New Trailside Lodging Village Celebrates Grand Opening Wednesday
Nebo, NC · September 21, 2026
Weekend hikers enjoyed clear skies around the lake, but damp clouds are rolling in to start the workweek. Keep your rain jacket handy for morning errands before settling in for today’s 11:30 AM county commissioners meeting.
The Lead
Camp Grier is opening Grier Village in Old Fort this week, culminating years of planning to blend outdoor hospitality with workforce education. On Wednesday afternoon, the McDowell Chamber of Commerce will cut the ribbon on the 150-acre site along Camp Grier Road. The project introduces five large Copper Ridge cabins, an open-air event pavilion, and student housing designed specifically for the McDowell Tech Trail School, which trains trail builders and conservation technicians from across the region. Anchored right against the new Lower Heartbreak Ridge and Fonta Flora trail connections, the campus gives hikers and cyclists direct singletrack access into the Pisgah National Forest without touching a highway. Public tours follow Wednesday’s 4:00 PM ceremony, with cabin bookings opening for community groups and fall retreats.
Local Pulse
County Commissioners Meet Today on Fall Priorities City Hall Board members review departmental budgets and land-use updates this morning during their regular session at county headquarters.
Election Officials Test Voting Machines Today Community Bipartisan technicians run public accuracy tests on voting tabulators this morning to ensure proper tallying for upcoming ballots.
Today's Outlook
- High 86°F · Low 66°F — Drizzle (23% chance of precipitation)
- Stash a compact umbrella in the car for occasional damp spells between humid outdoor errands.
What's On Around Town
Today
Artscapades: Beauty in the Ordinary Arrowhead Gallery and Studios (77 Catawba Ave), Old Fort, 10:00–11:00 AM Explore creative studio techniques and regional works with local gallery artists.
Through the Seasons Glass Workshop Burke Arts Council (115 E Meeting St), Morganton, 5:30 PM · Paid Design custom fused glass art panels under expert artisan guidance.
Fonta Flora Run Club Fonta Flora Brewery (317 N Green St), Morganton, 6:00 PM · Free Pound the pavement for a friendly three-mile community loop.
Tomorrow
Burke Quilters Guild Annual Show Collett Street Recreation Center (300 Collett St), Morganton, 3:00–4:00 PM · Free
World Tavern Poker The Spillway (93 S Main St), Marion, 7:00–10:00 PM · Free
Wednesday
Ribbon Cutting: Grier Village Grier Village (985 Camp Grier Rd), Old Fort, 4:00–5:00 PM · Free
Random Draw Doubles Disc Golf North Cove Disc Golf and Social Club (210 Blue Ridge Dr), Marion, 5:00–8:00 PM · Paid
Spotlight & Story
- Marion's Bigfoot Calling Contest
- In 2018, Marion City Council officially designated Bigfoot as the town’s animal mascot following widely reported sightings along the river basin. The declaration birthed the annual festival contest, where contestants gather before a judging panel to unleash roaring guttural howls into the microphone.
Nebo Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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