An Appalachian Summer Preview & the Impact of the Arts on the High Country Economy

Earlier this week, tickets went on sale for the 42nd season of An Appalachian Summer Festival, an annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every July in venues across the Appalachian State University campus, featuring an eclectic, diverse mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film programming. 

This five-week series brings world renowned artists across multiple genres to Boone and the High Country at a highly popular time for summer tourism engagement, which provides a predictable and impactful annual economic benefit to the region.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we visit with Allison West, Director of Marketing for App State's Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources. She will preview the full schedule of this year's festival and tell you which events feature the fastest-selling tickets! We'll also discuss the economic benefits of An Appalachian Summer, and how this annual showcase has provided unique opportunities for the development of local artists. 

Speaking of economic impact, the taxes created by events like our summer festivals (occupancy tax, sales tax) provide impactful dollars to be spent on services in our local community. As the North Carolina General Assembly resumes its work this month in Raleigh, there are several legislative discussions around tax law that could have direct implications for communities across the State. The Chamber's Advocacy Task Force continues to monitor these conversations, and we'll bring you the latest details.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Summer is coming to the high country, and it's bringing one of our most reliable and beloved tourism engines with it. This week we sit down with an Appalachian Summer Festival to preview what the 42nd season has in store. From the Moon Area Chamber of Commerce, this is Mind Your Business.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Mind Your Business. Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services. Visit Appalachian CRE.com.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Hello and welcome into Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson, President and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Thanks for joining us once again this week, whether through the airwaves of WATA here in Boone or as a subscriber of the podcast version of this program, which of course is made possible each week by our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. If you are not yet a subscriber, it's no problem at all. Just search Mind Your Business. Wherever you get your podcast, you can gain access to full archives, occasional bonus content, extended episodes, and plenty more, as we connect you with the business news that you can use from right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. There is a moment every spring, and if you've spent enough years here in the high country, you know exactly what I'm talking about. That moment where the calendar flips, the weather cooperates for more than 48 hours at a stretch, and something in the air just says, summer is almost here. For our community, that feeling alives with a lot of economic weight attached to it. We count on our summer tourism season, we plan for it, we market for it. And after everything this region has been through since Helene and its economic roller coaster of an aftermath, we are more than ready to welcome summer. But here is something that does not always get enough airtime in our business conversations, and that's the economic power of the arts. We tend to think of the arts as a cultural benefit, which they are. Some think of these cultural connections as an amenity, which they are also. But the arts is something else entirely as well. They are a valuable industry. North Carolina's nonprofit arts and culture sector generated more than $2 billion in economic activity in 2022 alone. That is not a rounding error. That's 38,000 full-time jobs, that's hotel nights, restaurant tabs, retail sales, and millions upon millions of dollars in tax revenue for our communities. Tax revenue, that'll come up a little bit later in the episode. Here in the High Country, we are fortunate to have a remarkable collection of arts events that do exactly the kind of economic lifting that we need. Boonerang, High Country Jazz Festival, Music in the Valley, the concerts in the park over in Blowing Rock, many other events, and anchoring the summer season, an Appalachian Summer Festival. Forty-two years of world-class music, dance, theater, film, and visual arts held right here in Boone on the campus of Appalachian State University, and drawing more than 20,000 visitors to the high country each and every summer. That is more than a few dinner reservations, and it's certainly a lot of filled hotel rooms and Airbnbs across the region. This week on My Dear Business, we're going to preview the 2026 edition of an Appalachian Summer Festival, which kicks off June 27th and runs through the 1st of August. We will hear about the lineup, the ticketing, what makes App Summer such a reliable anchor for this community summer calendar. Alison West, Director of Marketing for App State's Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, is our guest, longtime friend of the program, and she's got the scoop on this year's Axe, some amazing access, and a festival that she feels will bring nothing but joy to the high country this summer. We have a lot of fun stuff to cover, so get right back here. We'll get into it after the break. You are listening to Mind Your Business.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area. They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate. For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Welcome back to Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson. Before we dive into five weeks of world-class performances, let us take a moment to spotlight the local resource that helps businesses find the right stage for their next chapter. That's James Milner, an Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. They solve simple and complex commercial real estate problems in and around the Boone area and beyond. Whether you own or lease commercial real estate, regardless of the property type, have an advocate on your side, along with the expertise and experience to assist you and your business. For more information, check them out on the web, Appalachian CRE.com. An Appalachian Summer Festival. Mark the dates, June 27th through August 1st. Five weeks, multiple venues across App State's campus, including the State of the Art, Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. That's music, dance, theater, film, visual arts, all of it in one location in a compact period of time. Allison West, the director of marketing for App State's Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, is our guest this week. She starts our conversation by reminding us why such a vibrant festival exists in these mountains in the first place.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

So this is our 42nd year. We started in 1984. The origins uh were as a chamber music festival. Um, so the the whole past is steeped in classical and chamber programming. And over time, it evolved into more genres and more um popular music, more dance and theater, but never lost track of its of its original intent. So we have extremely strong programming on the classical and chamber front, but we also are fortunate enough to bring in like the best world-class, you know, popular artists, music, dance, theater, film, and visual arts.

SPEAKER_00 6:12

You know, we you mentioned the longevity of this, and I know that you have been at this from an organizing perspective for some time now. So you probably have a better appreciation of kind of almost a theme or a feel for each year's festival. What excites you about this year's overall feel when you consider everybody that's coming and everything that will be offered?

SPEAKER_03 6:32

Yeah, I've tried to um kind of mull over what makes me so excited about this season because as soon as it all came together, which in itself is a labor of love, um, as soon as we had we booked our last show, I felt this sense of just absolute excitement. And I was trying to figure out why this one stood out to me. This season feels very joyful. Every um artist, every event feels like there is joy behind it. And, you know, I think we everybody needs a little joy. Um, and everybody could use some extra joy right now. And this season feels like a great way to have this um shared experience with your friends, your neighbors, your family, um, strangers, and experience this excitement and happiness. And again, joy is the word that I always come back to and walk away feeling, feeling great and and leaving with an experience that you'll remember and take with you in the in the coming days.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

We'll talk specifically about the the acts as they relate to genres and scheduling and that stuff in a moment, but I want to go back a little bit to the creation of this and thinking about those genres. You put together such a complex festival. How long does that take? And can you take us in inside the process a little bit of how artists are selected and and what draws them to this market? Uh, because I'm sure for some this is a unique market to come to in the mountains of northwest North Carolina.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

Right. This this process, I mean, we've already started and we're we're we're working on next summer, even as we just go on sale now for this summer. Um, it's a it's a long protracted process. And we keep a running, a running list of artists in every genre that we would like to see, that we would like to bring to boon. And you know, you've got to remember we're a what a 30-day, maybe five week, like this year's five weeks. We have a very concentrated window of time to book these artists. So when when it actually works, you kind of are amazed that wow, we were able to fit all of this into 30, you know, 35 days, whatever it ends up being. And it it's a puzzle, and sometimes it's just luck of the draw. Like you, you have to lie align perfectly with an artist's schedule. And so we reach out early trying to make that happen. Um, sometimes artists, they're not, they haven't gone on tour yet or they're just putting their tour together. So you can kind of get in on the front end, um, and maybe they are willing to, you know, to work around you um with with the location in Boone. You know, we always try to use this destination as a selling point because it's beautiful and kind of gives them a chance to to relax and see see a little different part of the country. Um, but it kind of depends. It depends on where they're where they're playing already, where where we can route them from, or you know, where we we go in and we think that we have a perfect lineup and this, you know, we put an offer out. But in the meantime, as while we think we have this um perfect schedule set, their tour might fall apart, they might have an offer somewhere that they're not able to get to us in time. So we're constantly um resetting and pivoting and moving on, and you know, and then it just it suddenly it aligns and it's worked and it's an incredible season.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

One last thought in that regard before we get to to this year's schedule. Um, I I've heard you talk about this before in the reputation of the arts in this community, the reputation of a long-standing, long-running, prestigious festival. How much of a sell do you actually have to make? Uh how much of it is about date alignment and not necessarily about the event itself. I would figure that this has established itself through word of mouth and all of the things that artists do as a place to be from a summer performance perspective.

SPEAKER_03 10:43

Right. I mean, we have artists that we've had here before that are really excited to return because, you know, they they love the experience, they love the location, the scenery, they love the venue of the Schaefer Center, they love our staff. Like we've we've built a reputation internally that that is very respected. And so artists love to come back. You know, a lot of times it is even if they want to come, it is about date alignment. And there's nothing, you know, a lot of times there's just nothing we can do about that. Um, we try to find alternate dates or we put them on the schedule for next year. So, you know, it's we just we try if we if we want an artist badly enough, um, and the the price structure works out, then you know, we'll we'll eventually try to make it happen. But yeah, we don't once once they've seen this place, then it it sticks with them.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

We'll take a quick break and get into the app summer schedule right after this. You are listening to MindYour Business.

SPEAKER_01 11:43

Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area. They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate. For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Welcome back to Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson. We continue our conversation with Allison West from an Appalachian Summer Festival as we get into the heart of the 2026 lineup. So the 2026 version of an Appalachian summer, we'll go at this by genres because again, there are a number of mediums that people will get a chance to get exposure to over the course of these five weeks. Let's start on the music side because I know a lot of folks, my family included, set their calendars by which App Summer concert we want to try to attend and how that plays into vacation schedules. So uh what can you tell us about the musical acts that you've got coming this year?

SPEAKER_03 12:38

Yeah, I'll start with the um spotlight series. So we are kicking off June 27th with the Punch Brothers. Um, they were here in 2019 and are our audiences have asked for them to return ever since. So um, if you've never had the uh opportunity and pleasure of seeing Chris Teeley, um, who is also a member of Nickel Creek, so people may remember him from uh their appearance a couple years ago at Merlefest. But um they are uh Punch Brothers is a progressive um acoustic quintet. They mix in some folk music, some classical, some jazz. Um they kind of run the gamut and it is they are a pure delight on stage. Um following that, we have Gladys Knight, so you know, Empress of RB and soul, and um she is every bit as powerful as she was, and we are thrilled to be able to bring that that bit of nostalgia um to the stage. On a couple nights later, on July 10th, we have Straight No Chaser Beach Bash. So that is an all-male a cappella ensemble. Um, they really came to acclaim in 1998 when they posted this mashup of Toto's Africa and the Dradel song on YouTube, and Atlantic Records heard them and they've taken off ever since. So they're gonna do a whole um kind of summer coastal theme um evening of songs that they do their own interpretations of, like Pharrell Williams Happy, um, Walk the Moon, Shut Up and Dance, CRISPR Cross is Sailing. So it'll be a it'll be kind of all over the place and and a really fun evening. Um we then bring for our Broadway star, we'll bring Darren Chris, who is currently on Broadway right now in the Tony winning play Almost Happy Ending, for which he also won the Tony Award for Best Actor. So he finishes that run in mid-May and then we'll we'll make an appearance here in Boone. Um a lot of audiences will know him for his role as Blaine Anderson in Glee. Um so he'll be performing songs from from all of his Broadway um TV roles. Um then we have Rick Springfield, so Blast from the Past. Um, I know a lot of us have had his poster on our wall, maybe. So I've heard uh growing up. So, you know, Jesse's girl, don't talk to strangers, human touch. He's coming with a full band, um, as is Gladys Knight. So um lots of lots of high energy. And then rounding out that uh Schaefer Spotlight series is the Jayhawks. So they um have been around for over 40 years, and a little bit of country, alternative country, folk rock, country rock, um, a little bit of pop. They've their their harmonizing is exquisite. So um it's a perfect way, I think, to end what is a phenomenal season.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

I can't speak to the poster element of Rick Springfield, but what I can speak to is is going back to some of the recurring guests. I remember way back in the very early days of the Home Center, one of the very first concerts in there was Nickel Creek, uh, at the at the real height of their their stardom back in the in the early years. So to see that recurrence through Punch Brothers uh again speaks to the the quality of the experience in a place. I don't I I think artists know where they like to go and where they don't like to go, and and there seems to be a nice uh relationship there that will be accentuated again. Taking it from the music side to the dance side as well, there there have been some tremendous acts uh that that have come across the stage in that way over the years. What do you have scheduled this time around when it comes to dance?

SPEAKER_03 16:24

Yeah, so this year we're bringing Complexions Contemporary Ballet. So they were actually here during our academic year in 2023, and they did a performance called uh From Bach to Bowie. So they performed first half was set to music of Bach, second was set to the music of David Bowie. This year they are performing a program called Love Rocks. So the first half will again be set to a more classical, um, classical track, but the second is set to the music of Lenny Kravitz. So they are they're really well known for the their accessibility and setting really unique, phenomenal dance to um modern artists. And it it's a great way to introduce people to dance, but also introduce the people who came for the more traditional uh contemporary ballet to which is kind of funny, can traditional contemporary, but they are really steeped in the classical world, and then to introduce them to this incredible um sense of of style and and um just artistry that they that they bring. So their two founders were um formerly members of Albany American Dance Theater. So I mean they they they are legit and they are incredible, and um it'll yeah, it's gonna be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Uh on the theater side, tell us about the other Mozart.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

Yeah, so it's been a couple of years since we've had theater, so we're really excited um to be able to present that again in Valborg Theater. So the other Mozart tells the story of Mozart's lesser-known sister. Um, she was equally uh as talented, she was a prodigy, she was every bit as as um just incredible uh musician and artistry as he was. But her story has been lost over time. It's been lost to history. Um as a female, she just did not receive the same acclaim and attention that he did. So this performance is a one-woman show. She's set in this 18-foot dress. So the the styling of it is incredible, uses fans and clavichords and um perfume to just sort of like set this sort of um multi-sensory experience. But the show is based on real life letters that that the family wrote to each other. So it's parts of it are humorous, humorous, parts of it are heartbreaking. Um, but it's a fascinating story. I saw it in 2019 in New York, um, and I highly recommend it. It's it's a brilliant, brilliant tale. And it, you know, it her stories finally heard, which is which is really nice.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

You know, we we talk just a few weeks removed from another successful run of the Bamp Film Festival. That is one of those boon calling card type things. So we appreciate our films around here. Uh, on the film side, you've got another uh just jam-packed group of films to show. What what can you tell us about each of those?

SPEAKER_03 19:32

Yeah, so this year's film series, the there's the the common theme is essentially like human connection and how desperately we need it and just just the dynamics of relationships. Um, we are opening with a film called Kale Malaga. So it's about um an elderly woman who is fighting to stay in the in the home where she lives. Um, following that is sentimental value. So some people may remember um just recently it won the Academy Award for Best International Film, stars Stellan Skarsgaard and L. Fanning. So it's just about a family's dysfunctional relationship and um and redemption. Um and it also was nominated for Best Picture Overall. Um, following that, we have a film called Surat. It's set in the um desert of Morocco, and uh a man and his son are looking for his daughter. Um, and it's all there's this percussive um rave music that is the that is the soundtrack. And it was also nominated for best international film, and it it is extremely moving and powerful. Um, and then wrapping up that series is a film called Happy Birthday, um, and it's about a young girl in a set in Egypt. Um, it's about a young girl who desperately wants to throw a birthday party for the daughter of the family that she works for, um, and just her need to connect to to someone. And it's it's it's a really sweet story.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

You know, as we get into the the visual arts and and thinking about things like the Rose and Sculpture Walk, uh, I I also love the the integration with the opportunity to talk to artists through the art talk series. I know those things aren't directly parallel, but there are a lot of crossovers there. So can you take us through both of those? Some of the the visual artistry that that we'll see this year, and then also that that extra layer of connection that you bake into some of these experiences.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

Yeah, absolutely. Um, so this year we're celebrating 40 years of the Martin and Doris Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Walk. So it's going to be we're we're gonna kick off at the at the Schaefer Center um and have a wonderful uh welcome by the juror. The juror and sculptor, his name is Sam Spixka. Um so he will then take all of our all of the attendees on a walk and look at the 10 sculptures that. That were selected as part of this competition. He's able to share all of the reasons why these sculptures were selected and the importance and the significance behind them. And people are able to ask questions and have a really engaging interactive experience. And then everyone will go back to the Schaefer Center and the awards presentation will happen, the the winners will be chosen, and then there will be a complimentary lunch that people can partake of. Following that, so as part of sort of the whole interactive, engaging opportunity, we have a series called Art Talks. And those all, there are four of them, and those all take place in the Church and Center lecture hall. So we just use those as a behind-the-scenes opportunity. So it's a it's a small group of people. Um you know, however it's free and open to the public. Um, and you get this opportunity to hear from the artists about their processes or about their their their thoughts and their the whole um behind the scenes um just the the way that it all comes about, the way that that everything unfolds. For example, we're hearing from uh Dale Pollack, who is our film curator. So he will talk about the season and why these films were selected and just the the impact of of international film overall. Um then we're going to have a behind-the-scenes chat with the artistic team of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Um, so we'll hear how how they set their, you know, why, why they choose to set what they do and and how it impacts um the just their overall mission. Um we are then talking with Hank Foreman about the significance of the uh 40th uh Rosenwalk and how um Martin and Darst Rosen enabled this to hap to you know to happen and to continue and what the significance is of these outdoor sculptures that uh people can view all the way through May. Like these sculptures will be available and you can just come walk on campus. It's a great way to bring the community into the the heart of the campus. Um, and then we will talk to Calador Stream Quartet, who is part of our um chamber series, and they have recorded all the Beethoven uh quintets and or quartets, and so they will talk about that significance of Beethoven in the 21st century.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

As we we uh look at those opportunities for that engagement, I I think that is so um such an extra benefit that you don't normally get when you just go see a performance. You get into the hows and whys. I would imagine that that is incredibly important for students and faculty members to be able to have similar engagement. There's always been been an educational component woven into this that benefits the people that come through, again, uh regionally and and world-renowned programs here at App State. How do you balance that? The opportunities for students to be able to get some some learning and some experience with with these folks that are coming in that are like Gladys Knight and you know, some people that that have had long storied careers that I'm sure love to pass down that knowledge.

SPEAKER_03 25:19

Right. That that educational component is still very important. While you look at you look at our season, and you might just think, you know, just oh wow, this is so entertaining and this is um just a great way, you know, we're gonna go out, we're gonna go see a show, and then we're gonna leave. Um we really want to make this the experience of all of these artists. We really want our students and our community to feel invested and to have opportunities that they wouldn't necessarily have elsewhere. Um, we are able to do that really well in the during the summer with Canon Music Camp on campus. And so they we're able to offer them opportunities with all of our our chamber programming and our classical music programming, as well as Gladys Knight. Like we've already, we're already have they they have tickets to go see Gladys Knight. So they get to see this this legend on stage and this, you know, a woman that you know they've heard her songs, but I mean these these are these are young kids. And so they're they're able to be introduced to her. At the same time, they have the opportunity to go hear um Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, MERS Trio, WindSync, Calador String Quartet, Erin Deal. Um, and a lot of those, like we're already working on on masterclasses or or some special workshops with those artists because we want to give them this extra experience. They're already getting an amazing opportunity with Canon Music Camp, but we want to elevate that and give them this experience that they may not otherwise have. Same with the community um involvement with the art talks. You know, we want that that's a really big part of our mission is to bring the community into um into this world and and give them an elevated experience as well.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Well, and we've seen so many young artists uh kind of born and raised out of this community. And I think there's something so special about getting a chance to see a professional in a in a in an environment where they kind of let their guard down a little bit and talk to you about the experiences that they have on the day-to-day. Not just the artist on the stage, but but everything that goes into that performance, those those kinds of lessons and opportunities and just the glance inside can be so incredibly valuable for people that are starting down their own road. And we have seen that replicated so many times here. Uh speaking along the lines of of those types of interactions, I know that there are a number of families that would like kind of that that easy guide of the family, family-friendly entertainment uh opportunities for youth to get engaged uh throughout the course of these five weeks. What are your suggestions there?

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Well, we have one um very specific show that we have programmed um for families. Um WinSync, which is a win quintet, they are doing an evening performance on July 12th, but then they're also going to do a matinee at 2 p.m. of Peter and the Wolf. So they come in, they dress as their characters from Peter and the Wolf, you know, flute and oboe, bassoon, French horn. Um, and we're inviting, you know, it it's available. I think standard tickets are only 20 and children are only 10. So we're trying to make it very, very affordable and accessible for families. Um, we're also uh suggesting that the stud the kids they can dress as their favorite character, have a little parade, you know, two um two rows in concert hall, and just make it a really fun, interactive, engaging experience. It's it's 45 minutes. Um, but you know, we've when we send out surveys, one of the things that we hear is they, you know, we're people are looking for something for the whole family to do. And there are a lot of family shows as part of this, but we really wanted to have something very, very specific for kids. And Peter and the Wolf is a phenomenal way to introduce children to music and where there's no pressure. You know, they they don't have to sit and and be completely quiet. Like it's a it's a very engaging, um, just just non-judgmental um opportunity for to introduce children to classical music and to just have a very inexpensive way to have fun.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

Couple last questions for you, Alison, and we'll we'll get to the important ticket one here in just a second. But but when we think back to four decades of this festival on campus and the the certainly the entertainment that it's provided, but the the window inside to the university in general, uh, can you speak to the the economic impact, the campus impact that this five weeks annually brings to campus every year?

SPEAKER_03 30:05

Yeah, I mean, uh, you know, we we uh welcome 20,000 people a summer up here. Um we draw from all across the state. Um we draw from uh eastern Tennessee, southwest Virginia, northeastern uh Georgia, um as far as New York, Florida, I mean, all across the East Coast. So we are we are driving um uh all the you know, tourists, like tourism, we're hotels and retail and restaurants and shopping um attractions. So that's we love being part of that. That's what makes summer in the high country so special, is every you have the opportunity to play and explore and eat and shop and dine in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. And then we offer the you know as much cultural and and educational entertainment as as we can on top of that. So um we're really proud of the the the reach that we have and the people who I mean when we we draw further and further each year, which is which is a great a great feeling.

SPEAKER_00 31:22

Well, and I and I think it goes back to to setting the tone for what is an area that has become known for arts over the generations as well. When you've got proven track records like this, and like what the Appalachian Theater can do, and what you've brought to the home center, and and the the arts programming that goes on throughout the academic year, all of these things play to a place where people expect this type of entertainment and the quality that that you bring in too. So it's it's maybe five weeks in the summer we're concentrating on now, but this five weeks sets up the next five months, uh, so to speak. So so we certainly appreciate that aspect. We'll we'll kind of close this by saying that the uh uh everybody's favorite three words that go after tickets, and that's on sale now. Uh so you can get these, but they're going fast, right?

SPEAKER_03 32:06

They are going fast. Um we have we're on sale now, we've been on sale for uh a few hours, and tickets are definitely going fast for some of the larger shows that we anticipate selling out um not too far in the distant future. So I would definitely recommend if you want to go see Gladys Knight and Rick Springfield and Punch Brothers, Jayhawks, I would definitely get your tickets now.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

What what are the the simplest ways to go about that, especially for first timers that might not necessarily be as familiar with the ticketing process?

SPEAKER_03 32:36

Yeah, um two ways that I suggest. One, um, app summer.org. So um that's appsummer.org. Go on, go online. It has all the information you could possibly want about um all the events. There's if you're not familiar with an artist, there's videos that you can you can kind of explore and read bios. Um, but uh we also have a box office staff that is is always available and ready to help if you need help walking through that through that ticket journey. Um, you can call the box office at 828-262-4046. And then you can always just stop by in person. Um, they are there, the box office is open from 10 to 5, Monday through Friday. And you can look, they can show you the the seating chart and just help you with any with anything that might be might be giving you trouble, or you're just not, you know, if you're not familiar with the venue, it's helpful to see it.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

Well, I'm glad you mentioned your team because I know and you alluded to this earlier. This is a team effort that that goes 365 days a year to make these five weeks as magical as they are. So, congratulations. Uh, again, you've laid out what what sounds like an absolutely wonderful setting for this year's um for this year's festival. But I also know that uh I'll say good luck as well as you continue the 2027 uh uh platform that you're already working on. But uh certainly appreciate the insight and the information. We look forward to this every year. We look forward to giving away some tickets at future chamber events to some of these, some of these shows, and and we'll be right back with you again, I know sooner than we can imagine, uh, talking about what's ahead for next year as well. So thanks for the time and and for the effort and everything that you do for this festival. Thank you very much, David. We appreciate you. Appsummer.org. That's the place to get schedules, tickets, and details about a variety of artists that make up this year's lineup. Let's go back and revisit something Allison said a moment ago. And for those of us that are old enough to truly appreciate the impact of Gladys Night on music in Motown, imagine yourself as a kid studying music at a camp in the summer with access to a legend like that. Talk about inspiration, and an Appalachian Summer Festival provides that experience and so much more. We were talking numbers at the top of the show. The Watanga Arts Council shares a 2023 report that says nonprofit arts events generated over $26 million of economic impact for our county, and about a third of that, roughly $9 million, generated in hotel stays, restaurant visits, and other local spending inside our local businesses. Here's to a great summary of arts and culture ahead for our community. You are listening to Mind Your Business.

SPEAKER_02 35:18

Are you a young professional looking to expand your network? The High Country Young Professionals, affectionately dubbed the High Country YoPros, is a dedicated group of 200 plus professional young adults under the age of 40, serving in various industries across the high country. Join us for a casual networking event on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. As we visit locations across the high country. Events are free of charge. However, donations are appreciated. Not a chamber member? That's okay. No membership needed to join us. You just have to be under 40. Learn more about High Country GoPros at boonchamber.com slash HCYP.

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Mind your business. Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, offering sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services. Visit Appalachian CRE.com.

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I want the numbers. Josh Lyman may have been talking about polling data when he screamed that phrase out on the West Wing. But now that North Carolina's General Assembly is closing in on its short session, we present a few sets of numbers that will be driving key conversations as the summer continues. The first set, Child Care for Childcare Workers, a pilot program aimed at providing tuition assistance for Watauga County child care workers whose own children are in need of care, saw 18 employees reached, covering tuition cost for 22 children for the month of October, 2025. The employees did not have to pay, and the center was provided an average of over $600 a child, which in most cases is more than they charge their employees to care for their own children in the first place, meaning that the centers got closer to the full cost of care. And the employee enjoyed tuition assistance that many statewide advocates are hoping becomes a funded benefit. The full results of that study can be found in a nine-page child care incentives report, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation released yesterday. You can check that out at Boonechamber.com. $75,000 of impact across two initiatives using a mix of public and private dollars, all to stabilize one of the most important industries in our community. Again, check out that report for more details on both projects. More numbers, not specific, but a developmental watch. On Wednesday, a North Carolina House Select Committee on Property Tax Reduction and Reform moved forward a proposal that could limit how much counties and towns can increase property tax while increasing the state's role in local taxing authority. This proposal has a long way to go, but it is moving, and it has mixed reviews thus far on both sides of the aisle. Property tax pays for a variety of essential services in a county like Watauga, like law enforcement, EMS, landfill operations, park maintenance. It also pays supplemental salary payments to local teachers and will be used for school capital improvements. This is one of several tax-related issues being considered by the General Assembly in the short session. Conversations around gas tax that funds North Carolina DOT and funds road construction programs, which are important in this region, especially in the wake of Hurricane Halene. Changes to the corporate tax and franchise tax structures. All of these play into how North Carolina generates its money. After what we've been through with Helene, it's never been more important for us to understand where money comes from and who is in control. The Chambers Advocacy Task Force is monitoring these issues, and we will keep you up to date as the short session starts next week and continues throughout the summer, and maybe longer than that, as we take notice of these important community-shaping conversations. We're back to wrap things up right after this. You are listening to Mind Your Business. We are going to close out this episode with a few things on the chamber calendar that you'll want to have on your radar. First and foremost, registration open now for the annual Vision Northwest North Carolina Summit that will be held May 21st on the Watauka campus of Homewell Community College Technical Institute. I was talking about gas tax just a moment ago. This year's focus of the summit, transportation, its impacts, its future, and how we move people around Northwest North Carolina and beyond. All of the details waiting for you, including a link to register at BoonCamber.com. Also, don't forget, you golfers, I'm sure you've been inspired by this weather. The Chambers annual Fairway 4 Foundation Golf Plastic coming up Thursday, April 30th at Jefferson Landing. We only have three team spots remaining as of the 16th of April, early in the morning. So get your registration now at Boonchamber.com if you attend to play. A portion of the proceeds support the community work that is the heartbeat of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Again, get your team registered while you've still got the chance. That does it for this episode of Mind Your Business. This program is written and produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Thanks to WATA for placing us on the airwaves each and every week. And thanks as always to James Milner and the team at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate for making the podcast version of this program possible. If you are not yet a subscriber, fix that now. Search for Mind Your Business wherever you get your podcast. You can also visit us online anytime at Boomchamber.com. Until next week, so long, everybody.