The Town of Blowing Rock is focused on several community activities and ongoing services as October draws to a close, including a Halloween Festival, early voting opportunities, and continued leaf collection efforts. These updates, along with information on infrastructure work and local business news, were recently shared in the Town Manager’s latest message.
Blowing Rock will host its annual Halloween Festival on Saturday, October 31. The festivities begin with the Monster March lineup forming on Park Avenue at 5:15 p.m. Following this, trick-or-treating will commence on Main Street starting at 6 p.m. The evening concludes with a costume contest, featuring DJ Taco, at 7 p.m. This year, the festival introduces a new pet costume contest, for which no advance registration is required.
Watauga County residents have several opportunities for early voting before the October 31 deadline. All Watauga County early voting sites will follow the same schedule: Monday, October 26, through Friday, October 30, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, October 31, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Voters may cast their ballots at any of the designated locations. These sites include the Watauga County Administration Building at 814 W. King St. in Boone, the Blowing Rock American Legion at 333 Wallingford St., the Deep Gap Fire Department at 6583 Old US 421 S., the Meat Camp Fire Department at 4797 N.C. 194, the Plemmons Student Union at Appalachian State University at 263 Locust St., and the Western Watauga Community Center at 1081 Old US 421 in Sugar Grove. Caldwell County residents can also access early voting with the same schedule at the Caldwell Resource Center in Lenoir and the William B. Shuford Recreation Center in Granite Falls.
Leaf collection services, which began last week, are ongoing and scheduled to continue through the end of the year. The Town has established a system of regular weekly pickups organized by zones, where zone numbers correspond to the week of the month. For instance, residents in Zone 4 can expect their leaf pickup during the fourth week of October, specifically from October 26 to October 30. Residents unsure of their designated zone can find this information on the town's website or by contacting Town Hall at 828-295-5200. Public Works crews will also continue to collect leaves periodically into early spring, as weather conditions permit. Additionally, Estate Maintenance will provide assistance around the middle of November, with a particular focus on clearing ditch lines. The Town reminds residents to place leaf piles curbside, ensuring they do not obstruct culverts or drainage ways. Bagged leaves should also be placed curbside, where they will be collected alongside normal residential garbage.
Beyond the immediate events and services, planning is already underway for the Blowing Rock Christmas Parade. The Town's Parks and Recreation Department is currently accepting registrations for participation in the parade, which is scheduled for November 28.
The Town Manager’s message also highlighted the work of the Parks and Recreation Department, led by Director Jennifer Brown. The department operates with a core team of four full-time staff, supported by several part-time employees and a number of seasonal workers. This team is responsible for a wide array of offerings, including special events and year-round programs. These programs encompass a summer day camp, a comprehensive pool program with swim lessons, weekly park activities, after-school programs, lessons for pickleball and tennis, a Mahjong league, and Tai Chi classes. Director Brown described the department's broad responsibilities, noting its involvement in tasks ranging from maintaining facilities and parks to organizing and executing events, as well as providing care for children.
In local business news, The Lodge was recently congratulated by the Town on its ribbon cutting ceremony, which took place on Wednesday. The new business is located at 7815 Valley Blvd. The manager's message also included a general mention of ongoing infrastructure work within the town.
