How a historic Boone landmark is supporting local businesses, attracting visitors, and strengthening the High Country economy.
A night at the theatre can mean more than enjoying a concert, watching a film, or experiencing a live performance. In Boone and throughout Watauga County, it can also mean dinner at a local restaurant, shopping downtown, or spending the night at a nearby hotel.
According to its 2025–26 fiscal year annual report, the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country welcomed 37,869 attendees to 264 events, generating more than $546,599 in ticket sales. When combined with estimated audience spending at other local businesses, Theatre attendance was associated with approximately $2.83 million in direct economic activity throughout the community.
Supporting Local Businesses Beyond the Stage
Theatre audiences contribute to the local economy long after they walk through the doors. Research from Americans for the Arts' Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study found that arts and cultural audiences in Watauga County spend an average of approximately $60.28 per person beyond the cost of admission.
Applied to the Appalachian Theatre's annual attendance, these spending patterns suggest that visitors may have contributed approximately:
$715,000 in restaurant, food, and beverage spending
$529,000 in retail purchases
$342,000 in overnight lodging
Additional spending on transportation, groceries, and other goods and services further supports businesses throughout the High Country.
These numbers highlight how arts and cultural organizations can contribute to a thriving local economy while providing meaningful experiences for residents and visitors alike.
Bringing Visitors to the High Country
The Appalachian Theatre's impact extends beyond the local community. Analysis of ticket purchaser ZIP codes found that approximately 27% of attendees traveled from outside a two-hour radius of Boone. Based on annual attendance, that represents roughly 10,225 visits from people traveling significant distances to experience Theatre events.
Theatre surveys also suggest that these events play an important role in attracting visitors to the area. Approximately 75% of respondents indicated that attending an event at the Appalachian Theatre was the primary purpose of their trip, approaching the 77% reported by nonlocal arts and cultural audiences nationally in the Americans for the Arts study.
For many visitors, a Theatre event may be the reason they discover Boone in the first place. Their trips can support local restaurants, lodging providers, shops, and other businesses while introducing new audiences to everything the High Country has to offer.
As Appalachian Theatre Board Chair Bill Pelto explained, “Our mission is centered on bringing people together through film and the performing arts, but we're also proud of the role the Theatre plays in supporting the economic vitality of our community.”
Making the Arts Accessible to the Community
Since reopening in 2019, the historic Appalachian Theatre has once again become a gathering place for the High Country, hosting live music, films, performing arts, educational programming, and community events.
Community partnerships and local sponsorships also help make these experiences accessible. During the 2025–26 fiscal year, the Theatre offered 63 free events, providing more than $80,000 in ticket value. These opportunities help connect people with arts and entertainment while strengthening the Theatre's role as a welcoming community resource.
The Lasting Impact of the Arts
The Appalachian Theatre's annual report demonstrates that the value of the arts reaches far beyond the performances themselves. Arts organizations preserve cultural spaces, bring people together, attract visitors, and help sustain the local businesses that make communities like Boone special.
Whether attending a concert, catching a film, or experiencing a live performance, audiences contribute to a larger network of cultural and economic activity throughout the High Country.
Learn More
Read the Appalachian Theatre's full 2025–26 Annual Report at apptheatre.org.
Explore the research behind these findings in Americans for the Arts' Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study.
