Dear Traveler:

I love Brevard in June. How about you? Summer’s finally here and Transylvania County is one of summer’s all-time favorite addresses. The waterfalls are waterfalling. The campers are camping. The musicians are music-ing. The white squirrels are squirreling. And all this magic to behold and adventure to be had up here is, quite simply, not going to have itself. Make your arrangements. Grab your tickets. Get warmed up and ready to go, because I hear tell the sun’s coming out and tomorrow’s going to be a beautiful day. Don’t forget the sunscreen. 

See you in July!
The Adventurist

The stunning 99-acre Lake Julia is one of DuPont State Recreational Forest’s most beloved locations. Though usually accessible only by hiking, White Squirrel Paddle Boards will shuttle interested paddle-boarders to its shining shores for a fun two-hour session of trying to achieve balance and consider the calm atop the water.  

Get your mojo working at this family-friendly event featuring searing blues, tangy BBQ and a tantalizing array of food beverage, and craft vendors. The lineup includes The Dangerous Gentlemans with Anson Funderburgh, Heather Gillis Band, Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues and many others. Co-produced by Brevard Music Center and 185 Productions. 

What’s better than sitting on the side of a river watching the sunset? Watching that same sunset on a canoe trip down the river. Enjoy at the colors of dusk, above and reflected on the water flowing beneath you. Catch a live performance by birds and crickets. Expect a relaxing, rewarding and rather romantic view of the world in transition as you paddle down the French Broad River and into the magic of the evening. 

Voted “Best Road Bike Event in WNC” in 2016, this ride offers a scenic course full of gentle rolling hills, great for riders of all skill levels - from first-time-at-a-ride event to “See you at the Tour de France, mes amies.” Cyclists can choose from 100m, 100k, 50m and 50k routes that land back at Oskar Blues for Beer, Bluegrass and Barbecue. Proceeds to benefit bicycling advocacy groups in WNC. Photo by Paul Jackson.

A famous philosopher once stated that summer is, in fact, the right time for dancing in the street. So what are you waiting for? Brevard’s Old Time Street Dances offer any of those afflicted by dance fever the chance to learn the steps, listen to the tunes and take the town by storm. Music and instruction begins at 6:30. Dancing starts at 7.

There’s a lot of sublime and beautiful things that happen up in Transylvania County and not all of them involve a waterfall, a stunning view or a sweet single track. This not-quite two-week celebration of all things arts-related features more than 80 events, kicking off with the grand opening concert of the Brevard Music Festival’s 82nd season and featuring a week of gallery events, street dances, live music and much more.

For decades, the Brevard Music Center Summer Festival has brought together some of the most celebrated names in classical music with its most promising future stars for over eighty concerts, including symphony, opera, pops, chamber, Americana and jazz. The Festival’s Opening Weekend typically offers a truly spectacular (and marvelously varied) introduction to some of the best of what Brevard Music Center has to offer. This year is no different. Performance highlights include a triumphant evening of Rachmaninoff conducted by Artistic Director Keith Lockhart and celebrated pianist Olga Kern, an evening with vocal jazz greats, The Manhattan Transfer, a matinee performance celebrating iconic American composer Leonard Bernstein, the Grammy®-Award winning bluegrass dynamos the Steep Canyon Rangers and more. 

Opening Night/Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Friday, June 22
7:30 PM

BMC Presents: The Manhattan Transfer
Whittington Pfohl-Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Saturday, June 23
7:30 PM
 
Beloved Bernstein
Whittington Pfohl-Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Sunday, June 24
3 PM
 
BMC Presents: Steep Canyon Rangers with Orchestra
Whittington Pfohl-Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Tuesday, June 26
7:30 PM

Come join the residents of Rosman, up at the headwaters of the French Broad River, for a full day of fun for anyone eager to explore beautiful scenery, hear great music, eat delicious food, learn about local crafts and wildlife and, of course, stick a toe in the water with a variety of tubing and boating events.  

Also of note in June: