Dear Traveler,

It’s almost July here in the Land of Waterfalls, home of the brave. Our mountains majesty may be more green than purple this time of year, but they do provide some really spectacular views of the beautiful spacious skies the higher up you get. Fourth of July preparations are in full gear throughout Brevard and Transylvania County. Even the white squirrels have been trying on their Uncle Sam hats in preparation for the big day. 
 
If you happen to be fireworks averse, July offers plenty of serious adventure, splashing water and thrilling entertainment for visitors eager to see what’s around the bend, on Main Street, on stage or a just a little bit further up the trail. 

Keep Cool,
The Adventurist

Gather your stars, put on your stripes and head to downtown Brevard for this Yankee Doodle Dandy of a time from top of the morning to twilight’s last gleaming. The event kicks off with the Firecracker 5K/10K, and settles into a whole day of food, live music, activities, a bicycle parade, a classic car show and much more. At 4:30, the party moves to Brevard College for the TC ARTS Rubber Duck race. And those fireworks you’ve been hearing about? Well, those will begin at 9:30 PM.  

This all-day arts and crafts fair brings together more than forty of the Southeast’s most talented artists and craftspeople. From oil paintings to pottery mugs, their exceptional and varied works will be for sale and for your perusal during the Fourth of July Celebration. 

Need to clear the mind after a long week? This two-hour paddle down the French Broad River at twilight followed by an Oskar Blues beer and a brewery tour might be just what the doctor ordered. This collaboration from Headwaters and Oskar Blues promises an almost too-good-to-be-true combination every Friday night this summer. 

With lessons, stories and an enchanted stroll through the woods at dusk, you might not imagine that this all-ages, accessible program would focus on the things that go bump, as well as hoot, flutter, flap and whirr in the night. Join guides and naturalists for a special look at the nocturnal world and all the creatures that call it home. 

Amid the many highlights of summer, fresh, local produce and home baked goods certainly stand pretty high on the list. Along with crafts, flowers, herbs, locally-made summer sausages and cheeses, this Saturday morning market promises the best of Brevard and Transylvania from the folks who grow and make it here. Grab a great breakfast and check out the live music while you’re at it. 

As part of their 82nd season, Brevard Music Center has announced their second “Festival within a Festival,” this time celebrating the 100th birthday of great American composer Leonard Bernstein. With a thrilling program, including everything from opera and a full-orchestra-accompanied screening of “West Side Story” to a presentation with prominent American music scholar Joseph Horowitz and the dramatic pageantry of Bernstein’s “Mass,” there is truly something for everyone who ever had an ear to hear the best of Bernstein. Photo by Al Ravenna, 1955, courtesy of the Library of Congress

Chichester Psalms and Symphony No. 2 ("Age of Anxiety")
Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Friday, July 13
7:30 PM

West Side Story (film with orchestra)
Whittington Pfohl-Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Saturday, July 14
8:30 PM
 
Bernstein the Educator
Whittington Pfohl-Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Sunday, July 15
3:00 PM
 
Candide
Porter Center for the Performing Arts
Brevard College
July 26 and 28
 

Bernstein's Mass
Whittington Pfohl-Auditorium
Brevard Music Center
Sunday, August 5
3:00 PM

Also of note in July: