Laurel Magazine

Kids Nature Series at The Village Green
2025-08-12 16:00 (America/New_York) | The Village Green, 160 Frank Allen Road, Cashiers, NC, 28717, United States
Marsh Magic
Join HCLT to learn about the wonderful world of an Appalachian Bog! We will be exploring the Village Green trails to see the wonderful organisms that live in this unique ecosystem!

Nature Center Nights | Salamander Meander at Highlands Nature Center
2025-08-12 20:00 - 21:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741
Join our Naturalists on a nighttime search for our secretive salamander friends.
All ages welcome
FREE | Registration required
(Weather dependent)

Tinker Time for Tots at The Literacy and Learning Center
2025-08-13 11:00 - 12:00 | The Literacy & Learning Center, 675 S 4th Street, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
The Literacy & Learning Center is excited to bring back another season of engaging workshops tailored for preschoolers and their parents. The aim is to empower parents by demonstrating inventive ways to utilize everyday household items for their children’s educational benefit.
These sessions will showcase practical activities that parents can seamlessly incorporate into their daily routines, fostering a rich learning environment at home.

Garden Tour at Highlands Nature Center
2025-08-13 12:00, 2025-08-20 12:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741
Join in for a free guided tour of the Highlands Botanical Gardens! Led by our Horticultural Specialist, a naturalist, or a guest expert, these weekly tours explore the fascinating native plants, ecosystems, and seasonal wonders of the Southern Appalachians. No two tours are ever the same!
Meet at the Highlands Biological Station Amphitheater. Come take a walk with us and see what’s blooming!

Jimmy Carter: An American Giant at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-08-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join US Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley for a discussion on why Jimmy Carter is one of the great figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. He will evaluate the lasting importance of Carter’s Camp David Accords; personal diplomacy with China’s Deng Xiaoping; lifetime humanitarian work in Africa; and the sudden controversial Panama Canal treaty. Brinkley will also discuss in detail why Carter was the most successful land and water conservation president since Theodore Roosevelt. Having written a biography of Carter ‘s post White House years titled, The Unfinished Presidency, Brinkley will offer personal stories about his own experiences with the ex-president including Habitat for Humanity house builds and travels to Israel/Gaza.

The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: D Day and the US Army 2nd Rangers at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-08-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join Douglas Brinkley for a discussion on the history of D Day ( June 6, 1944) from the perspective of the US Army 2nd Rangers who stormed the coast of Normandy by climbing the 100 foot promontory known as Pointe du Hoc. Facing arguably the toughest task to befall US forces during World War II , the brave special ops battalion boldly seized control of the fortified cliff and set in motion the Liberation of Europe.

Family Storytime at Hudson Library
2025-08-14 10:30, 2025-08-21 10:30 | Hudson Library, 554 Main St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join us for stories, music, and movement at Family Storytime, every Thursday morning at 10:40AM.

Cashiers Quilters at St Jude's Catholic Church
2025-08-14 11:30, 2025-08-21 11:30 | NC
Come join us for lunch each Thursday at 11:30 at a local restaurant and then quilting at the church.
Held at St Jude’s Catholic Church in Cashiers.

Summer Writing Workshop at Albert Carlton Cashiers Community Library
2025-08-14 13:00, 2025-08-21 13:00 | Albert-Carlton Community Library, 249 Frank Allen Rd, Cashiers, NC, 28741, United States
Beginning on June 5 at 1:00 p.m. and continuing every Thursday until August 28, ACCCL staff member Michael Redman will lead a writing workshop that is free and open to everyone, regardless of previous writing experience.
The workshop will be a place to be introduced to techniques, perspectives, and exercises to help you develop your writing. It will also provide a safe,welcoming environment for you to share your own thoughts, ideas, and questions.

Dementia Caregivers Support Group at Albert-Carlton Community Library
2025-08-14 15:00 - 16:30 | Albert-Carlton Community Library, 249 Frank Allen Rd, Cashiers, NC, 28741, United States
Join a welcoming group of people that understand what you are going through. We come together to offer each other support, resources, and a listening ear.
The group is a safe place for judgement free discussion.
2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.

Kids Zone at Hudson Library
2025-08-14 15:30, 2025-08-21 15:30 | Hudson Library, 554 Main St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Kids Zone features a variety of fun and interesting programs where kids can explore art, nature, science & more! Best for ages 5 and up.

Zahner Conservation Lecture Series | Southern Appalachian Forest Resilience in a Post Hurricane World at Highlands Nature Center
2025-08-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741
Megan Sutton, The Nature Conservancy, Southern Blue Ridge Program Director
Join Megan Sutton from TNC’s Asheville office for an insightful program on the threats as well as the hopeful opportunities that our beloved Southern Appalachian forests face in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. She will explore the extensive damage caused by the hurricane and will highlight both the immediate and long-term impacts on forest ecosystems. Megan will discuss the critical nature of forest recovery work and how TNC is working to help the forests adapt in a changing climate.
Sponsored by Martha & Michael Dupuis, Monte & Palmer Gaillard, and Melanie & Tom Mauldin.

Carolina Concert Series at Trailborn Highlands
2025-08-14 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-08-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Trailborn Highlands, 96 Log Cabin Ln, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join us in the Trailborn Highlands backyard for live music and drinks during our Carolina Concert Series!

Unveiling the Smokies: How Discover Life in America is Mapping the Hidden Biodiversity of the Great Smoky Mountains at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-08-15 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
This presentation will describe and explain the work of Discover Life in America (DLiA), a nonprofit organization committed to studying and conserving biodiversity, with a focus on its flagship project, the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The ATBI, launched in 1998, is a comprehensive effort to document the estimated 60,000 to 80,000 species within the park. But an ATBI is more than just a checklist of species names. It is a complex and living database of species locations, habitats, genetic diversity, population density, symbiotic relationships, and predator-prey interactions. Working cooperatively, expert scientists specializing in all different forms of life discover new species needing protection, identify new threats in time to act, and understand how to protect a complex and valuable ecosystem like the Smoky Mountains. DLiA has successfully doubled the number of known species in the park and identified 1,092 species that are new to science. Despite these accomplishments, a vast amount of biodiversity remains to be discovered in the park. To further this research and exploration, DLiA leverages new technologies, engages in community science projects, and collaborates with scientists from around the world.

Sacred Sundays at Unfurl Wellness Spa
2025-08-17 13:00 - 14:30 | Unfurl Wellness Spa, 454 Dillard Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Sacred Sundays is a 90 minute class of mindfulness movement and poses accompanied with an acoustic sound meditation held by Robert John Malone.
This is an all levels class focused of a variety of wellness practices to assist in raising our mind/body awareness through conscious movements and poses (1:00 – 2:30 each Sunday this season)

Night Visions: Unlocking the Secrets of Photography After Dark at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-08-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
People used to ask Kevin Adams what is there to photograph at night? Today, night photography is extremely popular, with photographers capturing all sorts of nighttime subjects. Nothing new to do, right? Not so fast! In this presentation, Kevin covers the typical stuff—Milky Way, star trails, lighthouses, cityscapes, etc.—but he’ll also talk about photographing subjects you’ve never thought of, and he’ll share techniques for photographing ordinary subjects in ways you’ve never imagined. Fair warning, though. Kevin says that after you attend this presentation, you won’t be getting much sleep going forward—unless you do it in the daytime!
Note: this program is a lecture, not a workshop.

The Necessity of Imperfection: Grappling with Evil and Suffering in the World’s Religions at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-08-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
One of the most difficult problems that every religion grapples with is how to explain the existence of evil and suffering in the world. Our lives are plagued by unhappiness, stress, difficulties, and always end in death. For religions with an all-powerful and loving God, this reality presents a serious challenge. Why won’t this loving and powerful God just fix us and our world? The Eastern traditions, with their views of karma and reincarnation, present a very different view of this classic struggle. Whether Eastern or Western, all religions recognize that our lives are not perfect, but then each presents different paths and prescriptions about what to do with these imperfections.
This class explores how these different faiths struggle with our imperfections while also presenting unique ways of understanding why the difficulties in our lives are a necessary part of being itself.

Village Nature Series at The Village Green
2025-08-19 17:30 | The Village Green, 160 Frank Allen Road, Cashiers, NC, 28717, United States
Experience the Mountains: The Four Seasons
Experience a live musical piano journey through the four seasons of the North Carolina mountains, featuring all original video and music created, composed, and performed by Bryan Heller.

Author Reception | Darwin and the Art of Botany at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-08-21 16:00 - 18:00 | NC
Join us at one of Highlands’ many beautiful homes for this presentation and author reception for Highlands’ own Dr. Jim Costa! From finches and tortoises to barnacles and pigeons, Charles Darwin is most often associated with the iconic animals that he studied, but in fact a larger part of his contribution to the natural sciences is based on plants.
Darwin’s botanical observations and experiments are crucial to our modern understanding of so much about plant biology, from pollination to plant carnivory to the way that vines climb. To help modern audiences better appreciate Darwin’s botany as well as the rich tradition of botanical art, Dr. Costa teamed up with his friend, the botanical artist Bobbi Angell (www.bobbiangell.com/), to produce Darwin and the Art of Botany: Observations on the Curious World of Plants. A celebration of Darwin’s often overlooked botanical enthusiasms, the book spotlights 45 fascinating plants studied by Darwin, each illustrated with beautiful and historically significant botanical artwork that Bobbi curated from the Library at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Upperville, Virginia.
This “arts and sciences” course will inspire a new appreciation for Darwin’s creative botanical investigations and the ways in which plants helped shape our understanding of the world around us, as well as the history of botanical art and illustration.

CDS | Stargazer Gala: Opening Night Party at Blue Star Ranch
2025-08-21 18:00 - 21:30 | NC
The Cashiers Historical Society and Opening Night Party Chairs, Wendy Barze & Helen Butcher, invite you to the most anticipated event of the season—the Opening Night Party of the annual Cashiers Designer Showhouse! This year, we are celebrating under the Carolina sky at the Stargazer Gala.
In honor of our 28th year, join us at the stunning Blue Star Ranch, a private horse ranch nestled on a 170-acre expanse. Experience a Western-inspired evening filled with unforgettable style, festive celebration, and timeless rustic charm. Savor signature cocktails and delicious fare, customize your own bespoke hat with Highlands Hatter, and dance under the stars to live music by Smokey Jones and The Three Dollar Pistols. Together, we’ll toast this year’s Showhouse, our twelve fabulous designers, and our 2025 Showhouse Chair, Rowanne McKnight!
Tickets: Available exclusively through Sponsorship and select Benefactor packages.

Shred Event at Highlands Plaza
2025-08-22 09:30 - 12:30 | NC
The public is invited to dispose of sensitive documents in an environmentally friendly way. Participants are encouraged to transport items in plastic bags or bins and keep in mind the following guidelines:
• Items Allowed – Paper products with staples or paper clips, spiral notebooks
• Items Not Allowed – Three-ring binders, cardboard
Highlands Plaza – near Bryson’s

Home and Garden Tour with the Laurel Garden Club Highlands
2025-08-22 10:00 - 13:30 | NC
Join us for a tour of five fabulous homes featuring demonstrations and products to elevate your lifestyle including:
Home designer trends for 2025
Cutting edge florist demonstrations
Entertaining tips to update favorite recipes “Elevated” home and garden products
The tour begins at Church of the Incarnation 520 Main Street in Highlands.

Cashiers Designer Showhouse with Cashiers Historical Society
2025-08-22 10:00 - 16:00 | NC
Get ready to prepare to immerse yourself in nine inspiring days of extraordinary design, exclusive shopping, and unforgettable lifestyle events with proceeds benefiting the Cashiers Historical Society!

Community Coffee with the Mayor at Hudson Library
2025-08-22 11:00 | Hudson Library, 554 Main St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Please join us on Friday, August 22 at 11:00 AM in the Hudson Library Meeting Room for Community Coffee with the Mayor. Mayor Taylor will be discussing “August Meeting Actions and Ideas about the Playhouse.”

Community Coffee with Mayor Taylor, a joint endeavor by Hudson Library and the Town of Highlands, is held on a Friday each month from March through October at Hudson Library.
Every month Mayor Taylor, regularly joined by guest speakers, offers information about topics of interest to the entire Highlands community.
