Tip Matching Program A HUGE Success!

Beginning last February the owners of Tommy's Coffee Shop and Zeke & Earl's promised the Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society that they would match every tip received by the employees in both eateries, donating the money to the Society. We first posted about the initiative here.


On Sunday, October 4th, Cassie Welsh, the Society's Executive Director, received a check in the amount of $4540.00 from LeeAnn Kern, the Cashiers Village Food Service Manager.

Cassie and her crew held a Stop-'N-Adopt that day to help celebrate the grand opening of the Hillside Shops. Be sure to visit their web site to see the many ways you can help make a difference in the lives of homeless pets in our area.

And THANK YOU to all of our loyal customers for your generous tips over the months! The deserving employees, and the deserving dogs and cats, are very grateful for your support.

Watch this space for the announcement of the last quarter check presentation.

It's All Happening At The Hillside Shops!

The Cashiers Village Hillside Shops are open and thriving. Eleven cottages full of very unique and diverse regional art created by 16 very talented and welcoming artisans.

Vintage hats, inlaid glass, jewelry, oil and watercolor paintings, mosaics, porcelain, weaving, woodwork, folk art, pottery and Alpaca products. Truly something for everyone!



You can find artists painting in the garden and crafters demonstrating their skills.

You will often find live acoustic music and a pair of young Alpacas munching the grass.

Hours are 12-6, Friday through Sunday, for the remaining October weekends. We'll be open Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving too.

The Shops' artists will be hosting a special Trick or Treat event from 4-6pm on Halloween, Saturday, October 31st.

It's never too early to start your Christmas shopping!

Hillside Shops Vendors Start Moving In

Future homes of Graciela Giles & Herbie Rose (yellow doors) and Laura Winzeler Designs (blue).
Move in started Friday, 9/24, one week away from the Grand Opening.

Tote City!

Graciela and Herbie prepping their walls.


A work in progress, needless to say.

Hillside Shops on Autumnal Equinox, 2009

After these photos were taken on 9/22, the landscaping was completed. All eleven cottages are filled with artisans who have already begun moving their products in and customizing their displays.

Personalized artist "shingles" are in production. They will hang over each doorway, displaying logos and graphics for each vendor.

After months of planning and organizing, the Hillside Shops will become a reality at noon on Friday, October 2.


Nine short days from now the garden will be buzzing!
Check back for specifics on the Grand Opening Weekend festivities.

Cottages Coming Along - One Month Till Opening!

Another Week, Another Leap!

It's fascinating to watch the progression of the Cashiers Village Hillside Shops project on a week-by-week basis. So much seems to get done so quickly, and it's easy to get a sense of the lovely garden setting we will be enjoying in a few short weeks.


The response from local artisans and merchants has been very positive. We expect that every cottage will be occupied on our October 2nd Grand Opening.

Hillside Shops Nearly Complete

Construction on the cottages is nearly done! Landscaping and rock walkways will follow.


Each cottage will have brightly-colored doors.

Vendors will be selected by month's end, shop interiors will be readied for their occupants, and our Grand Opening will occur on Friday, October 2nd.
Watch this space! Or better yet, go walk this space if you live close by!

Mountain Film Festival - A Stellar, Sold Out Success!

A big “Thank You” to everyone who attended and contributed to our First Annual Mountain Film Cashiers. It exceeded our dreams! We are already making plans for the Second Annual Mountain Film Festival, inspired to make it an even more exciting and rewarding experience. We will be adding an extra night to accommodate additional guests.





Save the 2010 dates:

• Thursday, July 8th
• Friday, July 9th
• Saturday, July 10th

Please check back for information on a weekly film series to be held at Hillside Park, Cashiers Village.

More photos on our website. Click here.

Cashiers Chamber of Commerce After Hours - Film Festival Kick Off

Over 100 area residents attended the After Hours event that we hosted in the newly-completed Hillside Park (a big old patch of dirt just two months ago.) The site was all prepped for the Film Festival, and the Chamber event was the perfect "dry run" for us.

We poured some great wines from California and France while also offering a tasting bar that featured 26 North Carolina wines our staff tried while deciding which wines would be poured at the Festival. (Westbend Vineyards the clear victor!)

The upper terrace was full of umbrella-covered dining tables by Friday night. On the left you can see the tent and theater seating being readied for the film screening.

Zeke and Earl's served juicy hot dogs fresh off the grill and Good Food brought their usual A game to the party.

A great time was had by all, and by night's end, our staff was feeling very confident and proud of our hard work. We went into Friday's Film Festival grand opening inspired and excited!