[3] Wilkes Community College also has smaller satellite campuses in neighboring Alleghany and Ashe counties.
Wilkes Community College was founded in October 1964 by the North Carolina Board of Education.
The college's campus originally covered 75 acres and included three buildings; Thompson, Hayes, and Lovette halls.
[7] In 1988, Grammy-winning guitarist Doc Watson, WCC horticulture instructor B. Townes, and local businessman and musician Bill Young started the MerleFest music festival on the campus of Wilkes Community College.
Named in honor of Doc's late son Merle Watson, MerleFest has grown into one of the largest bluegrass and folk music festivals in the United States, drawing nearly 80,000 music fans each year.