MERLEFEST 25 LINEUP FEATURES
MANY OF THIS YEAR’S GRAMMY NOMINEES

WILKESBORO, N.C. (February 7, 2012) — This Sunday, the Staples Center in Los Angeles becomes the focal point of the entertainment world, when music’s top artists are celebrated at the 54th Annual GRAMMY© Awards. Several of the artists nominated for these prestigious awards will grace the stages of MerleFest 25 this spring, continuing a twenty-five year tradition of bringing music’s most talented performers to Wilkesboro, N.C., for one of the country’s premier music festivals.

MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe’s and slated for April 26-29, is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson - who himself is the recipient of seven Grammys. Doc will share the MerleFest stages with the following 2011 Grammy nominees: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, the Original Lineup (nominated for ¨DBest Instrumental Composition¡¬), Vince Gill (nominated for ¨DBest Country Song¡¬), Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas (nominated for ¨DBest Bluegrass Album¡¬), Jim Lauderdale (nominated for ¨DBest Bluegrass Album¡¬), Steep Canyon Rangers (nominated for ¨DBest Bluegrass Album¡¬), Tedeschi Trucks Band (nominated for ¨DBest Blues Album¡¬) and artist Chris Thile, performing with the Punch Brothers at MerleFest 25 (nominated for ¨DBest Bluegrass Album¡¬).

Of course, MerleFest 25 boasts the talents of many artists who have already received that most prestigious of music awards. Besides Fleck (12-time Grammy recipient), Gill (15-time Grammy recipient), Lauderdale (three-time Grammy recipient), Tedeschi Trucks Band and Thile (two-time Grammy recipient), other Grammy honorees include Sam Bush (three-time Grammy recipient), John Hammond, David Holt (four-time Grammy recipient), Jerry Douglas (12-time Grammy recipient), Los Lobos (three-time Grammy recipient), Nashville Bluegrass Band (six-time Grammy recipient), Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Marty Stuart (five-time Grammy recipient) and dobroist Tut Taylor.

Of special note in Grammy history is MerleFest 25 performer Alison Krauss, whose 26 prior wins makes her the most awarded female artist in Grammy history.

In addition to its stellar roster of Grammy-nominated performers, MerleFest has also become known for spontaneous moments, collaborations and last-minute performance additions. To keep up with any additional changes and additions to this year’s lineup – even during the festival – MerleFest encourages fans to sign up for the e-newsletter and to follow the festival through Facebook and Twitter. Links are available at www.merlefest.org.

Ticket purchases for MerleFest 25 can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2012.
With over 90 artists performing on 14 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest 25 is an excellent entertainment value. A complete list of confirmed performers is available at www.merlefest.org.

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of what Doc Watson calls ¨Dtraditional plus¡¬ music, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian regional plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.¡¬ The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.

The Critter Crawl
Date: Thursday May 03 , 2012 | Category:
Time: 06:30 pm - 08:30 pm | Location : Grandfather Mountain

This brand new 5K race starts in MacRae Meadows and gains more than 900 feet in elevation before ending in the parking lot beside the Mile High Swinging Bridge. Proceeds from the $30 entry fee benefit Grandfather’s eagle habitat renovation fund. Maximum 500 participants. Online registration begins midnight March 1.

Come experience Grandfather Mountain’s first annual 5K race! The Critter Crawl starts in MacRae Meadows and climbs up the Mountain through the Animal Habitats finishing at the Mile High Swinging Bridge. Download PDF of route map.

All proceeds from this event go toward our Eagle Habitat Fund. Over the past year we have been actively raising money in our community for the eagle habitat renovations through programs, events and awareness. We are approaching our goal, however, we still need your help!

Online registration begins at midnight on Thursday, March 1.
Critter Crawl Route:

The race begins in MacRae Meadows, proceeds up the Grandfather Mountain road to the Nature Museum, loops through the Animal Habitats back to Split Rock and then continues up the road to the finish line at the top of the Mountain.

* Route is dependent on weather conditions and may be altere

Downtown Boone Art Crawl

Downtown Boone First Friday Art Crawl Friday, May 04, 2012 5 - 8pm Each month the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) hosts the Art Crawl which happens every First Friday. Event hours are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. with galleries and shops open until 8:00 p.m., restaurants and bars open until 10 p.m. or 2 a.m. and two late-night galleries, open on Art Crawl nights only, from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Also, check out Art Crawl Presents… a music event featuring one of our great local bands, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., at a new downtown location each month. Art Crawl: Food, Music, Shopping, Art & Spirits. Downtown Boone advocates have been promoting a thriving arts community for years and care deeply about investing the area’s future; public art is an excellent avenue to emphasize our civic pride and unique culture. This event is presented as part of the Downtown Boone First Friday Art Crawl program. Cost: Free event

The New River Marathon’s home is in Ashe County, the Northwestern-most county of North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This video (filmed in January 2011) offers a glimpse of this spectacular course. If you’d like to see more…come runnin’ y’allThe New River Marathon courses primarily along the banks of the South Fork New River, one of only 14 American Heritage Rivers in the United States. Of the 17 miles with pastoral vistas of the New River, 13 miles are along Railroad Grade Road, a North Carolina Scenic Byway. For the 9 miles that wind away from the flat and fast New River Valley, the course offers several short, aggressive climbs, rolling country roads, and a challenging 2-mile section between 15.5 and 17.5 miles (the near 180 degree view at mile 17.5 is breathtaking).

The New River Half-Marathon also courses primarily along the banks of the South Fork New River. The course offers approximately 9 miles of running along the New River. For the 4 miles that wind away from the flat and fast New River Valley, the course offers 2 primary climbs, rolling country roads, and a tour through historic Todd.

The New River 5K may be shorter in distance, but the course is no less spectacular. The first and last miles are along the New River on Railroad Grade Rd. The middle mile is a serene tree covered dirt lane, with a country creek babbling down one side.

The Start/Finish Line is graciously hosted by the family-owned and operated Riverside Restaurant, which sits on the banks of the New River. This National Register of Historic Places building is the former herb and root warehouse for Brownwood and surrounding communities of Todd and Fleetwood. In 2011, they served up the wonderful pre-race lasagna dinner, welcomed race spectators with a generous breakfast buffet, and offered the perfect post-race mountain BBQ, beans, and slaw. We’re expecting much of the same in 2012.

Join yoga instructor, Vicki Rodriquez, every Saturday for a 1-hour yoga session in our Mayer Gallery overlooking downtown Boone.

All skill levels are welcome and mats can be provided if you don't own one.

Cost is $10 per person. Registration begins at 10:15am.
* Please note: Yoga will take place in the Main Gallery through April 2012 due to the artwork in the Mayer Gallery.