By: Aiyana Willoughby

Boone, NC-- There are more than 15 bars that serve the 6 mile stretch of town in the High Country. The Boone community is home to over 20 thousand App State students that make up more than half of town’s population.

Bars and restaurants are large factors that help influence the economy. Each place offers a unique environment while giving students and locals a place to eat, drink, socialize and watch entertainment.

"I go to bars to hang out with friends after work," senior Danna Latiolais, said.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced on April 28 that masks will no longer be required outside and increased the mass gathering limit to 100 people indoors, and 200 people outdoors. Earlier this year, Cooper lifted the 11 p.m. curfew for onsite service of alcohol effective March 26 until April 30. These new updates, along with access to COVID-19 vaccines give students the ability to interact in person again.

Students can schedule a vaccine appointment though the App State vaccine clinic website. Vaccines are given out every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center.

App State offers Division I athletics with a devoted fan base. The wrestling, football, and men and women’s basketball teams have drawn national attention after participating in conference championships. In Boone, students and locals flock to bars to watch Mountaineers compete. The affordable food and drinks create an ideal space for college students.

"I like to go to socialize it's a really great place to talk with my friends and mingle around with some of the other locals," junior Judith Espitia said.

Bars in the Boone area:

"Working at Ale House is like having a whole other family outside your own. We all are friends and hangout outside of the bar, and if anything happens I know they have my back," sophomore Olivia Williams, said.

• Lily's
• The TAPP Room
• Rivers Street Ale House
• Café Portofino
• The Local
• Ransom Pub and Bar
• Macado’s Restaurant Tavern
• Boone Saloon
• Elevation 3,333
• The Rock Sports Bar and Grill
• Lost Province Brewing Co.
• Vidalia
• Galileo’s
• Pepper’s Restaurant and Bar
• The Horton Hotel

The university reached a record high of 20,023 enrolled students in the Fall of 2020. Many members of faculty and town locals were concerned that the town would not be able to hold an influx in first-years. There were 3,906 new students admitted to App State during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although most classes were held online, apartments in town are still welcoming tenants for off-campus housing. Two new residence halls, Thunder Hill and Raven Rocks, have been completed for athletes and first-year Mountaineers. Along with the new dorms, Stadium parking deck was unveiled giving students and faculty another place to park their cars on campus.

The bars around town could have an influence on the amount of underage drinking and driving while impaired tickets that are given out by App State and Boone police departments.

“For 2019-2020 our agency arrested 23 individuals for Driving While Impaired,” App State Police Capt. of Operations, Johnny Brown, said.

In 2019, App State Police arrested 126 students for underage possession/consumption of alcohol. Last year, numbers were lower with only 54 student arrests for underage possession/consumption of alcohol.

“Anytime a person is issued a citation that counts as an arrest, so the arrest numbers are how many citations we issue for underage possession/consumption,” he said.

From Jan. 2019 to Dec. 2019, Boone police arrested 128 people for DWI violations. In 2020, 68 DWI arrests were made. As COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease up, locals could see a spike in alcohol related incidents.

Other than bars and restaurants, the mountains offer a variety of activities for college students who enjoy the outdoors. Blowing Rock is a neighboring city that has a similar small-town vibe with activities and attractions. The slower pace and scenic views make it a great retirement community. The average age of a resident is 63 years old. Home to a significant part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, locals travel to the small town to hike and ski. Tanger Outlets in Blowing Rock gives college students a place to shop at stores with trendy clothing brands.

Tourists, locals and students can check the Town of Boone website to learn more about the activities offered over the Summer, as well as live entertainment at bars in the area.

Instagram Post: Boone, N.C. has more than 15 bars in the 6-mile stretch of town. Appalachian State University students flock to local restaurants for food, drinks and entertainment. Most of all, they use the space to connect with tourists, town locals and other students. Boone bars are the center of the social scene.