Indivisible rocks the vote

Elections are in less than two months, and registering voters is in full swing. Local non-partisan group Indivisible Common Ground teamed up with Sylva Pride on Sept. 14 for the Rock the Vote event. All while enjoying music and dancing, attendees registered to vote, wrote letters to new voters, met with candidates running in local […]

Rock the Vote: Promoting voter registration in Jackson County

“Voting is absolutely fundamental to democracy, and democracy dies without participation,” said Betsy Swift, member of the local Indivisible’s organization. Indivisible Common Ground WNC is hosting Rock the Vote on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sylva’s Bridge Park. This free event is promoting voting and voter registration in Jackson County, […]

Sylva Pride is back with a three-day festival

The 4th annual Sylva Pride Festival is this Friday through Sunday, Sept. 13 to 15. The Pride Festival will celebrate queer identities and protest for queer rights and acceptance on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Bridge Park in Sylva. The president of Sylva Pride, Burgin Mackey, is looking to bring a small […]

2023 Sylva Pride sets up for success

The 2023 Sylva Pride festival is again here. Hosted by Sylva and WCU’s own Beulah Land, this year Pride on Sept. 9 looks to be even bigger and better than last year.   Travis Roundtree, head of the Sylva Pride board, says he expects around 300 attendees this year. Though the anticipated rain may dampen […]

Transgender day of Remembrance vigil

Candles and emotional speeches marked the yearly Transgender Day of Remembrance where people from all communities gathered to celebrate the lives lost to transgender violence.   Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day of memorial held yearly on Nov. 20. On WCU’s campus where they have held this memorial for over six years, community members […]

Diving into the world of drag with Bayleigh Katch

Bayleigh Katch (they/them) is a student at Western Carolina University who performs drag in the Sylva area. They are a junior double majoring in criminal justice and emergency/disaster management. Katch’s first performance happened at Sylva Pride this past September. They performed alongside other drag queens in the area like Beulah Land, Ida Carolina, and Calcutta. […]