A celebration of Appalachian music and cultural heritage, the Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest 'N Sugar Grove will take place July 10 and 11, 2015 on the grounds of the Historic Cove Creek High School in Sugar Grove, N.C.

When you think of Norway, blue fjords snaking among tall mountains, small fishing villages, and making first tracks in new fallen snow all come to mind. Out of this beauty, and the need to feed the family and make a living, came the tradition of Helle Knives.

University historian, J.S. Collister, found that her research repeatedly turned up recipes, which had been transported over land and sea, by caravan, clipper ship and covered wagon, over thousands of miles and nearly as many years. She discovered that sharing recipes was a long-treasured tradition, enjoyed by many cultures and many generations.

Join us for a humdinger of a Grand-Opening celebration at our newest "old" location in Winston-Salem! If you were there for our ribbon-cutting on Friday, May 8th, you'll know that we're very excited to be your new neighbors at 516 North Trade Street. We have a big weekend planned at Mast Store Winston-Salem and hope you'll make time to stop by and say hello!

As the birthplace of our first Mast General Store outside of Valle Crucis, we've had a love affair with Boone, North Carolina for centuries. As the home of Appalachian State University (ASU), folks are drawn to this busy college town for more reasons than an exceptional education and exciting athletic events. The surrounding area is one of the country's best destinations for outdoor adventures. Walk across the Mile High Swinging Bridge or scale Linville Peak, the highest peak in the Blue Ridge at Grandfather Mountain. Grab your bike and head to Pisgah National Forest, featuring over 200 miles of exciting trails.

We’re so excited about the upcoming opening of our newest “old” location that we want to share one of our “Mast Favorites” that’s born and bred in Winston-Salem, NC. Fulton & Roark began with a series of solid colognes designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday life. F&R crafts high-quality grooming products specifically built for the way men operate. They believe superior products should make a man’s process of getting ready less complicated and more enjoyable.

It used to be roots and herbs and crops and chickens that folks brought to the Mast General Store in historic Valle Crucis for trade. Today, the items "traded" are more along the lines of baskets, birdhouses, bread, homemade butter, and hand-turned bowls. Although the products may have changed, the intent is still the same - the Mast Store provides a marketplace for local and regional residents and artists to present the fruits of their efforts.

With Earth Day coming up on Wednesday, April 22nd, we are thinking about changes we can make in our everyday lives that will lessen our impact on the environment. Many Mast associates carpool, bike or walk to work… Not only because it’s fun to socialize with co-workers each morning in the car or exercise while we commute, but also because it decreases our carbon footprint. But what if “creative commuting” isn’t an option?  What other small, new shifts in our daily habits can make a big difference in the long-term health of our planet? Klean Kanteen has some ideas they share with their Bring Your Own project. They are inspiring us in a big way.

Alex Tilley, the founder of Tilley Hats, became frustrated when he couldn’t find a good sailing hat. He decided to oversee the making of some proper hats for himself and other Toronto sailors. He wanted the hat to float, stay on, not to shrink, last indefinitely, and look good. He didn’t realize that such a thing was considered impossible.

If you were to conduct a blind touch test of clothing fabrics in the Outdoor Department at Mast General Store, you may find one brand’s “hand feel” to be exceptionally soft. These super soft clothes made from nearly 100% organic cotton, with recycled polyester, and using environment-friendly dyes are the hallmark of our new line, Toad&Co.