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Dillsboro to host 25th Easter Hat Parade
Dillsboro is hosting its 25th annual Easter Hat Parade Saturday, March 30. The parade takes place annually the Saturday before Easter and begins at 2 p.m at the Dillsboro Town Hall. The parade is a beloved Dillsboro tradition that features people of all ages wearing a wide array of unique hats.
The Easter Hat Parade is the perfect opportunity for families to come out and enjoy the friendly atmosphere Dillsboro has to offer. Kids will have the opportunity to have their faces painted, meet the Easter bunny and participate in Easter egg hunts. Participants can bring their own hats to the parade or create one on the lawn of Dogwood Crafters beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Prizes will be awarded by judges following the parade for categories such as: prettiest, funniest, largest, smallest, most unusual, best smelling, cutest, most outrageous and best in show.
In addition to the parade, Dogwood Crafters is presenting an English tea at the Jarrett House Inn. Artisans from Dogwood Crafters will prepare the delicacies to accompany the tea. There are seatings available at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and the cost is $12 per person. Reservations are required.
Dillsboro is a historic town with unique local merchants offering a wide variety of local art, crafts, gourmet foods and gifts for every visitor.
Additional parade information is available by visiting this website, calling the Jackson County Visitors Center at (800) 962-1911 or by calling (828) 586-1600.
Dillsboro to receive “Trout City” designation
Dillsboro is one of three townships in Jackson County soon to receive a “Mountain Heritage Trout Water City” designation. The designation allows tourists from out of state to purchase a three-day fishing pass for $5 instead of purchasing a NC fishing license. The license is valid for waters with the Mountain Heritage Trout Water designation. This gives tourists the opportunity to fish in North Carolina affordably and may benefit the townships economically by the influx of sportsmen and their families.
Dillsboro, Sylva and Webster have approved a memorandum of agreement with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for the Mountain Heritage Trout Water designations and maps are currently being drafted. Once the maps are approved by the townships, they will be published in a series of individualized pamphlets for each town. The pamphlets will be made available to the public at each township, through retailers, fly fishing guide services and at the upcoming Southeast Fly Fishing Federation Festival at Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center May 17 and 18.
There will be trout signage to clearly mark the Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. The intent of the boundaries is to enable fishermen to fish continuously between the three townships while remaining in the designated waters.
In addition to the Trout City designations, a tackle loaner program is being established at three local retailers: Hookers Fly Shop, Caney Fork General Store and Brookings Outfitters.
The program is intended to encourage trout fishing as a tourism activity in western North Carolina. Dillsboro, Sylva and Webster will be added to the following list of existing Mountain Heritage Trout Cities in North Carolina: Bakersville, Burnsville, Maggie Valley, Newland, Old Fort, Spring Creek, Spruce Pine and Waynesville.
For additional information about Mountain Heritage Trout Waters and to purchase a license, call 1(888) 248-6834 or visit this link.
Dillsboro mobile web app keeps getting better!
Dillsboro’s mobile web app continues to evolve. Created by computer information systems students in Western Carolina University’s College of Business and promoted by communication students in WCU’s College of Arts & Sciences, the app allows visitors to use their smartphones to connect to the unique attractions and merchants in the town.
Launched last March as part of David Belcher’s installation activities as WCU’s 11th chancellor, Dillsboro mobile web app has evolved from a prototype to near-final product. Over the last year, CIS students have updated graphics and added several features like links to social media sites and the weather.
Public relations students have updated the content of the app by adding more merchants and photographs of storefronts and merchandise. Students are also developing a promotional campaign to get more people to visit Dillsboro’s new mobile website. More information about the “Dillsboro App Discount Days” planned for April 27 and 28 will appear in the April newsletter.
The Dillsboro mobile app can be viewed by following this link. Additional information about the initial launch of the app is available here. A video about the launch can be viewed below:
The Golden Carp to host class
The Golden Carp will host a class on May 18 taught by local artisan Les Williams on the making of hypertufa. Hypertufa is a lightweight cement-based material used in making planters, bird baths and other decorative items. It is commonly associated with English garden troughs.
The class is $50 and lasts between two and three hours. All supplies will be provided and every participant will walk away with a finished original work of art. Anyone interested in attending the instructional course can sign up in person, via telephone or email.
The Golden Carp is a local shop in Dillsboro, NC that offers a “charming mix of imported and locally created accessories for the home, unique gifts and fine art.” The shop was founded in March of 1990 by two enterprising individuals new to retailing. They found Dillsboro to be the perfect home for their unique wares, in a town that was filled with local crafts.
“Our intent was to satisfy our diverse customers- we have something for everyone: country, traditional, ethnic, we have it all and at every price point,” said John Miele, co-owner of the Golden Carp. In addition to selling home décor, the shop also features a watercolor gallery boasting original watercolor paintings by regional artists.
The Golden Carp is located at 107 Webster Street, Dillsboro, NC 28725. To learn more about the class and to enroll, call (828) 586-5477 or send an email to: goldencarp609@aol.com
The Dillsboro Dish 