Events in Franklin, NC

At SlopeSide Tavern, Western North Carolina pair Seth and Sara deliver campfire-born originals alongside familiar favorites by Tyler Childers, The Beatles, Colter Wall, Brooks & Dunn, Radiohead, Johnny Cash, and more. After seven years of crisscrossing 49 states in a van, they bring that road-tested spirit to the stage. Seth is known for soulful vocals, expressive guitar, and a stomping suitcase kick that keeps the groove. Sara anchors the set with percussion and gentle harmonies, shaping cowboy-tinged songs that balance humor, heartache, romance, and dance-worthy moments. Expect an intimate, rootsy night that blends storytelling with songs you know and songs you will discover.

Author Andrew K. Clark visits City Lights for a conversation about his new novel, Hollow Folk, with Emily Naser-Hall. The book follows grad student Ethan Ray during an overnight shift at the Holloway, a fading mountain hotel, where he expects routine tasks but encounters unsettling phenomena. Reddish light stains the Appalachian sky, wind moves without a sound, and owl-like figures seem to stir awake. When the clocks stall in the small hours, Ethan and his coworkers, Kal and Teresa, find themselves shut inside. The building proves to be more than a relic, an ancient force has stirred, and the only way out is to unearth the hotel’s buried secrets even as unexpected feelings develop between Ethan and Teresa. Their visions carry the same warning that trust is perilous because someone among them may not be who they appear to be. The story blends gothic romance with Appalachian folk horror, where the land seems to watch and darkness leaves its trace. Early blurbs from Erika T. Wurth and Paulette Kennedy praise the novel as a surreal love story with a Kafka-esque undercurrent, both unsettling and entertaining. Clark is a Western North Carolina writer with deep regional roots. His debut, Where Dark Things Grow from Cowboy Jamboree Press, was a Manly Wade Wellman Award finalist, made the Sir Walter Raleigh Fiction Award shortlist, and earned an IPPY from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. The sequel, Where Dark Things Rise from Quill & Crow Publishing House, won an IndieReader Discovery Award and was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award. Hollow Folk is his third novel. Emily Naser-Hall is an Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies and Graduate Program Director in the Department of English Studies at Western Carolina University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky, an MA from Northwestern University, an LL.M. from Georgetown University, and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University. Her research explores post-1945 American literature and film, cultural narratives, and the connections between law and literature.

This training blends qigong and tai chi with a warrior monk spirit. It emphasizes personal health as the foundation of freedom and a stronger community, guiding practice that develops solid strength, childlike flexibility, and a calm, wise mindset. The approach is more dynamic than a traditional slow practice, focusing on purposeful, focused movement to build resilience and balance.

Live music with Michael Blakey at Rathskeller Coffee Bar & Pub features a blend of rock, indie, and folk. A Midwesterner who once lived out of a minivan and now tours the country in a Subaru, he brings optimism and hope tempered by a grounded outlook. In 2012 he left Missouri to pursue self discovery, a journey he continues to share through songs that lay their feelings bare. Listeners are drawn to his openness onstage and off. Each song offers another glimpse into how he understands himself and the world. The set can move from gentle, fingerpicked moments to bursts of high energy, with flashes that might include springing from the drum riser or stepping into the circle pit. His presence and momentum often leave audiences smiling.

Geared toward infants and babies at any stage, this class focuses on early movement and helps build milestones such as rolling, crawling, and walking in a playful, supportive setting.

Sapphire Valley Arts and Crafts Festival brings handmade creations by local artists to an indoor setting at the Sapphire Valley Community Center. Explore quality folk art, fine jewelry, and a range of artisan pieces while enjoying live music and food. For general information, call 828.743.7663. Vendor inquiries can be directed to 828.743.1163.

A double feature at Studio 505 Sylva sets the tone for spooky season with The House in Cyprus Canyon and Carmilla. Advance tickets are $10, payable in cash at Baxley’s Chocolates or by requesting Venmo details via direct message.

Bring clean, non-food-packaging Styrofoam to Mark Watson Park in Sylva for recycling. This monthly drop-off welcomes any items that meet those guidelines.

At The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center, a co-creative gathering explores Beauty, Breath, and Bliss, inviting an experience where beauty is sensed, breath is honored, and a natural ease can arise. The convergence is shaped by those who come together, with space for experiential offerings that align with the theme, and sharing is entirely optional. Contributions may take the form of music or performance, a guided meditation or process, a thoughtful conversation or inquiry, an interactive or art-centered experience, or something uniquely created. Participant-led sessions help define the character of the event, and as many offerings as possible will be woven into the shared time. It is an emergent experience, opening through creativity, meaningful connection, and quiet reflection, creating room for deeper discovery and remembrance. Hosted by the 2026 Weavers Noel and Bob, Grace (Theresa) Barry Greb, and Shoco (Jennifer) Evanko, the gathering unfolds in the Blue Ridge Mountains at an elevation of about 4,200 feet.

Cashiers Cars and Coffee is a relaxed morning meetup in Cashiers that celebrates automotive culture with coffee, conversation, and mountain scenery. Enthusiasts of all kinds are welcome, including owners of classics, exotics, lifted trucks, Jeeps, and daily drivers, as well as anyone who simply enjoys cars. The atmosphere is friendly and family oriented, offering an easy way to connect with neighbors and fellow car fans.

This free in-person training at Macon County Public Library helps care providers recognize stress, understand its effects, and build practical self-care routines. Facilitated by Vaya Health’s Health Education and Aging Resource Team (HEART), it explores how prioritizing personal well-being supports more sustainable and effective care for others. Participants can earn Contact Hours through the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Registration is required. For assistance, call Macon County Public Library at (828) 524-3600.

Beginner bryologists and curious nature lovers are invited to explore the tiny worlds hidden in moss. These small plants thrive in surprising spots, from window ledges to cracks in the sidewalk, and under magnification they resemble miniature forests with tree and fern lookalikes. Participants will use magnifying glasses to examine a range of native mosses, learn simple ways to tell different kinds apart, and discover the animals that live among them, including mites and nearly microscopic water bears. The session also highlights how moss supports healthy forest ecosystems. The program is led by Skye Cahoon, who serves as Conservation Outreach Director at Mainspring Conservation Trust. Skye grew up in Massachusetts and earned a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Maine in 2020. Her experience includes researching blackbirds in the mountains of New Hampshire, studying quail in the Florida Panhandle’s pine savannas, monitoring songbird nests in Montana’s sagebrush country, and guiding educational outings along the rocky Maine coast before settling in Jackson County in 2023. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, foraging, cooking, gardening, yoga, painting, reading, playing the ukulele, and spending time with her cats. Part of the Youth Nature Series, which offers activities focused on topics like wildlife, plants, and insects, this program is presented in collaboration with The Village Green and Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. All programs in the series are free, family friendly, held regardless of weather, and do not require advance reservations.

The 25th annual Tournament of Champions will bring 25 ensembles to Cullowhee for a full day of pageantry at E.J. Whitmire Stadium. A preliminary schedule has been released.

City Lights Bookstore hosts a poetry reading featuring contributors to Had I a Dove: Appalachian Poets on the Helene Floods. Edited by North Carolina poet Hilda Downer, this anthology gathers more than 95 voices responding to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and neighboring states in 2024. The selections reflect grief, remembrance, and the determination of Appalachian communities, moving from solemn elegy toward cautious hope. The reading emphasizes poems of witness and communal mourning that underscore resilience, vigilance, and the human capacity to rebuild in the face of nature’s power.

More than 100 Holden enthusiasts gather to tackle the Dragon and other great roads in the Smokies, celebrating the drive and a shared passion for the marque.

Lauren K. Watel and Chelsea Rathburn visit City Lights for a poetry reading featuring their newest books. Watel will share work from Book of Potions, her debut in prose poetry and recipient of the 2023 Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry, with Ilya Kaminsky as judge. With urgency and candor, these brief hybrid pieces follow a woman navigating midlife and the pressures of roles and expectations. The potions fuse lyric intensity with narrative breadth, moving through fairy tale terrains, allegory, sharp social satire, thought experiments, and vivid surreal imagery. Each piece feels like a linguistic elixir, at times soothing, at times caustic, always alive with imagination. Rathburn will read from Broken Houses, her fourth collection, an exploration of home and the fragile structures, physical and metaphorical, that shape identity. Early fascination with model homes and half-built houses opens into an awareness of class divides and how quickly shelter can be undone by storms or by human action, along with the losses that follow. Drawing on historical records, contemporary art, family photographs, and memory, the poems trace stories that include the settlement of Miami and her father’s time in a California foster home, widening into reflections on dispossession and erasure. In a moment when the American Dream can feel distant, the book turns toward connection and care. Watel’s Book of Potions received the Kathryn A. Morton Prize from Sarabande Books, and her poetry, fiction, essays, translations, and potion pieces have appeared widely. She holds an M.A. in English from Hollins College and a Ph.D. in Women’s Studies from Emory University, is a Dallas native, and lives in Decatur, Georgia. Rathburn is the author of three earlier full-length collections, most recently Still Life with Mother and Knife, recognized by the New York Times as New & Noteworthy. Her first book won the 2005 Richard Wilbur Award, and she received a National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowship in 2009. Her poems have appeared in publications that include Poetry, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, The Southern Review, New England Review, and Ploughshares. She is an associate professor of English and creative writing at Mercer University, was appointed poet laureate of Georgia in 2019, and received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship in 2021.

The evening includes dinner, dancing, and a moving and enlightening presentation.

David Sedaris appears at the Performance Hall at Bardo Arts Center in Cullowhee, NC.

An annual Halloween party brings the community together for trick-or-treating and kid-friendly activities. The celebration is presented in collaboration with Albert Carlton Cashiers Library, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cashiers-Glenville Rec Center, and Boys and Girls Club of The Plateau for a festive evening of spooky fun.

Adam and Joe deliver a live performance at Currahee Brewing Co with a fun Halloween vibe. This show takes place in Franklin, NC.

Celebrate service at a special 250th-themed Veterans Appreciation Dinner featuring a classic chicken meal with all the fixings, guest speakers, and a raffle. The gathering takes place in the Heritage Room Dining Hall at the Department on Aging. Seating is reserved, and reservations can be made by calling 828-631-2231.

Gain a clearer understanding of neurocognitive disorders and dementia at a free, in-person course at Macon County Public Library. Guided by Vaya Health’s Health Education and Aging Resource Team (HEART), the session explores the four neurocognitive disorders most commonly diagnosed in older adults, along with typical symptoms, contributing risks, and available treatment approaches. Participants will also learn practical strategies that support adaptive care. Contact hours are available through the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Registration is required. To register by phone, call Macon County Public Library at (828) 524-3600.

A celebration honoring veterans featuring a live concert by the Ronnie Call Band, along with vendors, food trucks, inflatables, and a car show. Guests may want to bring lawn chairs for comfortable seating and plan for a day of music, food, and activities.

Enjoy a live performance on the Lazy Hiker Brewing - Sylva Taproom stage featuring a blend of jazz, blues, soul, Motown and more. Food is available at the venue.

Voodoo Tramps are back at Brews and Cues in Franklin, North Carolina, returning for another appearance.

A 5K run and walk winds through the peaceful mountain village of Cashiers, presented by The Village Green. Children can take on the fourth Junior Warrior Course at The Village Green playground, a free and family-friendly interactive challenge. Early bib and T-shirt pickup is available at The Village Green’s Lewis Hall before race day, and race day check-in is also offered. The route features varied terrain, including gravel, grass, dirt, and pavement. Although the park welcomes dogs, pets are not permitted in the race. After door prize drawings, awards will be given to the top two overall finishers across seven age categories, and participants must be present to receive prizes. Registration supports The Village Green and helps provide more than 270 days of free community programs and events. This event takes place rain or shine.

The Village Green hosts a festive lineup of holiday activities across the Green. The Mistletoe Market at Lewis Hall features local artisan gifts and seasonal treasures. Santa on the Green takes place in Lewis Hall, with visits available by registration only and an encouraged $5 donation per child. The official Christmas tree lighting happens at the Gazebo and is free. Community support helps keep the lights shining and the holiday magic alive at The Village Green.

3rdWJ performs at Bryson City Brewing with a mix of classic, Southern, and modern rock, plus a touch of country and original songs. The set brings familiar styles together with the band’s own material for an evening of live music.

This free in-person course at Macon County Public Library explores complementary approaches to mental health, facilitated by Vaya Health’s Health Education and Aging Resource Team (HEART). It highlights how practices such as meditation, mindfulness, spirituality, and yoga can support managing everyday stressors, improve overall wellness, and create opportunities for balance, stability, and stress reduction. The session also touches on related topics, including nutrition and other connected areas of well-being. Contact hours are provided through the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Registration is required. To register, call Macon County Public Library at (828) 524-3600.

Live music at The Rivers and Rails Tavern pairs with a menu made from scratch. Drawing on Szymanski’s Rockland County, New York roots, the kitchen gives careful attention to every plate, with dressings and sauces prepared in-house. The tavern fosters a home away from home atmosphere, and this performance is part of the ongoing fun.