Town of Boone Celebrates 150 | By Mark Freed

Boone in the early 1900s Photo courtesy of Watauga County Public Library, DigitalNC.org

Town of Boone Celebrates 150 Years

By Mark Freed

Photo by Jordan Nelson, Nelson Aerial Productions | nelsonaerialpros.com

On January 23, 2022, the Town of Boone turned 150 years old, and the year-long Boone 150 celebration was officially under way. Boone’s Mayor, Tim Futrelle, officially recognized 2022 as Boone’s sesquicentennial celebration noting, “Over the past 150 years and beyond, Boone citizens and visitors have created an Appalachian community where people love to live, work, and visit.”

The celebration, officially dubbed “Boone 150” started with an exhibition at the Jones House Cultural Center in downtown Boone put together by Dr. Andrea Burns and her graduate students at Appalachian State University. The exhibit, “Becoming Boone,” is on display in the upstairs galleries of the Jones House this spring, while the primary downstairs gallery features an exhibit by Digital Watauga focused on “Workers of Boone.” Both exhibits are special Boone 150 collections and help tell the story of Boone and its citizens.

The Watauga Public Library will be presenting a year-long Boone Reads Together program, highlighting a series of books focused on Boone. The series includes Dr. Tom Whyte’s Boone Before Boone, which discusses human activity in the area in the thousands of years before the town’s incorporation. Other titles include Dr. Eric Plagg’s Remembering Boone, Cratis Williams’ I Come to Boone, Junaluska: Oral Histories of a Black Appalachian Community, Dr. Jim Hamilton’s novel The Last Entry, and Joe Miller’s children’s book, One Night. At the culmination of each community read, the library will present an in-person presentation with the authors.

For those looking for more active ways to learn about Boone’s history, the Town of Boone’s Cultural Resources Department will be featuring guided historic downtown Boone walking tours during the First Friday events from spring through fall. During the evening of the first Friday each month, downtown Boone comes alive with new art exhibition openings, music on the streets, and other activities. Those who stop by the Jones House can pick up a copy of a self-guided historic walking tour or sign up to take a tour led by one of Boone’s historians.

Later in the spring, the Boone 150 celebration gears up for performances and more outdoor activities. The second week of June will feature the inaugural High Country Jazzfest, with performances in Blowing Rock and Boone, including at the historic downtown Boone Appalachian Theatre. Then, on the second weekend in Boone, the first Boonerang Music & Arts Festival will take over downtown Boone. Finally, on the last weekend in Boone, the Blue Ridge Community Theater presents “Happy Birthday Boone,” a new production that will include music, spoken word, and performance in a celebration of Boone.

The Boone 150 celebration will be in full stride for the Independence Day weekend festivities. The weekend kicks off at the Jones House, with a Friday evening performance by the Boone Community Band. On Sunday, July 3, the Town of Boone will host a community gathering and celebration at Clawson-Burnley Park in the afternoon, followed by a concert at the State Farm lot presented by Appalachian State University’s Arts and Cultural Programs. The Town of Boone’s annual fireworks will conclude the concert. The Town will present its annual July 4th Parade, starting at 11 a.m. on July 4, which will include a special nod to the historic High Country Wagon Train.

Later in the summer, as the Southern Appalachian Historical Association concludes their 70th anniversary season of Horn in the West, they will collaborate with the Town of Boone’s Cultural Resources department to present a sacred music celebratory concert at the Daniel Boone Park amphitheater. This special concert will highlight a host of High Country sacred music styles, from shape note singing, to family gospel quartets, to bluegrass gospel, and full choir performances. The event will take place on August 20, the day after the annual Doc Watson Day concert at the Jones House.

Other events planned for the year include a Daniel Boone Summit to talk about the Town’s namesake and both the known and imagined history of Daniel Boone in the area. Several historical markers and recognitions are in store for 2022, in collaboration with Boone’s Historical Preservation Commission and the Watauga County Historical Society.

Construction of Downtown Boone Post Office

For more information on the Boone 150 celebration, including how to get involved, and how to submit an event to be a part of the celebration, please visit www. boone150.com or contact the Town of Boone’s Cultural Resources department at 828-268-6280.

Be sure to visit BOTH locations!

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