Farthing Auditorium

Appalachian State University's largest hall sits high in the Blue Ridge at Boone, and for many years it carried the name Farthing. A gift of seven million dollars from Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer paid for a thorough rebuilding, and the auditorium reopened in July 2013 as the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, seating 1,660 across orchestra and balcony. It remains the principal stage of An Appalachian Summer Festival and of the university's presenting series, and it plays host each year to several thousand schoolchildren at free and low-cost matinees.