If August has a signature sound on the Plateau, it may well be the turning of pages. But at the libraries in Highlands and Cashiers, those pages are often accompanied by drums, conversation, children’s laughter, and the occasional burst of scientific chaos.
As summer begins its slow turn toward fall, both libraries continue to prove they are far more than repositories for books – they are among the community’s liveliest gathering places.
At Hudson Library in Highlands, August marks the final stretch of the Summer Reading Program, which continues through August 31. This year’s theme, Unearth a Story, has inspired readers all summer long, with children ages 0–17 logging 20 minutes of reading each day while adults tackle Summer Reading Bingo. There is, after all, something about an approaching deadline that makes a stack of unread books suddenly look irresistible.
August’s Kids Zone programs offer a lively mix of science, creativity, and mountain heritage. The Macon County Arts Council opens the month on August 6 with an interactive drumming program – rhythm as its own kind of discovery. On August 13, the 13th Mountain Heritage Day will introduce children to the region’s rich Appalachian traditions. Creativity takes center stage August 20 during Rock Painting, when young artists can transform ordinary stones into miniature works of art. The month concludes August 27 with another installment of the always‑popular Mad Science with Jessica, where experimentation, excitement, and a bit of controlled chaos reliably arrive together.
For younger children and caregivers, Story Time remains a weekly fixture, continuing every Thursday morning at 10:40 A.M.
Meanwhile, Albert Carlton‑Cashiers Community Library is devoting August to the visual arts. Beginning August 14, the library’s Meeting Room will host an exhibition by Western North Carolina artist Mia Loia. A figurative painter and muralist who works primarily in oils and watercolor, Loia has become a familiar presence in the region’s arts community and currently serves as Gallery 1’s first resident artist in Sylva.
Visitors may view the exhibition during regular library hours, transforming a familiar community space into a temporary gallery. A Meet‑and‑Greet reception with the artist is scheduled for September 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M., an opportunity to experience the work in conversation with the artist rather than simply in front of it.
Together, the Plateau’s libraries continue to demonstrate that curiosity doesn’t take a summer vacation. It simply changes form.
by Marlene Osteen
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