestic and international clients. Regionally, Rooster’s Wood-Fired Kitchen in Charlotte has one of its wine racks. Locally, Hatchet West in West Jefferson, Booneshine, and Pepper’s Restaurant & Bar each have a few of its pieces. Internationally, the company supplies Starbucks. “We do pieces for Starbucks every day,” Susan Barber said. Many Starbucks locations feature its “long community tables,” where customers can gather and enjoy their drinks. “It’s kind of fun to remember and know all the different places that we have made furniture,” she added. The company has also built for celebrities, including a
44 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
dining table for Jennifer Garner and a bed frame for John Travolta. “We have done some crazy stuff over the years,” Art Barber added. The company also built a table for broadcasters covering a “moonshot” and tables for the Olympics. The company works with large retailers, businesses, interior designers and others to design pieces that fit specific needs. It is known for its customization. The company employs a “mixture” of Appalachian State University graduates, career workers and out-of-staters. “The people that we have around us are true artists and craftsmen every step of the way. They have helped us build this business,” Art Barber said. “They are so special, and they are so proud of what they do.” The company recently reignited tours to give employees a chance to be recognized.
Goodnight Brothers Country Ham
Charleston Forge isn’t the only Boone company that found its footing by changing course. Goodnight Brothers has been doing it for even longer. Goodnight Brothers started in the 1930s with the founding family buying produce in Watauga County and selling it down the mountain from their basement
in Perkinsville, North Carolina, said Tony Snow, vice president of the company. The family eventually moved operations to Howard Street, where they continued to sell produce, feed and seed. They later started curing country ham to offer their workers year-round employment. “As tourism started pouring into Boone and agriculture pushed out — we stopped with produce and feed and seed and moved our operation into the industrial park where it is today,” Snow said. Boone is the hometown of the brothers who started the business. Early in ham production, the town’s weather provided an “optimal” season to cure ham. “Today we still cure hams using the four seasons, but we bring Mother Nature inside — we use temperature- and humidity-controlled environments,” Snow said. Traditionally cured hams are the company’s most popular product. The company’s primary focus is quality, Snow said, “to provide the best quality country ham to restaurants and grocery stores while continuing to educate customers on our traditionally made dry cured products and their many uses.” Snow has been with Goodnight Brothers for 26 years.
Misty Mountain Threadworks
Like the Barbers, the man who started Misty Mountain Threadworks came up through Appalachian State University. Misty Mountain Threadworks was founded in 1985 in nearby Valle Crucis. The company specializes in rock climbing harnesses, bouldering crash pads and military tethers. Its mission is simple: if you fall, you’re caught. “Fortunately, we have been able to catch everyone that’s fallen in Misty harnesses over the years,” said Goose Kearse, president and sole owner of Misty Mountain Threadworks. Kearse was introduced to multi-pitch climbing by his high school friend and original founder Woody Keen. “He took me up to Table Rock one day — it was just awesome,” Kearse said. “I really got a respect for what it was about and turned on the adrenaline, and of course, had a great time.” Keen got into climbing as a child. His father worked for a textile company, so Keen eventually started experimenting with building his own climbing harnesses and gear using his father’s machines. Both attended Myers Park High School in Charlotte during the 1970s. By the 1980s, Keen had graduated from Appalachian
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 45
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State University and was working as head of rock climbing for the North Carolina Outward Bound School at Table Rock. “He designed a harness called the fudge harness, one size fits all,” Kearse said. “You can eat all the fudge you want, and it still fits.” Before the 1980s, climbers typically used a Swiss seat — 20 feet of webbing self-tied as a harness. “By the mid-1980s, people were starting to sew harnesses,” Kearse said. That’s when Misty Mountain Threadworks was born. Kearse joined the company in 1989 after earning an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in business from Wake Forest University. His chemistry background gave him insight into fibers and textiles. After Keen moved on to other opportunities, Kearse worked with another business partner before eventually operating the business solo in the mid-2000s. Kearse credits his success to “a great group of colleagues and a staff composed of a lot of climbers — people that got drawn into our orbit.” The company initially hired only climbers, but Kearse realized that wasn’t efficient. In the 1990s, the company began hiring women with professional sewing experience from shuttered textile businesses. “We got people like Anita that really transformed us because we learned what professional sewers could do,” Kearse said. Kearse values his employees, paying them a livable wage and offering incentive programs. “Even our lowest paid employees are getting a livable wage,” he said. If production goals are met Monday through Thursday, employees get Friday off. “I’ve tried different incentive systems the entire time I have been here. If you are behaving like it’s your money that’s invested and your money that’s going to get lost if it doesn’t succeed — you
are going to work harder, smarter,” he added. Kearse is also flexible with his staff. “We try to be flexible with people and meet them where they are at as much as possible,” he said. He allows an employee with a 2-year-old to arrive late occasionally. “If you have kids — you know the reality. Their coughs, spit-ups and fevers don’t come at your discretion. They come when they come,” he said. Misty Mountain Threadworks expanded its product line beyond harnesses during the 2008 recession. Positioned between military bases, Kearse decided to produce military equipment. He asked a contact at CamelBak for an introduction. “CamelBak was blowing up because we’d just gone into Iraq and were getting ready to go into Afghanistan — guys were carrying three liters of water because they were going to a 120-degree desert,” Kearse said. “They really dialed into that market.” His contact helped him find places to exhibit Misty Mountain Threadworks’ products to the armed forces. “We were very successful early on with that,” he added. After meeting a Master Sergeant with Army Engineering, they developed harnesses for the Army’s mountain kits, which rolled out in the 2010s. “That’s a gift that keeps on giving for us because we are in that food chain,” Kearse said. While most climbers don’t need to attach weapons, the military does. “We are able to integrate what they need into how we solve their problem — we keep it as light as possible and keep it as functional as possible,” he said. From Army mountain kits to Starbucks tables to grocery store hams, the work coming out of these three companies travels far beyond the mountains. But all of it starts in Boone and the surrounding area. “We are just proud to be a part of the High Country community and serve the people around here and provide jobs for people who live in the High Country,” Charleston Forge’s Susan Barber said.
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More than a mountain view How Boone, Blowing Rock and nearby towns offer different versions of mountain life
BY BOONE RE/MAX REALTY GROUP
A
home in the High Country is about more than a mountain view. It can mean a Saturday morning at the farmers market, an evening concert with neighbors, or a quiet walk before the day begins. Boone and Blowing Rock share a mountain setting, yet each has its own everyday rhythm, and towns in neighboring counties add still more options. For people considering a move to Boone and the surrounding area, finding the right community is as important as finding the right house.
Boone blends mountain living with everyday energy
Boone appeals to people who want outdoor recreation alongside a lively town. Appalachian State University helps shape its atmosphere, bringing campus activities, arts, and college-town energy. King Street has shops and places to eat, while the surrounding area provides access to trails and mountain scenery. Boone’s role as a regional hub also makes it a practical starting point for people who value proximity to everyday services. Community life is easy to find in ordinary routines. The Watauga County Farmers’ Market brings together growers, craftspeople, and shoppers, with local food, handmade goods, and seasonal activities. The King Street Farmers’ Market adds another opportunity to meet the people behind locally produced food and art. These gathering places help turn a new address into a familiar community. Boone may suit someone who enjoys an active calendar and wants mountain recreation without giving up town conveniences. In-town living moves at a different rhythm from the wooded neighborhoods and rural settings outside downtown. University weekends and busy visitor seasons bring extra activity, so the best location depends on how much of that energy you want close to home.
Blowing Rock brings village character and traditions
Blowing Rock draws people who picture strolling Main Street, browsing shops, and meeting friends 52 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
PHOTO COURTESY RE/MAX REALTY GROUP A house on Delta Downs in Boone that was sold by Ike Franks of REMAX Realty Group.
over a meal. Its compact downtown, mountain surroundings, and parks give it a village atmosphere. Memorial Park sits at the center of town and serves as a gathering place for community events, while Art in the Park brings artists and visitors to downtown Park Avenue. The appeal extends beyond the storefronts. Nearby Moses Cone Memorial Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway invite time outdoors, and the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum adds a cultural connection to the region. For someone who enjoys both nature and a walkable downtown, those features can make everyday life feel especially rewarding. Seasonal traditions, from Art in the Park to Christmas in the Park, give residents reasons to gather throughout the year. A home near downtown can put those experiences within easy reach; a wooded property farther out brings more privacy. Blowing Rock may appeal to buyers seeking a full-time home or mountain retreat with an established town center, while recognizing that popular weekends can bring crowds and busier streets.
Four seasons shape daily life
Weather is part of the High Country’s appeal. Elevation generally brings cooler summers than lowerelevation parts of North Carolina, making outdoor meals, evening walks, and porch time especially inviting. Spring brings changing color, autumn draws attention to the foliage, and winter brings cold weather
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and opportunities for snow sports. Conditions vary by elevation, exposure, and location. A sheltered valley and an exposed ridge can feel quite different on the same day. Snow, ice, wind, and fog are part of mountain living, and winter access deserves consideration even when a home looks ideal in summer. Visit in more than one season when possible and think about how the setting fits your daily routine.
Just beyond Watauga County
For buyers willing to look a little farther from Boone, neighboring counties have different settings to consider. Banner Elk in Avery County sits near Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain, appealing to people who want skiing and outdoor recreation as part of their routine. A Banner Elk mailing address can cover a broader area than the town itself, so checking the specific neighborhood helps reveal access and distance to daily destinations. West Jefferson in Ashe County pairs a downtown of galleries, murals, shops, and Ashe County Cheese with nearby countryside, the New River, and Mount Jefferson.
Finding a place to belong
The people and shared activities give these communities depth beyond their scenery. Shopping from local makers, joining a volunteer group, attending a concert, or becoming a regular at a neighborhood business can help newcomers build connections. Each town provides its own setting for those relationships to grow. Boone’s energy and Blowing Rock’s village traditions offer different versions of mountain life, and neighboring towns add even more. Spend time in each, explore beyond the main street, and picture an ordinary weekday there. The right home is one whose community feels as appealing as the property itself.
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Five Questions We Hear Most About Boone Real Estate
BY LESLIE EASON
W
hether you are coming here to live full time or exploring the area for a second home, you probably have questions about our Real Estate market. Every market is unique, and Boone is very different from a more urban setting. After 19 years of selling homes in Boone and across the NC High Country, these are the five questions my team and I hear most.
adjust once buyers respond. A reduction means the price is finding the market price, which is stable, not that the market is falling.
Why are prices so high here?
Supply and demand. A lot of people want to live in Is the Boone market declining? the High Country or own Why do I see so many price reductions? a home here, and there are LESLIE EASON No. The number of sales is on track to match last year. The median sales price for a single-family home in Boone only so many homes to go around. Our mountain terrain and the need for a well is $608,500 so far this year, compared with $600,000 and septic system limit the large developments you see in 2025. It can feel slower because many people still in other markets. That limited supply is also part of why measure today against 2020 and 2021, when homes sold homes here have held their value. in days. Those years were the exception. What we have now is a steadier, more typical market. Is it a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? As for price reductions, pricing here is a challenge. No Is price negotiable? two mountain homes are alike. View, home condition, It depends on the location, the type of home and its location and acreage can change a home’s value more condition. A well-priced home in good shape close to than square footage does. Some sellers start high and town can sell quickly. Others take a while. Right now the
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opportunities are similar for both buyers and sellers. So far this year in Boone, single-family homes have sold for an average of 95.6% of final asking price, and condos for 97%. So yes, there is usually some room to negotiate, but not a lot. Sellers who price well are getting close to what they ask.
Why do homes stay on the market so long?
In many cities, a long stretch on the market suggests something is wrong with the house. Here, it mostly reflects who is buying. Most of our buyers do not live here yet. They are in Charlotte, the Triangle, Florida or farther away, and it takes time to plan a trip, see homes and come back for a second look. Days on market still matter. They just need local context.
When is the best time to buy?
Whenever you find a home that meets your needs. Seriously—if you find something that checks most boxes on your list, you will want to move on it, as inventory is always limited. More listings hit the market between April and September, and that is when you will have the most to choose from, and most sales close in the second half of the year. But this is a year-round market, especially in Boone, which has more full-time residents than the rest of the High Country. People take jobs, grow families and downsize in every season.
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How a local Realtor helps
Mountain property comes with questions you may not have run into elsewhere. North Carolina’s due diligence process is one. Buyers pay the seller a negotiated due diligence fee for the right to inspect the home and walk away for any reason during a set period. That fee is generally non-refundable, though it is credited toward the price at closing, so the amount and the timeline deserve careful thought. Inspections are another. Beyond a home inspection, you may want a septic inspection, a well water test, a radon test or a survey. Local restrictions are a third. Inside Boone town limits, there are rules on how many unrelated people can live in a home and on whether it can be used as a vacation rental. Know what applies to a property before you make an offer. A good local Realtor knows these roads, neighborhoods and numbers, and can tell you when to move quickly and when to wait. Whatever brings you to Boone, understanding how this market works will help you make a better decision. Leslie Eason leads The Leslie Eason Real Estate Team at Keller Williams High Country. Contact: leslie@easonteam.com, (828) 4844811, mountainhomesnc.com.
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A Banner year for the Chamber
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n less than nine months, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce went from the top chamber of its size in the Carolinas to one of the top three in the nation. The chamber was named the 2025 Outstanding Chamber of the Year among chambers with more than 700 members by the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The award was presented Oct. 30, 2025, at the association’s Annual Management Conference at the Beach House Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The CACCE award recognizes significant achievements a chamber has initiated or led in its service area during the previous 18 months. Those efforts must produce measurable results, and chambers are judged on membership, programs, planning and finance. CACCE is the professional development organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities for chamber of commerce executives and staff members in North Carolina and South Carolina. CACCE equips
PHOTO COURTESY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE President/CEO David Jackson and Vice President of Events/Chief of Staff Carrie Henderson with the award from the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
chamber of commerce professionals with leadership skills and tools to build innovative chambers. The organization was formed in 1994 when the North Carolina and South Carolina state chamber associations merged. In 2026, the recognition continued at the national level. The Boone Area Chamber was named one of three finalists in its size category for the 2026 Chamber of the Year award, presented by the Association of Chamber of
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Commerce Executives. The finalists were selected from a field representing more than 1,600 organizations. ACCE calls the finalist distinction one of the most significant in the chamber industry. Finalists had to meet performance thresholds in membership retention and financial health, complete a written application scored by peer executives and advance through a finalist interview panel. The top honor in Boone’s category went to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce in Jackson, Michigan, when winners were announced July 21, 2026, at ACCE’s Annual Convention in New Orleans. “While we may not have been selected as the ultimate honoree this time around, I could not be more proud of our staff, Board of Directors, and membership,” David Jackson, the chamber’s president and CEO, said at the convention. “Getting to this point means our Chamber is doing work that is deeply respected at a national level, and this experience will only help embolden our work to serve our membership and High Country community. We have shared plenty about Boone and Western North Carolina over the last few days, and we look forward to implementing some new ideas we’ve learned here at the ACCE Annual Convention.” The chamber’s application centered on child care as an economic development priority. ACCE highlighted the chamber’s Childcare for Childcare Workers program.
PHOTO COURTESY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Natalie English (President/CEO, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, CACCE Board Chair) and David Jackson.
Through it, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation raised and distributed more than $75,000, assisted 18 child care workers, covered tuition for 22 children and supported every licensed child care center and afterschool program in Watauga County. “With the type of work we do, especially for a community as special as the High Country, to be
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recognized by our industry peers reaffirms we are traveling in an impactful direction,” Jackson said. “This process has helped us feel even more confident and energized about the way our organization is showing up. It’s also given us the motivation to look inward at the way we operate, what we prioritize, and how we best utilize the talents of our amazing staff. This recognition is a reflection of our community, and we are grateful for the chance to tell the story of our community in a nationwide context.” That focus on families carried into another recognition. In January 2026, the chamber was certified as a Family Forward NC Employer by the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation. Launched in 2018, Family Forward NC aims to improve children’s health and well-being and keep North Carolina businesses competitive. The employer-led initiative promotes research-based, family-friendly practices that improve workplace productivity, recruitment and retention. The foundation says it has worked with more than 10,000 employers across the state. The certification considers employer benefits such as paid leave and wages, accommodations for pregnant and breastfeeding workers, child care supports, health and wellness benefits and scheduling practices. “As an organization with a team that spans different
ages, career stages, and family needs, it’s important for us to lead by example and create a workplace where people can grow professionally, while acknowledging the need for work-life balance,” Jackson said. “The Family Forward NC certification process gave us the opportunity to review and strengthen our policies and procedures, and becoming a Certified Employer reflects our commitment to supporting our staff today while serving as a guide for businesses that wish to consider this type of certification.” The staff of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce as of October 2026 is: • David Jackson, CCEC, President/CEO • Carrie Henderson, Chief of Staff/Vice President of Events • Natalie Harkey, Vice President of Finance • Patrick K. Setzer, Vice President of Member Engagement • Lindsay Cook, Director of Operations • Emma Faulkner, Director of Communications • Joe Furman, AICP Certified Planner, Director of Economic Development • Ethan Dodson, Director of Development • Mario Espinoza, Member Experience Associate • Jeannine Underdown Collins, Chamber Volunteer For more information about the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, visit www.boonechamber.com.
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PHOTO COURTESY BAILEY LITTLE/WATAUGA COUNTY SCHOOLS Watauga High School students converse with local businesses during a brief networking reception before the inaugural Trades Signing Day ceremony in April 2026.
Boone puts the spotlight on its
future workforce BY ZACH COLBURN
I
n Boone, the spotlight isn’t only on college-bound students anymore. Through Trades Signing Day, Watauga High School now celebrates students headed for careers in welding, cosmetology, health sciences and more. Trades Signing Day, organized by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce with the school system, recognizes students for their achievements in the trades while helping connect them with in-demand jobs in the High Country. According to David Jackson, president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, the event has allowed Watauga High School students to be recognized in a way they normally wouldn’t be. “We came up with the idea for Trades Signing Day because there are a number of students that come through Watauga High and the CTE (Career and Technical Education) concentrating classes that are getting some immediate industry-level credentials that can lead directly to employment. But there wasn’t a lot of spotlight on that, and some of the students that are going through those courses are performing very well,” Jackson said. “They’re competing in competitions; they’re getting industry credentials before they even graduate high school. There is a workforce component to that; we wanted to lessen the disconnect between businesses that are seeking people in those fields and these students that are coming out with ready-made 62 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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credentials ready to have employment, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to bring the business community in and see what it is that’s going on in the schools.” More than 150 students were recognized during the inaugural signing ceremony in Watauga High School’s auditorium in April 2026. Those students had either received or would receive a credential in an area of concentration through the school’s CTE program. Most also earned an industryrecognized credential alongside their coursework. Students were called on stage for their achievement in one of 11 concentrations: Agriculture, Computer Science, Drafting & Design, Health Sciences, Marketing/Tourism, Human Services: Food, Human Services: Cosmetology, Industrial: Automotive, Industrial: Drone, Industrial: Welding and Military. With these opportunities, Jackson said, more doors are opening for high school students sooner, a sign of how education pathways have evolved. Through these programs, as well as classes at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Watauga campus in Boone and its main campus in Hudson, students can now earn their high school diploma and an associate degree, or be on their way to one, by the
Watauga graduate Veronica Ryan was recognized for completing the Health Sciences concentration. She is pictured with Tara Brossa, executive director of RISE (Regional Initiative for Skilled Employment) Caldwell-Watauga, and Tasha Rountree of Blue Ridge Energy.
time they graduate from Watauga. “I do think that a byproduct of Trades Signing Day is really showing the community what’s going on inside the walls of the high school and how, quite honestly, from a generational standpoint, high school’s different than it used to be,” Jackson said. “When I went to high school in the late 1990s, we didn’t have the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree alongside our high school diploma. We were chasing one sheet of paper, not two,
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so I think showing the community that it’s possible for these students to go in and not only perform in a high-performing school system, but start their career path in a way that’s not loading them down with debt.” “We have seen so many students graduate with associate’s degrees that are awfully close to it,” Jackson added. “And whether they go down that associate degree path or they take all that credit and transfer it to a four-year and then get a year’s worth of credit on top of that, it does help make the value proposition of higher education a little bit more affordable to people.” Jackson said the programs also allow students to receive on-the-job training in a potential career field. Some students in the Regional Initiative for Skilled Employment (RISE) Caldwell-Watauga partnership who were recognized at Trades Signing Day worked part-time at UNC Health Appalachian in summer 2026 before starting school in the fall. “It’s already done its job of saying to the employer, ‘yeah, here’s this unique opportunity to get students into your business,’ yet here’s also this opportunity to help us celebrate the students that are getting their credentials and now you’re even deeper connected to them and who knows what that will mean for that workforce pipeline as it continues,” Jackson said. “The signing ceremony was a way for Watauga and Caldwell to show a tangible kind of end result to the relationship that they hope to have with the business community and in supporting student engagement, whether that’s in a place or helping with the teaching and learning of those skills, and we’re just happy to be able to bring all of those folks together under one roof.” CCC&TI is also building a new health science facility on its main campus in Hudson, expected to open in the near future. The facility will be a teaching and learning center with a simulated hospital environment, as well as a variety of labs and classroom spaces that will allow the college’s health sciences programs to be housed under one roof. At 65,000 square feet, it will be the largest building on the Hudson campus. CCC&TI has also introduced a new Associate in Applied Science in Health Sciences degree designed to prepare students for a variety of health care careers. Graduates can enter the workforce or continue into advanced health sciences programs, earning stackable credentials along the way. For more information about the program or to apply, visit www.cccti.edu or call 828-726-2200 (Caldwell) or 828-297-3811 (Watauga).
Chef Corey Hooks, director of culinary, catering and hospitality and a culinary arts instructor at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI), speaks with guests during the April 2026 inaugural Trades Signing Day ceremony.
Watauga graduate Cora Hensley receives her certificate and cord from Superintendent Leslie Alexander of Watauga County Schools during the April 2026 Trades Signing Day ceremony at Watauga High School.
PHOTO COURTESY CCC&TI CCC&TI alumnus Kevin Smith, pictured in the college’s plumbing lab, completed the school’s training course and is now employed in the industry.
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 65
PHOTO BY LORELEI ROBERTS Community members gathered to celebrate Doc Watson Day at the Jones House.
Always something happening in Boone
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rom Fall foliage to cooler summers, Boone offers an array of activities and events year-round that bring friends and family together. Some events take place weekly, making any week a good time to visit. From musical events like the Jones House indoor fall concerts and Boonerang to Art crawls and weekly farmers’ markets, Boone has something for everyone. “People should come out to enjoy these events because they give us an opportunity to come out and be with our fellow community members and visitors to enjoy the place we love,” Mark Freed, the Town of Boone’s Director of Cultural Resources, said. “People work hard, and these events are the things in life that reward us for the hard work.”
Summer Concerts on the Lawn
The Jones House is the epicenter of Boone’s music culture. It hosts the annual Doc Watson Day concert, honoring the life and legacy of Western North Carolina’s most beloved flatpicking guitarist and folk icon. Performers take to the stage, or the porch, at the Jones House and perform traditional tunes. Running every Friday from June through August, the free summer concerts on the Jones House lawn have become a weekly summer tradition for locals. Old-time, Jazz, folk, or Bluegrass music echoes down King Street as guests spread out their lawn chairs and blankets every Friday. 66 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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First Friday
Downtown Boone comes alive during the First Friday Art Crawl, with art exhibits at the quaint, communityfocused Jones House and art exhibitors outside who showcase jewelry, art prints, pottery, photography, and more from local makers and artists, along with wine tastings and various events at downtown businesses. The event starts at 5 p.m. and runs the first Friday of each month, except in January. The Downtown Boone Development Association and Watauga Arts Council host the event. Admission is free, and the event is open to all ages.
Boonerang Music and Arts Festival
Taking place the third full weekend in June, the Boonerang Music and Arts Festival is a free downtown street festival with something to offer everyone, regardless of interests, celebrating the arts, food, drink, and music with Boone Connections. The sixth annual festival is scheduled for June 18-20, 2027. Serving almost as a homecoming of sorts, the event features performances and activities throughout the day at multiple downtown locations, including street stages on South and North Depot Streets and a stage at the
PHOTO BY LORELEI ROBERTS The Watauga County Farmers Market had an estimated 42,627 customer visits over 35 Saturdays.
Jones House. Espresso News and Appalachian Theatre are two other facilities utilized for the weekend music festival.
Holiday Events The Boone Boo! Trick-or-treating event, every year on Halloween, is another classic Boone event. The central part of King Street (from Appalachian Street to Burrell Street) is closed to accommodate trick-
130 Hardin St., Boone, NC 28607 (828) 264-8657 68 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 69
or-treaters and to make room for some surprise guests and performances. Spooky music, inflatables, and plenty of Halloween costumes and treats will all be a part of the evening’s festivities. In addition, a costume contest takes place on the street while the Jones House lawn hosts community organizations, along with a spooky tour of the Jones House. The first two weeks of December focus on two events to put residents in the holiday spirit: Festive First Friday and Solar Tree Lighting. The Jones House hosts a night featuring carriage rides, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, marshmallow snowball fights, carolers, holiday treats, and much more during the First Friday festivities. The following weekend, the 2026 Boone Holiday Parade will take place at night for the third year in a row, starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. The parade will feature floats, cars, marchers and performers to help get everyone into the festive mood as they light up downtown Boone. Before and during the parade, observers can enjoy free hot chocolate and treats on the Jones House lawn; then stick around until the end for an appearance from Santa Claus. Kicking off a full day of Independence Day celebration, the annual Town of Boone 4th of July Parade and celebration is free, with free all-day parking in town-owned lots and live music from the Watauga Community Band. In addition to floats and plenty of patriotic celebration, parade-goers can hang out on the Jones House lawn for free refreshments, including watermelon, lemonade, and cake from Stick Boy Bread Company. They can also remain on the lawn for the 1872 Award Presentation, which went to Daughters of the American Revolution and Mollie Bolick of Homestead Recovery this past year. The day concludes with an annual fireworks display at Clawson-Burnley Park on the Boone Greenway at dusk. The annual Buskers Fest takes place in September as a free, family-friendly festival, packed with live music, hands-on art, raffles and plenty of local eats to name just a few. Watauga Arts Council and the Downtown Boone Development Association host the open-air celebration of the arts as a part of the culture’s identity.
Country. Locals and visitors are not short on farmers markets. Every Saturday from April to November, the weekly Watauga County Farmers Market at Horn in the West is the best way to start a Saturday morning. The King Street Farmers Market meets every Tuesday from May to October at 126 Poplar Grove Connector, while the Winter Farmers Market takes place from December to March on Saturdays at 252 Poplar Grove Rd. Appalachian State University also hosts plenty of events throughout the year, from student performances and nationally recognized artists to a free speaker series and events in the Plemmons Student Union. The university’s Appalachian Arts series, running fall through spring, brings world-class music, dance, and theatre to the High Country. Some acts for the 2026-27 season include MOMIX Botanica, Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and Cirque Mechanics. The university also hosts An Appalachian Summer Festival, featuring great acts throughout the summer months. For more information on the university’s events, visit schaefercenter.appstate.edu/appalachian-arts. For information on all Boone events, which are all subject to change, visit www.exploreboone.com/events/.
Beyond holiday events, Boone offers plenty of options for those looking for a relaxing time in the High
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Boone Area Chamber names App State, High Country Radio and King Street Flowers & Gifts its 2025 Businesses of the Year BY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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Throughout the past year, App State has demonstrated what it means to be a true partner to Watauga County and the Town of Boone. The university has invested in major capital projects, publicly committed to enrollment management, and consistently taken a leadership role in local conversations. In response to Hurricane Helene and its ongoing impacts, App State served as a critical community resource and continues to provide technical expertise through collaborative regional efforts, such as the work of the Office of Rural Promise. With steady enrollment, strong student outcomes, and a continued focus on regional well-being, Appalachian State University exemplifies responsibility, leadership, and a deep-rooted dedication to the community it calls home.
hree Watauga County businesses were named the best in 2025 by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, chosen from a field of more than 50 nominations. Appalachian State University was named Large Business of the Year, High Country Radio was named Small Business of the Year and King Street Flowers & Gifts was named Startup Business of the Year. All three were honored Jan. 15, 2026, at the Chamber’s 10th annual High Country Economic Kickoff Luncheon. The Chamber said that while the three differ in size and mission, they share a reliance on local workers, a habit of partnering with area businesses and organizations, Small Business of the Year: and a commitment to the community. High Country Radio “Each of these businesses hold high the value High Country Radio has been named the 2025 of community partnerships,” said David Jackson, Watauga County Small Business of the Year, recognized President/CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. “While their individual missions and reach are diverse, their commitment to community is their unifying trait, and nothing short of inspiring. All three have relied on the local market to build their workforce, they’ve sought unique ways to partner with local individuals and businesses to support and advance projects, and they each excel in providing a touch of High Country hospitality in how they operate. We are excited to celebrate with these businesses and showcase their successes and positive impacts on our community.”
Large Business of the Year: Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University has been named the 2025 Watauga County Large Business of the Year, honoring a milestone year defined by leadership, impact, and long-term commitment to the High Country. In 2025, the university marked an important moment with the installation of Chancellor Dr. Heather Norris. This momentum was further underscored by the university’s designation as a Research 2 Institution, recognizing App State’s growing research activity and doctoral programs. As the largest employer in Watauga County and one of its most significant investors, App State continues to shape the local economy while balancing institutional growth with the needs of the community. Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 71
Three local businesses were the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 businesses of the year.
for its renewed momentum, community focus, and lasting legacy across the High Country. In the past year, the organization completed the complex relocation of four radio stations, securing a new home for its 60-plusyear-old business and marking its first move in nearly four decades. This transition included the construction of state-of-the-art studios, upgrading technology, while continuing uninterrupted service to listeners during the process. High Country Radio is an essential connector for the region’s businesses, non-profits, and civic organizations. Through initiatives such as Non-Profit-A-Thons, the New Business Spotlight, and increased participation in community events, the station has expanded its support for local causes and emerging businesses. During and after Hurricane Helene, High Country Radio provided a vital source of trusted information when many communication channels were unavailable, continuing to broadcast despite significant damage to its facilities. By enhancing its broadcast capacity, investing in local talent, and opening its doors to the community in new ways, High Country Radio has reestablished local radio as a powerful force in the High Country.
Start-Up Business of the Year: King Street Flowers and Gifts
King Street Flowers & Gifts has been named the 2025 Watauga County Start-Up Business of the Year, recognized for its creativity and community spirit. Founded by Fuschia Moss and opened in May 2024, the shop has quickly become a standout along King Street, anchoring the eastern end of downtown. What began as a home-based floral design business has grown into a vibrant storefront offering fresh flowers, thoughtful gifts, houseplants, and interactive experiences such as a build-your-own bouquet and terrarium bar. In less than a year, King Street Flowers & Gifts has filled a void in the local market with high-end yet accessible offerings 72 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
PHOTOS COURTESY BOONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
that brighten everyday moments and special occasions alike. Fuschia’s passion and talent are evident throughout the space, as is her deep care for people and community. The shop employs local residents, including App State and Watauga High School students, fostering a welcoming environment led by knowledgeable, friendly staff who genuinely enjoy serving customers. From prom flowers and wedding arrangements to easy-to-grab gifts that make someone’s day, the shop has become a go-to for locals, students, and visitors. With its commitment to giving back, supporting local organizations, and creating a warm, inclusive atmosphere, King Street Flowers & Gifts has made an outsized impact in a short time.
How Were The Award Winners Selected? Business of the Year nominations were submitted by Chamber and community members with winners selected by the Chamber’s Business Development committee. The Chamber received over 50 nominations. Organizations were awarded based on criteria that includes staying power, growth in sales and/or workforce, innovative products and services, strong response to adversity, contributions to community-oriented projects, and use of local resources in business operations. The 2025 Business of the Year awards were sponsored by Collette Woodruff P.C.
PHOTO COURTESY EXPLORE BOONE New entrance signage and branding greets visitors to Howard Knob Park.
Howard Knob:
Boone’s backyard summit BY MOSS BRENNAN
A
fter more than a year of construction, Howard Knob Park reopened in the summer of 2026 with an enhanced look that gives visitors even better views of Boone. The $2.2 million upgrades include: • A new wheelchair-accessible overlook offering unobstructed, panoramic views of downtown Boone and the surrounding mountains • Additional parking spaces to accommodate more visitors • ADA-accessible walking paths leading to a refreshed picnic shelter, with new picnic tables and camping grills • New entrance signage and branding The project was a collaborative effort initiated by the Watauga County TDA and Watauga County, involving many partners along the way. Funding for the $2,177,248.64 upgrade came from occupancy tax revenue from overnight lodging by visitors in Watauga County and an Accessibility for Parks grant from the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation and the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. Destination By Design, based in Boone, executed the design and engineering; Stitch Design Shop was the architect, Arete’ was the structural engineer; and MBI Builders LLC handled all aspects of the construction. “The Watauga County Tourism Development Authority is grateful for the support and expertise of all of the project partners during this process. The final result is an amazing
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Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 73
new asset for Boone and Watauga County residents and visitors,” said Wright Tilley, executive director of the Watauga County TDA. The park, located at 604 Howard Knob Road, is run by Watauga County Parks and Recreation. It is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from May 1 to Oct. 20.
A peak with a past
Howard Knob rises 4,396 feet and looms over downtown, according to NCpedia, the State Library of North Carolina’s online encyclopedia. The mountain is named for Benjamin Howard. According to John Preston Arthur’s 1915 “A History of Watauga County, North Carolina,” Howard lived near the Yadkin River but herded cattle in the New River valley, where he built a cabin for himself and his herder. That cabin stood on what is now Appalachian State University’s campus, and Daniel Boone frequently camped there during the 1760s, according to a 2022 historical report prepared for the Town of Boone. When Whigs, or American patriots, pressed him too hard during the Revolutionary War, Howard hid in a cave at the base of a cliff about a quarter mile north of the knob that now bears his name, according to Arthur. Arthur wrote that Howard’s young daughter, Sallie, is said to have taken a severe switching from men searching for her father
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rather than reveal where he was. Sallie later married Jordan Councill, according to Arthur, who relied on oral tradition for parts of his account. Nearly two centuries later, Howard Knob drew national attention for a very different reason. In 1977, the U.S. Department of Energy chose Howard Knob as the test site for an experimental wind turbine after studying 65 possible locations, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The turbine, known as MOD-1, was part of a NASA and Department of Energy program to study wind power in response to the oil shortages of the 1970s, according to the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Boeing supplied the blades and General Electric the generator, and the Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation ran the project locally, according to NCDNCR. At 2,000 kilowatts, MOD-1 was the largest of the five turbines in the program, according to NRECA. The steel structure was 140 feet tall and 200 feet wide across the blades and weighed more than 350 tons, according to NCDNCR. Boone celebrated “Windmill Day” with a downtown street festival on July 11, 1979, to dedicate what was then billed as the world’s largest windmill, according to NCDNCR. But the wind blew at only about 6 miles per hour that day,
PHOTO COURTESY EXPLORE BOONE The brand new wheelchair-accessible overlook offers unobstructed, panoramic views of downtown Boone and the surrounding mountains.
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which turned out to be a sign of things to come. The turbine was soon plagued by structural problems and inconsistent winds, along with complaints about noise and disrupted television reception, according to NCDNCR. Complaints about TV reception slowed after operators began shutting the turbine down every evening during prime time, according to NRECA. With costly repairs and federal funding for wind energy research drying up during the Reagan administration, the federal government auctioned the windmill in 1983, according to NCpedia. The site atop the knob became a Watauga County public park.
reached a deal after several years of discussions. “Blue Ridge Conservancy is excited to reopen this historic climbing area and create additional hiking trails on the mountain, including the future location of the Northern Peaks State Trail,” said Eric Hiegl, BRC’s senior director of land protection and conservation planning, in a December news release. “Land conservation projects have their own time schedule and happen when the time is right. Luckily for us, the time to ‘Save Howard Knob’ is now.” The purchase drew contributions from 110 donors, according to BRC. “It’s been incredible to see the way the High Country community and Howard Knob enthusiasts from across the The knob’s future nation have supported this project by spreading the word, Blue Ridge Conservancy announced in December 2025 sharing stories and memorabilia, and making financial that it had purchased 74 acres on Howard Knob, capping a contributions,” said David Ray, BRC’s executive director, roughly 30-year effort to protect the land from development in the release. “We couldn’t have made it to the closing and open it for hiking, rock climbing and other public table without the combined efforts of conservation-minded recreation. individuals, organizations, and businesses.” The property adjoins Watauga County’s park and Boone Ray said further fundraising is critical as BRC plans for United Methodist Church property, and the purchase more future amenities, trails and ongoing stewardship needed than doubles the protected land on the mountain, according when the property opens to the public. to BRC. “The Howard Knob project was the catalyst that started BRC bought the land from Monte Green, who purchased the land conservation movement in the High Country,” it in the 1990s, built a home on one tract and left the rest said Michelle Merritt Leonard, a conservationist and undeveloped, according to the conservancy. The two sides former executive director of High Country Conservancy.
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PHOTO COURTESY BRC
An aerial view of Howard Knob.
“The energy around that project was hopeful and electric, attracting people to get on board! To see the community that Blue Ridge Conservancy has created around protecting our landscape is truly heartwarming. In the blink of an eye, it’s 30 years later, and we’re all coming together to see the project through. That’s something special.”
In recognition of Leonard’s long commitment to land conservation in North Carolina, and Howard Knob in particular, BRC Board Chair Kadie Dean announced that a trail in the park will be named in Leonard’s honor. Visit blueridgeconservancy.org/howardknob for more information on the project and when it will open.
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Local parks provide spaces for the community to connect with each other and nature
BY LORELEI ROBERTS
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rom a mountaintop overlook to riverside greenways, parks across Boone and Watauga County give residents and visitors places to gather, learn about the mountains’ heritage and take in the views. Scott Carter, director of Watauga County Parks and Recreation, said making those spaces open to everyone is a priority. “I love having parks that are ADA accessible, to get them out here to be able to experience the same things that we’re experiencing,” Carter said. “I think that’s really, really important.” Carter said music in the valle at the Valle Crucis Community Park has become one of the most attended Friday events in the county. Daniel Boone Park, a community hotspot, hosts the Watauga County Farmers Market every Saturday from April through November and is home to the Horn in the
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PHOTO COURTESY TOWN OF BOONE The trail begins at the Daniel Boone Monument and is accessed from the sidewalk off Moretz Drive.
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The Middle Fork Greenway gives public access to one of the most popular trout fishing spots in the area.
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West outdoor drama, held each summer at the Horn in the West Amphitheater. The Daniel Boone Native Gardens, also within the park, promotes native plant conservation and education by growing more than 200 species of North Carolina native plants and hosting events like Fairy Day and native plant swaps. Across the street is Boone Jaycee Park, another staple for children in Boone, offering a large green space, picnic shelters, easy access for families and a playground. The Greenway Trail welcomes walkers, runners, cyclists, wheelchair users, strollers and hikers to follow and cross the South Fork of the New River. The paved and gravel trail takes you through meadows and vivid forests, with plenty of benches, picnic tables and shelters. Along the way, visitors can learn about natural and human history through interpretive signs. Located along the Greenway Trail, Clawson-Burnley Park offers picnic shelters and a pavilion, but it’s best known for its wetlands and open fields. Rainwater from 30 acres drains through the wetlands, which filter it before it’s released into the South Fork of the New River. The wide-open fields host community
races and Boone’s annual Fourth of July fireworks. Blue Ridge Conservancy and N.C. State Parks are building a trail from Boone to West Jefferson as part of the Northern Peaks State Trail. The trail will wind across the Amphibolite Mountains, through Howard Knob, Snake Mountain, Elk Knob, The Peak, Three Top Mountain, Paddy Mountain and Mount Jefferson. The chain is known for its concentration of amphibolite rock, which produces unusually rich soils and a high diversity of plants and animals. Rivers Park in Boone, the trail’s first completed section, offers hiking trails and a chance to see the historic Rivers House, once home to Rachel Rivers Coffey, whose family owned the Watauga Democrat. Visitors can also stop to admire the sugar maple tree known locally as “Baby.” Howard Knob Park offers a panoramic view of most of Boone and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. A $2.2 million project completed in summer 2026 added an accessible trail, a redesigned overlook, expanded parking, upgraded shelters and a garden. “Any time you’re building a park, you’re leaving, for the most part, as much of the natural space alone. You don’t want to come in and just flatten the land
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PHOTO COURTESY TOWN OF BOONE The Rivers House Trails offer a great place to go for a nice walk while staying close to downtown Boone.
and foliage; we see enough of that in the central and eastern part of the state,” Carter said. Boone Gorge Park will add one mile to the Middle Fork Greenway, along with a boardwalk, wetlands, river access and a pavilion. The park is expected to open in spring 2027. The Middle Fork Greenway is a project of Blue Ridge Conservancy in partnership with Watauga County and the towns of Blowing Rock and Boone. The MFG will one day connect Blowing Rock to Boone with a hiking, walking and biking trail, with parks scattered along its 6-mile route. Downtown, the Jones House Cultural Center remains a cornerstone of Boone’s heritage and cultural life. The house offers restrooms, shaded picnic areas, a solar-powered shelter for phone charging and a steady lineup of concerts and art exhibitions. Near the Jones House, North Street Park provides a pocket of green space with a community garden and a small playground. Just up the mountain, Junaluska Park has basketball courts, a playground and shaded lawns popular for picnics among locals. From the Greenway Trail and the overlook at Howard Knob to a Friday night concert in Valle Crucis and a Saturday morning at the farmers market, local parks reflect a community that values its natural landscape and offers a space for nearly every visitor. With Boone Gorge Park expected to open in spring 2027 and the Northern Peaks State Trail still taking shape, that list is growing. 82 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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What’s going up in Boone
BY MOSS BRENNAN
I
t’s no secret that Boone has grown in the last decade. That growth continues with more projects being proposed or already underway. Here are some of the projects that visitors and residents will see start, continue or be completed over the next year. Check www.wataugademocrat.com for updates on all current and future projects, which may change, be delayed, or be canceled over the course of 2026-27.
HOUSING
THE RETREAT AT BOONE The Retreat will be a student housing development just outside of Boone on U.S. 421 across from Food Lion. It will have 148 units, with a mix of three- to five-bedroom floor plans, and serve students attending Appalachian State University and the surrounding area. The development will feature a resort-style pool and spa, a jumbotron, fire pit and grilling areas, a skate park, a fitness center, a golf simulator, a computer lab and a private shuttle to App State’s campus and the Boone community. Developers plan to start leasing in fall 2027. GREENWAY ROAD DEVELOPMENT A Boone development will include 310 residential units totaling 872 bedrooms, consisting of 54 onebedroom units, 100 two-bedroom units, six threebedroom units, and 150 four-bedroom units at 736 Greenway Road. The developer agreed to set aside 15 affordable units offered at 80% of the area median income, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Proposed rents for those units are $1,500 for one-bedroom apartments, $1,900 for two-bedroom apartments and $2,200 for three-bedroom apartments. Developers also committed $250,000 toward greenway and pedestrian improvements, including a 5-foot-wide walkway from Ivy Drive to Wilson Drive at the developer’s expense and a pedestrian bridge. The development is planned for the site of the former International Resistive Corporation and TT Electronics plant, which has remained vacant since its demolition in 2013. The state, rather than the town, oversees environmental remediation for the site, and all construction-related remediation and testing must comply with state law. As of publication of Boone My Hometown, construction has not started. 84 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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HEMLOCK RIDGE TRACE An affordable housing development is bringing approximately 93 units to Boone. The 4.18-acre site sits next to Mountaineer Village and Modern Toyota of Boone. The project proposes three residential buildings with one- to three-bedroom units for households earning at or below 60% of Watauga County’s median income— roughly $31,000 annually, based on U.S. Census Bureau data showing Watauga County’s median household income at $51,693. THE VILLAS AT SOUTH FORK RENDERING BY ATLAS BAY COURTESY LANDMARK PROPERTIES/TOWN OF BOONE The Villas at South Fork is a 48-unit, four-story A rendering of an area of The Retreat at Boone. affordable housing development for senior residents on Chestnut Drive near New Market Centre. A permit accommodate two overlapping services. The meeting for the development was filed on July 10, 2026, listing house will be the busiest on Sunday between 9 a.m. the cost at $9,432,329, according to the town of Boone and 5 p.m., but it will also have morning events for monthly permit application report. youth groups during the week, from 6:45 to 7:30 a.m. BUSINESS/GOVERNMENT According to the town of Boone’s monthly application LDS CHURCH report, a commercial and multifamily zoning permit for A new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints $9,853,430 was submitted on Sept. 8, 2026. meeting house is moving forward in Boone after the UNITED COMMUNITY BANK town council approved a request for annexation and A new bank is taking shape on Blowing Rock Road. rezoning in April 2026. The meeting house is designed According to documents from the town of Boone, United to fit multiple congregations and will have classrooms on either side of the chapel. The parking lot will Community Bank is building a Boone branch at 2015
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 85
Blowing Rock Road. The building will be a two-story structure with a total gross floor area of 5,324 square feet. The building footprint will be 2,662 square feet and will have 18 parking spots. WYN YOUTH CENTER Western Youth Network’s 18,280-square-foot building project will expand the organization’s youth services. The new facility will include dedicated wings for K-5 and middle school afterschool programming, a teen recreation center for evenings and weekends, a vocational training and mentoring hub, and a professional counseling center for students and families. It will also offer multipurpose rooms for parent education, space for artistic and technological exploration, a kitchen for nutrition education and administrative offices for WYN staff and community partners. The building is located on Longvue Drive. BOONE FIRE STATION 4 Boone’s fourth fire station will be across from Bamboo Road on U.S. 421 on the old Bolick Farm property. Station 4 is expected to relieve pressure on Station 1 and reduce emergency runs through heavily traveled areas such as King Street. PUBLIC WORKS A new public works department for the town of Boone will be built across from Food Lion on U.S. 421 next to the new Retreat at Boone housing development.
APP STATE
APP STATE 105 PROJECT Mountaineer Ridge is a new App State student housing complex that is being developed at the Appalachian 105 property, which is located 1.5 miles from the university’s Boone campus, off N.C. 105. An AppalCART bus route serves the site, providing access to the Boone campus. The housing project is designed to meet growing demand for on-campus housing from upper-division students (sophomores, juniors, and seniors), including transfer students, by providing privacy-focused apartments that are high quality and affordable. It will include 852 student housing beds in a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartment-style units, along with nearly 1,000 surface parking spaces and infrastructure for additional student support services. Construction is expected to be completed in fall 2027. INNOVATION DISTRICT The Innovation District is located at the site of the former Broyhill Inn and Conference Center on Bodenheimer Drive, at the edge of the neighboring Nature Preserve. The first academic building in the project’s first phase is the STEM Academic Building, 86 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
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which will support cross-disciplinary collaboration and encourage K–12 partnerships. It also includes 156 faculty and staff housing units managed by Capstone On-Campus Management and Radnor Property Group, which are helping meet App State employees’ housing needs amid housing scarcity and cost inflation in Boone. The housing units have opened. PEACOCK HALL The Peacock Hall addition/renovation is a major construction project underway at Appalachian State University. This project will support planning for the broader district goal of opening Boone Creek and replacing surface parking with a new parking structure, along with a redesign of bus traffic flow. Proposed facilities for the building’s four-story, 70,000-square-foot addition include classrooms, common areas, a learning lab, special-use areas for campus events, mechanical infrastructure space, and student service offices. Peacock Hall’s addition is anticipated to open in 2027, and the project is more than halfway completed as of August 2026.
PROPOSED
The following developments have either been discussed informally before the town council or have started the application process as of publication.
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PHOTO COURTESY WYN A rendering of the WYN youth center, which is on track to open in 2027.
CLEMENT STREET APARTMENTS Clement Street Apartments, LLC requested a Conditional District Zoning Map Amendment to rezone 138 Clement St. from B3 General Business to R3 Multiple-Family Residential, with a site-specific plan for a 12-unit, 18-bedroom multifamily dwelling; the Planning Commission approved it, and it will go before the Town Council after publication of Boone My Hometown. The proposal would reuse the existing one-story brick building, convert the interior into four apartments, and add two floors with four apartments each. It would provide at least one off-street parking space per bedroom along with spaces for visitors. If approved by council, the applicant must lease by unit instead of by bedroom, agree
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Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 87
to a solid-waste collection plan with town staff, retain existing trees on the site, and reorient the parking spots that currently require cars to back into Clement Street. RIDGEHOUSE DEVELOPMENT BREC, a Wilkesboro firm that prepared the project’s site plans, was set to present an annexation and zoning request for the project, called Ridgehouse, at an October 2026 town council PHOTO COURTESY TOWN OF BOONE meeting. The town’s agenda An aerial view of the rendering Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. summary describes the proposal as a multifamily development and 68 four-bedroom apartments. The plans show 738 with 332 units and 716 bedrooms on a 63-acre site on parking spaces, not counting amenity and office parking. the N.C. 105 Bypass. Preliminary site plans dated Sept. They also include a maximum building height of 40 feet, 23, 2026, list Scout Inc. as the property owner and 30-foot yard setbacks and at least 33% common area show the parcel at 63.39 acres. The plans are labeled for or green space. The site plan includes amenities and Ridgehouse Companies. common areas, a leasing office, a maintenance facility, The plans call for 11 apartment buildings: five 28and a stormwater pond. It also notes an existing cell unit buildings with 52 bedrooms each and six 32-unit tower on the property. buildings with 76 bedrooms each. The unit mix would be This story used previous reporting from the Watauga 132 one-bedroom, 84 two-bedroom, 48 three-bedroom Democrat.
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Evening activities in Boone BY CARRIE BRADBURY
B
oone offers visitors plenty of ways to get involved, from hiking to football games. But when the crowds thin and tourists head home in the offseason, residents still need things to do. An evening activity at a local restaurant, bar or brewery can be a break from the usual routine. Trivia and karaoke nights are among the most popular options around town. Below are some of the recurring evening activities. Visit the various websites of each venue before going to confirm details, as locations and times are subject to change and events may be rescheduled or canceled the day of.
Aesthetics is a Culture of Two Extremes: Dr Parrish is Speaking Out Against Both There are two extremes around aesthetics: one side dismisses cosmetic treatments as vain, artificial, and fake; while the other sells an impossible standard of perfection: filtered faces, frozen expressions, and bodies that no real woman can or should be expected to maintain.
MONDAY
• Lily’s Snack Bar – Trivia at 7 p.m. • Lost Province – Bingo at 7 p.m. most Mondays. Free to play, open to all ages, with prizes.
TUESDAY
• Mountain Running Company – Run club at 6 p.m., 691 W. King St. • Lily’s Snack Bar – Karaoke from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
WEDNESDAY
• Booneshine Brewing Company – Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. • Lost Province – Trivia at 7 p.m.
THURSDAY
• Booneshine – Run club at 5:30 p.m., open to all skill levels • Fizz Ed – Jazz jam from 6 to 9 p.m. • Fizz Ed – Karaoke from 9 p.m. to midnight
FRIDAY
• Booneshine – Tunes on Tap, live music in the beer garden at 7 p.m. • Fizz Ed – Open mic night from 7 to 10 p.m. • Lost Province – Live music from 6 to 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
• Lost Province – Live music from 6 to 9 p.m.
SUNDAY
• Fizz Ed – Family-friendly trivia at 6:30 p.m., and late-night trivia at 9:30 p.m. (21 and up at 10 p.m.) 90 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
Above: Dr Tracy Parrish at Twisted Tree Wellness
As the founder of Boone’s only physician-led med spa, Dr. Parrish believes aesthetics should never be about shame, judgment, or chasing someone else’s definition of beauty. Instead, she frames it as selfcare: a way for people to align how they look with how vibrant, capable, and confident they feel. “When You Are Your Best Self, You Change the World” With nearly two decades in medicine, Dr. Parrish brings a physician’s discipline to an industry that too often prioritizes trends over truth. In a market saturated with fear-based marketing and unattainable ideals, Twisted Tree Wellness was voted Best of the Best in 2026 by positioning itself as something different: a physician-led space where clients are educated, respected, and never made to feel that wanting to look or feel better is something to apologize for. Twisted Tree Wellness offers multiple aesthetic treatments as well as GLP1s, hormones, metabolic DNA testing, massage and facials. twistedtreewellness.com 828-414-1113
Priorities at Work:
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation of stability and necessity has now become an annual tradition for the foundation to fund a project related to the stability of the childcare workforce. In 2025, he Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation (BACCF) is the giving arm of the BACCF raised funds for tuition assistance for teachers Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. As a 501(c) whose own children were enrolled in childcare (3) nonprofit, BACCF brings together donors, business programs, a key policy priority among industry leaders and community partners to fund programs advocates. that move Watauga County forward, from early Less than a month later, licensed centers were faced childhood education and workforce development to with a historic 43-day federal government leadership training for local professionals. shutdown, which delayed critical subsidy payment. For families moving to the High Country, a new BACCF raised and distributed stabilization funding for job is only part of the picture. Parents need reliable each licensed childcare and after-school care facility childcare, workplaces that understand family life, and in Watauga County. Through its Early Childhood employers who invest in their people. BACCF was Education & Development Fund, the Foundation built to help with all three. directed more than $75,000 to childcare workers and providers that year, helping ease the financial strain CHILDCARE IS ECONOMIC on this critical industry. The NC Task Force on Child DEVELOPMENT Care and Early Education recognized the effort as a The Foundation’s childcare work grew from the proof of concept for statewide action. findings of the 2024 Watauga County Childcare Study, “We want to recognize and reward the dedication which found the average local childcare worker earns of all childcare professionals working in licensed $30,600 a year, nearly $14,000 below the countywide childcare in Watauga County and to make sure they average wage. Turnover in the field runs at roughly know the business community stands with them in 17%, compared to 12% across other occupations. their important work,” said Ethan Dodson, Director of When centers cannot keep teachers, they cannot keep Development for the BACCF. classrooms open, and parents struggle to remain in the BUILDING STRONGER WORKPLACES workforce. The Foundation also supports employers through After Western North Carolina was devastated by STABLE Workplaces, which stands for Staff Training Hurricane Helene in the fall of 2024, the Foundation and Business Leadership for Evolving Workplaces. quickly raised and allocated over $200,000 to cover Launched in Watauga County in early 2024, the one month of tuition for families with children in licensed Watauga County childcare centers. A gift program helps local businesses improve workplace BY EMMA FAULKNER, Director of Communications, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
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culture and develop recruitment and retention strategies to attract and keep top employees. The Foundation supports the program by providing technical assistance and outreach, while seeking grants to help cover the cost of the curriculum for participating businesses. Family-friendly policies are a key differentiator as employees seek a supportive work environment. Family Forward NC® recognizes employers that support working PHOTO SUBMITTED parents through benefits like The Tri-Share press conference at Kid Cove in May 2026. paid leave, flexible schedules and childcare assistance. As their staff ’s families. of September 2026, more than a dozen Watauga “Becoming a Family Forward NC certified business County employers have earned Family Forward NC was important to Western Youth Network because business certification, including the area’s two largest we believe the certification conveys a message to employers, Appalachian State University and UNC current and prospective employees that we value them Health Appalachian. More businesses are in the as a whole person,” said Jennifer Warren, Executive process of becoming certified, giving newcomers an Director of Western Youth Network. “When you feel easy way to find employers that prioritize supporting seen and valued for what is important to you outside
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of work, you feel more valued at work, too.”
COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
Much of the progress of these supportive programs comes from local leaders who carry the work forward in their circles of influence. Halee Hartley, owner of Kid Cove and a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, serves on the North Carolina Task Force on Child Care and Early Education. Her experience owning and operating several childcare centers in a rural environment helped make a strong case for North Carolina’s first statewide floor for childcare subsidy rates, included in the State budget signed in July 2026. As a result of this important advocacy work, centers in Watauga County saw one of the largest subsidy adjustments of any county in the state. UNC Health Appalachian, the second largest employer in Watauga County, recently became the first healthcare system in Western North Carolina to join the NC Tri-Share Program. Under the model, the hospital covers one-third of participating employees’ childcare tuition; the state covers one-third, and the employee covers the remaining third. Serving as a lead on key workplace issues helped UNC Health Appalachian earn a Family Forward NC® Certified Employer status in February 2026. Tara Brossa, immediate past chair of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, now serves as Executive Director of RISE CaldwellWatauga, which connects high school students with paid apprenticeships at local employers. UNC Health Appalachian is the program’s largest employer partner, mentoring 16 RISE students in spring and summer 2026. “At UNC Health Appalachian, we understand that access to affordable, reliable childcare is essential for working families,” said Nathan Nipper, President and CEO of UNC Health Appalachian. Together, this work reflects a belief the Chamber has carried across its advocacy platform from Boone to Raleigh: When parents have reliable care for their children, and employers invest in their workforce, families can build careers and establish roots in the High Country. To learn more about the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation or to make a gift, visit boonechamber.com/foundation or contact Ethan Dodson at ethan@boonechamber.com. Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 93
High Country YoPros:
Reshaping the Professional Landscape of Western NC group of local young professionals came together to bring new energy to this long-standing networking group. With a new mission and growth plan, the he High Country Young Professionals (HCYP), affectionately dubbed “the High Country YoPros,” group planned a kickoff event at Booneshine Brewing Company that spring and quickly assembled a core of is a networking group for individuals under the over 50 people who set the tone for the monthly events age of 40 working across North Carolina’s Northwest region. After a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, that followed. “The High Country Young Professionals monthly the group relaunched in 2023 with a renewed mission events are a cool opportunity to meet people in to connect young professionals across the High the community who are in a similar stage of life as Country. me,” said Mattie Felker of High Country Radio, a Since then, the YoPros have grown into a steady “Boonerang” who returned to the High Country to presence in the local business community, bringing start her career. “I love getting to make new friends as together an average of 50 attendees each month in well as professional connections with the people in the 2026. Through these monthly networking events, the YoPros and watch them grow in their careers while I High Country YoPros are strengthening connections grow in mine.” across the region’s professional landscape. Today, the group includes people at different points A NEW GENERATION OF YOPROS in their careers. Many are recent Appalachian State YoPros was relaunched in February 2023, when a University graduates, transitioning from college to BY EMMA FAULKNER, Director of Communications, Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
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YoPros heard from Dr. Jim Street of Ridgeline Leadership during a professional development session at Betty’s Biscuits.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
their first career steps. In contrast, others have just moved to the High Country and are looking to meet people and find their place in the community.
In 2026, the YoPros gathered at businesses like Mast Farm Inn, ZRC Skate, Boone Bigfoots Baseball and The Cardinal. Along the way, they have highlighted FIRST TUESDAYS IN THE HIGH COUNTRY local nonprofits like Blue Ridge Conservancy and MountainTrue and celebrated businesses run by local YoPros meet from 5 to 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of young professionals, including Mill Camp Wines & each month, and each event takes place at a different Ciders, The Horton Hotel, and Inn at Crestwood. local business. Gatherings are free to attend with an Every event also includes a professional development RSVP on the Boone Area Chamber’s website. Every component. In February, the group took part in a event includes a networking activity to help people meet someone new, while giving the host business LOG HOMES OF AMERICA a chance to welcome a group of locals who may be 2999 US Hwy 221 N. - Jefferson, NC 28640 walking through their door for the first time. “High Country Young Professionals is important to (336) 982-8989 me because it keeps me active in my local community,” FOR ALL YOUR WOOD PRODUCT NEEDS! said Katy Willis, a YoPro committee member and front Log Home Packages Beams & Timbers desk supervisor for University Housing at Appalachian Milled Logs Tongue & Groove Boards State University. “I love to stay in the know about Custom Design/Blueprints Hand-Hewn Patterns current and new businesses in the area. The group Log Siding & False Corners Replacement Logs/Siding gives me a space to network and continue to foster Custom Millwork & More! meaningful connections.” www.loghomesofamerica.com Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 95
PHOTO COURTESY BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE YoPros learned about the work of Blue Ridge Conservancy on a group walk during a previous networking event.
PHOTO SUBMITTED YoPros geared up in helmets and pads for an evening of skating at ZRC Skate in September.
Valentine’s Day-inspired speed networking session at Basil’s. At Betty’s Biscuits, attendees heard brief remarks from Dr. Jim Street, owner and coach at Ridgeline Leadership and facilitator of the Boone Area Chamber’s Watauga Leadership Institute. “Since we relaunched the group, it has been great to see more YoPros show up at Boone Area Chamber events and get involved in the community,” said Emma Faulkner, the Boone Area Chamber’s Director of Communications and YoPro liaison. “Some of the people I have met through the YoPros have become
partners and collaborators, and some have become close friends. Those relationships are what make the group worth showing up for each month.” The YoPros are the High Country’s next generation of business and community leaders, and each monthly gathering helps build the connections they will carry with them as they grow.
96 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Granite Insurance supports the work of the High Country Young Professionals. Local businesses also invest in these monthly gatherings by hosting, donating door prizes, and providing food and drinks. Information about the YoPros and their activities is available on the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce website. While the Chamber provides guidance and support for the group’s promotions and event planning, HCYP is not exclusive to the Chamber, and anyone under 40 can attend events and get involved. Visit boonechamber.com/hcyp to learn more. Businesses interested in hosting a future event and introducing their space to a new group of locals can email Emma Faulkner at emma@boonechamber.com.
Boone My Hometown 2026-27 | 97
Numbers to Know in Boone • Fire, Rescue and Police (emergency) 911 • Boone Police Department (non-emergency) (828) 268-6900 • Boone Fire Department (non-emergency) (828) 268-6180 • Watauga County Sheriff ’s Office (non-emergency) (828) 264-3761 • App State University Police (non-emergency) (828) 262-2150 • Boone Town Hall (828) 268-6200 • Boone Planning and Inspections (828) 268-6960 • Boone Public Works (828) 268-6230 • Health Dept. (AppHealthCare) (828) 264-4995 • Watauga Medical Center (828) 262-4100 • Watauga County Public Library (828) 264-8784
98 | Boone My Hometown 2026-27
• Watauga County Schools (828) 264-7190 • Blue Ridge Energy (828) 264-8894 • New River Light & Power (828) 264-3671 • Watauga Parks & Rec (828) 264-9511 • Appalachian State University (828) 262-2000 • Caldwell Community College (828) 297-3811 • Boone Area Chamber of Commerce (828) 264-2225 • High Country Host (Visitor Center) (800) 438-7500 • Boone Tourism Development Authority (828) 266-1345 • Watauga Democrat (828) 264-6397
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