July 26-29/Hickory NC- Visit during the annual Furniture Festival & Clearance Sale, celebrating North Carolina craftsmanship with regional artisan displays and additional discounts. If you are looking for quality furniture, diverse styles and expert design advice, then make the trip to Hickory this sale weekend. New floor products and clearance items will be available for immediate pick up. Shop early for best selections. For more information visit hickoryfurniture.com.

July 26-28/ Franklin- The 55th Annual Macon County Gemboree will be held at the Macon County Community Building. Each year, rock hounds from all across the United States descend on Franklin for gem & mineral shows. These shows feature everything from fine jewelry, to rough and cut gems & minerals, fossils, lapidary equipment and more. For complete information, call (828) 524-3161.

June 1 – August 25/Brevard NC- A week-long residency and three concerts by Wynton Marsalis, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra headline the 2024 summer season at Brevard Music Center; one of America’s premier music festivals. From June through August, enjoy world-class offerings of symphony, opera, chamber, jazz, bluegrass, and Broadway including folk and bluegrass virtuosos Bryan Sutton, Judy Collins, Aoife O’Donovan, and Béla Fleck; classical favorites by Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Sibelius; three fully staged operas including La Bohème; and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert (movie + live orchestra). Led by Artistic Director Keith Lockhart, BMC’s Summer Festival presents over 80 performances and events each season (many are free!) to over 40,000 music-lovers at two stunning lakeside venues. Bring a picnic and experience music that inspires all summer long. Tickets start at $25. BrevardMusic.org