Messages From Our Mayor

Celebrating Progress and Building for the Future

June 2026

May 2026 marked a historic milestone for our community as we welcomed Governor Josh Stein, Colonel Brad Morgan of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and numerous federal, state, and local officials to Morse Park to celebrate the reopening of beautiful Lake Lure.

February 6, 2026 marked an important and hopeful milestone for our community. I am pleased to share that the Town of Lake Lure officially began refilling Lake Lure the lake on this date — the first step toward restoring the lake to full pond level (990.5 Mean Sea Level) since the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Message from the Mayor

November 2025

A Path Forward: Town of Lake Lure Announces Target Dates for Reopening Lake Lure Following Hurricane Helene

Message from the Mayor on the Anniversary of Hurricane Helene

September 2025

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene's devastating impact on Lake Lure and our surrounding community, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on the challenges we faced and the remarkable strength our community has shown in the months since the storm.

July 2025

Perpetual Progress in the Town of Lake Lure

There are many signs of progress that illustrate the fact that we are overcoming the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.  We are pleased to report that Chimney Rock State Park was able to reopen by reservation on June 27, 2025.  This will help to restore tourism to our area. 

February 2025

I wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update on the status of the Lake. We have been reporting in Town Council Meetings and in our Storm Recovery Updates that the work to remove debris from Lake Lure is ongoing. 

October 2024 - Our community, along with many of our neighbors, has been devastated by the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. Since September 26, 2024 our firefighters and first responders have been working tirelessly to protect the community.

By Carol Pritchett

July - August 2024

It is hard to believe August is quickly approaching!  This month brings with it one of Lake Lure’s beloved annual events, the Olympiad!  It is remarkable that this year will be the 20th anniversary of these spectacular games! 

By Carol Pritchett

May-June 2024

Winter 2023-2024 Updates

By Carol Pritchett, Mayor

It was an absolutely glorious holiday season in Lake Lure! The Lake Lure Classical Academy Elementary School Choir put us all in the Christmas spirit with their concert at the Lighting Up Lake Lure Program.  Even Santa made an appearance at the festivities this year!  The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge volunteers outdid themselves with the fantastical Story Book Christmas themed lights! 

September 2023

The Town of Lake Lure held a Ground Breaking Ceremony on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 for the new Reservoir Drain Project.  The photograph below shows representatives from the Town of Lake Lure, Schnabel Engineering, and Morgan Corporation. The Reservoir Drain Project is part of a legacy project which is underway to rebuild Lake Lure’s nearly 100 year-old Dam.

July 2023

The Town is proud to be hosting Cycle NC in Lake Lure on August 4-6, 2023. We look forward to having over 300 cyclers and their family members in Town for their annual Mountain Ride.  We know everyone will give the cyclers a warm welcome as they enjoy the amazing scenery and exquisite beauty Lake Lure has to offer!

April 2023

For countless families across our nation, Memorial Day is a stark and often painful reminder of those who have been lost in service to our Country.   Their sacrifice is a true expression of selfless service. Whether they volunteered at a time of war, served during peacetime, or never expected to wear our nation's uniform until their draft card arrived, they represent the very best America has to offer.

It is a privilege to serve the citizens of Lake Lure in a second term. I appreciate the community’s support and will continue to do all that I can to preserve Lake Lure for future generations. Rehabilitating our town’s core infrastructure remains a top priority.  On this front, I am very pleased to share that as I write this article, it appears that Governor Cooper plans to sign off on the budget as presented by the joint Senate and House.

By Mayor Carol Pritchett, October 10, 2022

The Memorial Day weekend ushered in the new summer season in Lake Lure. For many, that weekend represents the unofficial beginning of the summer season, but for the family members of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day holds a much deeper meaning.  The Town of Lake Lure makes time every year to honor and remember these brave soldiers and their family members.  We were pleased that over 150 citizens joined us this year to acknowledge the dedication and ultimate sacrifices made by so many for our freedoms.

2022 began with a gorgeous snowfall in mid-January.  Though the snow created a picturesque view scape, it also left our streets covered in ice and left us with hazardous roadways!  Over (9) inches of snow fell during the weekend of 1/14/22 through 1/17/22 and thankfully, very few people lost power. I want to thank our staff in Public Works, the Fire/Emergency Management Department, the Police Department, and Communications for working around the clock to ensure the safety of our citizens.

It has been a glorious summer in Lake Lure. We all enjoyed the lovely firework celebration on the 4th of July.It was truly a celebration after a very challenging year and we appreciate the Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge coordinating this year’s event!I hope you have all enjoyed some time with family and friends.Unfortunately, as we prepare for the fall, it seems we will have to continue to use precautions to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant. I encourage anyone who is not already vaccinated to consider taking the vaccine to protect yourself and our neighbors.

Spring is in full bloom in Lake Lure and it is a glorious time of year.  In addition to the magnificence of spring, we are celebrating the fact that so many of our citizens have been able to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  We are grateful to the Blue Ridge Health Clinic in Lake Lure and Spindale and to the Rutherford County Health Department for their ongoing service to our community. These organizations have done a marvelous job disseminating the vaccines and I commend all those who have volunteered to support this effort.

Please click here to hear a brief message from our Mayor, Carol Pritchett speaking about the COVID-19 vaccine.  We learned today that the CDC ranked NC the 6th state in the nation for total vaccine doses administered, a testament to a phenomenal job done by NC vaccine providers. Vaccine providers have administered 99% of all first doses in the state, putting NC in a strong position to advocate for more vaccines as they become available. Still, demand for vaccines vastly exceeds supply.