Community Calendar

Join us for the Southeast’s largest gathering of farmers, gardeners, land-stewards, and food-system changemakers! Our Spring Conference supports, inspires, and educates people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, hands-on education.
Whether you’re a seasoned grower or just starting out, you’ll leave with connections, knowledge, and inspiration to build a more vibrant, equitable, and abundant food and farming system.
What's in store:
• Your choice of 60+ classes spanning across 12 track topics including gardening, soils, farming business and production, earth stewardship, sustainable living, and more
• Hands-on workshops from experts across the region and practical demonstrations you can apply right away
• Networking and community-building with growers, educators, and advocates from across the country
• Affordable registration through sliding scale pricing, scholarships, and volunteer opportunities

Join us for the Southeast’s largest gathering of farmers, gardeners, land-stewards, and food-system changemakers! Our Spring Conference supports, inspires, and educates people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, hands-on education.
Whether you’re a seasoned grower or just starting out, you’ll leave with connections, knowledge, and inspiration to build a more vibrant, equitable, and abundant food and farming system.
What's in store:
• Your choice of 60+ classes spanning across 12 track topics including gardening, soils, farming business and production, earth stewardship, sustainable living, and more
• Hands-on workshops from experts across the region and practical demonstrations you can apply right away
• Networking and community-building with growers, educators, and advocates from across the country
• Affordable registration through sliding scale pricing, scholarships, and volunteer opportunities

Explore Winter Fun & Movement with Your Little One – Grown-Up & Me Arctic Animals

Embark on a frosty, fun-filled adventure in Grown-Up & Me Dance: Arctic Animals! This class invites little explorers ages 1.5–3 and their trusted adults to groove, twirl, and wiggle through the magical world of polar bears, penguins, and snowy arctic friends. Children begin to strengthen their gross motor skills, discover rhythm and musicality, spark early language and listening abilities, and gently practice being part of a classroom environment. Every session is a joyful opportunity to bond, move, and imagine side by side, laying the foundation for confidence and creativity in future movement experiences.

Leap, Glide, and Stomp Through Winter Fun – Morning Mini-Movers Arctic Animals

Bundle up for a frosty fun adventure in Morning Mini Movers: Arctic Animals! In this playful winter mini-mester, dancers aged 3–5 will leap like Arctic hares, glide like penguins, and stomp like snow-covered polar bears as they explore dance through an imaginative, snow-themed experience. Each class helps young movers develop coordination, rhythm, focus, and creativity while building confidence in a classroom setting. Along the way, they’ll practice social skills, teamwork, and independence—laying a strong foundation for future dance classes, sports, and all kinds of movement activities.

Learn Ballroom Dancing with Your Partner – 4-Week Beginners Course, Feb 16–Mar 9

Ballroom 1 is the perfect way to extend the romance and give your special someone an experience you'll both treasure. ​Music, dancing, and fun are guaranteed as you and your partner explore the exciting world of Latin and Ballroom dancing. From the smooth elegance of foxtrot and rumba to the infectious rhythms of salsa, merengue, and swing, you'll discover styles that will have you moving with confidence and joy.​ This 4-week course is designed for beginners—no experience necessary! You'll learn the basics of social dancing and finally be prepared for your next wedding, party, or special event. No more chair dancing for you!

This class is part of the Watauga Arts Council's "Fundamentals Week," the second week of each month (Feb-Oct), which features art classes that teach the basics of various media.

In this session, students will learn how to create the illusion of depth using one-point perspective with local artist and instructor Jeanine Hasty!

Writers are encouraged to meet at Mountains Branch Library in Lake Lure on the third Thursday of every month at 10:30am to share their work and offer feedback and ideas with other writers! No registration is needed.

Seeing Impressionism Clearly: Camille Pissarro and The Honest Eye.

Step into the origins of Impressionism through the work of Camille Pissarro—often called the first Impressionist. Born in St. Thomas to French Jewish parents and shaped by experiences across South America and Paris, Pissarro brought a uniquely global and human perspective to modern painting. On this Artful Journey to the Denver Art Museum, we’ll explore how his background informed his luminous landscapes, intimate city scenes, still lifes, and portrayals of everyday life, revealing Impressionism not as a fleeting style, but as a deeply thoughtful way of seeing the world.

Friday, March 27th, 10:30 - 12:00
Black Mountain Center for the Arts
$25 (All Refreshments Included)

Join us for Songwriting Monday! On the First Monday of each month between February and October, join renowned instructor Lauren Hayworth for this class aimed at both beginner and intermediate level students at the Watauga Arts Council in Boone, NC.

Students will explore song structure and fundamentals, as well as learn basic music theory. Techniques for creating effective lyrics will also be explored with writing prompts. Some knowledge of music (especially on a chord-based instrument like guitar, piano, or ukulele) is helpful, but NOT required. Singing ability is useful but not required.

Students are encouraged to bring their own notebooks and instruments.

Writers are encouraged to meet at Mountains Branch Library in Lake Lure on the third Thursday of every month at 10:30am to share their work and offer feedback and ideas with other writers! No registration is needed.