Mile High Kite Festival
The Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual Mile High Kite Festival as part of the town’s Labor Day Weekend festivities. The party starts the night before with a street dance outside the Beech Mountain Town Hall.
Why “Mile High”? Because Beech Mountain is 5,506 feet above sea level. It is the highest incorporated town east of the Mississippi which makes it the perfect place to fly a kite. The elevation almost guarantees great breezes and when the temperatures are still in the mid to high 90’s in most of the Carolinas and Virginia, Beech Mountain remains cool with temperatures rarely exceeding 80 degrees.
Two recognized kite clubs, one from Charlotte, N.C. and one from Richmond, Va., will be on hand to demonstrate flying techniques, staff kite clinics and help folks build their own kites. Free kites will be given to the first 150 children under the age of 13.
Prizes are given to novice flyers for the biggest kite flown, the most original handmade kite flown, the kite to fly the highest, and whatever other categories the organizers can dream up.
For more information, contact the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce at (800)-468-5506.
Avery County Agricultural & Horticultural Fair
Gate Dates and Times:
Tuesday through Friday 5 PM Educational School Days:
Wednesday – Thursday
Saturday at 9:00 am
Rides will open daily at 6PM
Rides open on Saturday 1PM AND 6PM
Ride bracelets available daily! Saturday 1 to 5pm and 6 to 10:00pm
Bracelets are $15.00
For More Information visit: www.averyfair.org or call: 828-387-6870
Woolly Worm Festival
Back in the late 1970s, the editor of the now-defunct Mountain Living Magazine, Jim Morton, was preparing to include a Woolly Worm Forecast in the winter issue of the magazine. He photographed the first Woolly Worm he saw to use in formulating the prediction and illustrating his story, but the next day he saw a second worm that looked completely different from the! “That’s when it struck me that we needed some formal procedure to use to decide which was going to be the official worm for making the winter forecast,” said Morton.
So since 1978, the residents of the village nestled between the Carolina’s largest ski resorts have celebrated the coming of the snow season with a Woolly Worm Festival. They set aside the third weekend in October to determine which one worm will have the honor of predicting the severity of the coming winter; and they make that worm earn the honor by winning heat after heat of hard-fought races – up a three-foot length of string. The Woolly Bear caterpillar has 13 brown and black segments, which the late Charles Von Canon explained to the small crowd that huddled together in the sub-freezing temperatures at the first Woolly Worm Festival correspond to the 13 weeks of winter. The lighter brown a segment is, the milder that week of winter will be. The darker black a segment is, the colder and snowier the corresponding week will be.
And the more than 20,000 people who attended the Festival last year certainly are glad that he did. Because racing Woolly Worms is a total blast!
First, no person is more likely to have a winning worm than any other person. There is no home-field advantage, no preferred age for the person who sets the worm on the string (although worms raced by children do seem to win a bit more frequently). Second, selecting names for the Woolly Worms is a delightful way to learn how amazingly creative your friends and family members can be. Consider these clever monikers: Merryweather, Patsy Climb and Dale Wormhardt. Finally, there is no other experience in life that can produce the absurd euphoria that comes from cheering for a caterpillar to climb a string. It is so indisputably ridiculous that it is completely liberating! And the $1,000 first prize that accompanies the prestige of having your worm used to pronounce the official winter forecast doesn’t hurt either. The Woolly Worm races begin around 10:00 a.m. Each heat consists of 25 worms and races continue all day until the grand final around 4 p.m. The winning worm on Saturday is declared the official winter forecasting agent. The Sunday worm races are for prestige, fun and small prizes. In addition to the Woolly Worm Races, the festival features crafts, food vendors, live entertainment and much more. Last year’s festival attracted an estimated 23,000 fans, 140 vendors and around 1,000 race entrants. The Woolly Worm Festival is sponsored by the Avery County Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk and a portion of the proceeds go to support children’s charities throughout the county and small business and tourism. For more information phone 828-898-560
Banner Elk, NC Summer Concerts
Don’t miss these wonderful opportunities to enjoy outdoor concerts in the beautiful High Country. Bring your family and friends, lawn chairs & blankets and a picnic meal.Concert starts at 6:30 PM at the amphitheater stage behind Bank of America and next to the Banner Elk Town Hall on Highway 194. Bring your chairs or blankets and coolers. Food will also be available for purchase at the concert. Raffle tickets can be purchased for prizes as well as for the 50/50 split of the “pot.”
Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11th & 12th, 2014
Grab your beer stein, put on your lederhosen and head to Sugar Mountain Resort for the 21st annual Oktoberfest celebration Saturday & Sunday, October 11th & 12th, 2014. The weekend is packed with activities from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Admission and parking are free! Over 40 artisan’s and craftspeople open their stands at 10:00am each day. A sampling of this year’s vendors include: chair canning, wooden toys, oil paintings, stain glass, handmade furniture, dolls, copper art, ceramics, honey, beeswax candles, bird houses, and much more. Enjoy the beautiful fall foliage and a panoramic view of the surrounding area from the mile and a half long chairlift ride to Sugar’s 5,300 ft peak. Everyone, even mountain bikers are welcome to ride the lift. The children’s activity center, located in the Ski School Play Yard will keep the young ones entertained each day from noon until 4:00pm. A $7 fee per child/per day includes hay rides, a chance to meet Sugar Bear and Sweetie Bear and several Airwalk stations. Cotton candy, popcorn, caramel apples, homemade cookies and drinks are also available in the children’s activity center. All ages are welcome to participate. An Oktoberfest isn’t complete without the sounds of an Oom Pah Band. From noon until 4:00pm both Saturday & Sunday the Harbour Towne Fest Band, guarantees to bring the sounds, dances and enthusiasm of Bavaria to Sugar Mountain. The 15 piece band will enthusiastically play the sounds of Germany’s Bavaria! Bavarian cuisine, including Bratwurst, Knackwurst, German Potato Salad, Sauerkraut and pretzels will be available starting at 11:00am both Saturday & Sunday. To help wash it down, an ample supply of authentic Bavarian beverages will be flowing all weekend long. If Bavarian cuisine’s not your preference; hot dogs, hamburgers, soda, cotton candy, kettle corn, caramel apples, and other festive foods will be on hand. Rain or shine, the festival will go on! For additional information, please call Sugar Mountain Resort’s administrative office at: (828) 898-4521. An array of artisan’s and craftspeople open their stands at 10:00am each day. A sampling of this years country craft fair vendors include: hand-crafted Adirondack chairs, wooden toys, quilted items, oil paintings, stain glass, handmade furniture, dolls, ceramics, honey, beeswax candles, jewelry, home-made baked goods, jams & jellies, bird houses, and much more. For those interested in becoming a vendor please call 828-898-4521 x262 or log onto www.skisugar.com/oktoberfest to find a downloadable vendor invitation and vendor reservation form. Spend the weekend and take advantage of 25 percent discounts for on-mountain lodging. For details and contact information please go to www.skisugar.com/oktoberfest. Rain or shine, the festival will go on! For additional information or if you are interested in volunteering please call Sugar Mountain Resorts administrative office at: (828) 898-4521.
Annual Valle Country Fair
Mountain music, handmade crafts, tasty barbecue and Brunswick stew, and a scenic mountain setting make the Valle Country Fair a must attend event in the North Carolina High Country on the third Saturday in October. Admission is free and ample parking is available in the adjoining field for $5 per car. The Valle Country Fair takes over the grounds of the Valle Crucis Conference Center on NC Highway 194 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Because the Fair coincides with the first day of the Woolly Worm Festival, many people set aside the day to visit both. Holy Cross Episcopal Church started the event three decades ago to raise money for a church parish hall. Today it has become a major celebration attended by 10,000 people each year and raises money for parish outreach ministries, generating more than $40,000 for charity last year. The Fair takes place in a huge meadow between a picturesque red barn and a field planted with corn and sorghum. The tents of 135 craft vendors line wide lanes that meander back and forth across the grounds. Bales of hay are stacked in the intersections of these alleys to offer fairgoers a spot to sit as they ponder which craft booths to visit next. Organizers jury craft vendors to find the highest quality handmade crafts available, and to insure that there are a wide variety of unique products available for the shoppers. Vendors selected for the event donate at least ten percent of their earnings back to the charitable work of the Fair. Two stages are set up to provide entertainment throughout the day. The stage located near the dining tent features musical performers. A second stage located among the crafts booths features cloggers, magicians, cowboys and more. Guests can feel good about pigging out at the Valle Country Fair because almost all of the food concessions are operated by the church or other non-profit organizations that return 100 percent of their earnings to Fair charities. Tables and chairs are provided under a large tent located near the music stage so that fairgoers can enjoy the entertainment while they dine. Food concessions include Brunswick Stew, barbecue, chili, hot dogs and hamburgers, corndogs, sausage with onions, ham biscuits, ice cream, funnel cakes, baked goods, jams and jellies, fresh-pressed apple cider, and hot-out-of-the kettle apple butter.
The 2009 Valle Country Fair grant recipients are W. A. M. Y. Community Action, Western Youth Network, the Hunger & Health Coalition, Parent to Parent Family Support Network, Child Service Coordination Program, Caregiver’s Haven, School of Social Work Back Pack Program, Watauga Habitat for Humanity and Watauga Children’s Council’s Parents as Teachers. All remaining profits are distributed throughout the year by the outreach committee at the Church of the Holy Cross to individuals and families in crisis.
Autumn at Oz at Beech Mountain
A two-day special event for the whole family! In 1970, a small piece of magic opened on Beech Mountain that celebrates the miracle that is The Land of Oz; A classic adaptation of the publication of L. Frank Baum’s book, “The Wonderful Wizard of OZ”, upon which the beloved film was based. The Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce is proud to present “Autumn at Oz” for 2014, now larger than ever. On Saturday and Sunday, October 4th and 5th, travel back in time to 1939 to the enchanted world of the “Oz”, high atop Beech Mountain at the Land of Oz park. This years 21st annual “Autumn at Oz” Festival is returning with an expanded venue providing visitors with more activities, food, drink, and sights to behold while maintaining the same nostalgic feeling from the Land of Oz.
Children and adults a like will be enchanted as they experience the re-creation of Dorothy’s trip from her farm home in Kansas through the twister and down the yellow brick road to the “Land of OZ”. Along your journey you will be met by a full cast portraying many of the vibrant characters similar to those of the original movie production. Spend the day, or better yet spend the weekend, and enjoy all “Autumn at Oz” has to offer. Enjoy the magic of being in “The Village” now located in the Resort of Ski Beech, before and after you experience the Land of OZ. Stay for live music, dancing, multiple food and beverage options, crafts, merchandise, hay rides, petting zoo, bonfire and a full day of entertainment that will delight your senses as the “Autumn at OZ” festival prepares you for the fantasy journey through the Land of OZ. Designed for all ages the new expanded venue provides safe ample parking for visitors. Transportation to and from the Land of OZ is included. Go by bus or scenic ski lift (weather permitting) to an elevation of over 5000 feet above sea level, high atop beautiful Beech Mountain were fantasies come to life.
Theme park entrance times are also expanded for 2014. The purchase of your ticket designates the time that you will be transported to the Land of OZ from the Resort. The park opens at 9:30AM and tickets are available for entrance to the Land of OZ every hour until 5:30PM. The last bus leaves at 4:30PM. Come early and stay late, enjoy the shows and entertainment at the Resort prior to and after leaving the Land of OZ. This is a season you won’t want to miss!!!
Important: The OZ property has uneven paths, ramps and stairs and therefore is not wheel chair or stroller friendly. The weather on Beech Mountain can be cold and blustery, so please be prepared by dressing in layers and wearing comfortable shoes. Bring a jacket and an umbrella, just in case.
The price of online advanced tickets is $20.00 per person, or $25.00 per person at the gate (children 2 years and under are admitted free). Also, this year a special limited $40 VIP ticket offers special amenities such as VIP parking, reception area and no-line entrance to the Resort! And, if you come on Saturday, you get to enjoy an extra day on us at the Resort enjoying the food and entertainment! NOTE: Gate ticket sales have limited availability and are cash only.
Group rates are offered for Sunday October 5th only at $15 per person with groups of 15 or more. Please call the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce to inquire about purchasing group tickets at 800-468-5506. Dining and Lodging Discounts are Available from Participating Beech Mountain Businesses and Grandfather Mountain Attraction with Online Ticket Purchase. Tickets are Non-Refundable, No Exceptions. Autumn at Oz will be held Rain or Shine, Snow and Twisters Too! Identification required with your printed ticket confirmation.
Fine Arts Mastercraft Festival
The 23rd Anniversary Fine Art and Mastercraft Festival welcomes visitors and artists to the quaint one red light town of Banner Elk, located in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains (near mile marker 306) Western North Carolina. Home of Grandfather Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct, the last link to the BRP. The Avery County Chamber of Commerce invites you to participate in the County Fine Art & Master Crafts Festival. Since that time, many seasoned artists have stated that this is perhaps the most successful festival they participate in. A combination of a very limited number of participants, a clientele which appreciates a fine art only type of show, the proper atmosphere and publicity are the ingredients which makes this an ongoing success in 23rd year. A few of our artists are only appearing in the High Country at this festival! Don’t miss out!
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games
High in the Mountains of Western North Carolina, the ancient Celtic spirit beckons. Answering the call, as hundreds of tartan banners unfurl, are the songs of bagpipes echoing through the valley and once again thousands of kilt-clad Scots make their way to MacRae Meadow for their annual gathering and game. The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans brings the color of 160 tartan plaids and the clamor of half a dozen bagpipe bands to the North Carolina Highlands on the second full weekend in July. The Grandfather Games are considered Americas grandest Games because of the spectacular mountain setting that is so reminiscent of Scotland. The deep blue peaks of 6,000-foot Grandfather Mountain tower above a grassy green meadow ringed by 172 red, blue, yellow and green striped tents. The color is augmented by thousands of Scots luxuriously costumed in tartan plaids, and the energy is amplified by the sounds of bagpipes and kettle drums echoing across the moor.
Opening Ceremonies
The Highland Games begin Thursday afternoon with a picnic, piping concert, sheep herding exhibition, the running of The Bear and the opening ceremonies. The opening ceremonies begin at dusk with a torchlight ceremony where representatives of each of the 160 clans announce their family’s participation in the gathering. This raising of the clans proclaims that they have once again come together to celebrate their heritage.
At the center of the activity, the nations top Scottish athletes clash in traditional heavyweight events such as Turning the Caber and Tossing the Sheaf. The first requires an athlete to flip a telephone pole-sized tree trunk end-over-end and the second challenges athletes to loft a 16-pound sack of hay over a cross bar more than 20 feet above the ground. Other ancient tests of strength awaiting the brawny professionals are highland wrestling, putting the stone, the hammer throw and various weight throws.
Celtic Night Life
On Friday night, the Celtic Jam highlights traditional and contemporary Celtic music at MacRae Meadows and on Saturday night the Celtic Rock Concert serves up encore performances from some of the higher energy bands.
Visit www.gmhg.org for band and music and event schedules.
Other evening activities include a Scottish Country Dance Gala at Lees-McRae College.
Among the many sights and sounds of Scotland to be found on MacRae Meadows throughout the weekend is the popular bazaar set up adjacent to the parade grounds. Merchants sell Gaelic and tartan gift items while concessionaires sell Scottish meat pies to give visitors a taste of the highlands. There is also a tent set up to help guests trace their Scottish roots and learn more about their heritage. Adult tickets are $15 Thursday, $20 Friday, $30 Saturday and $15 Sunday. Tickets are $5 each day for children ages 5-12 with children under five free. Tickets are available at the field on the day of the event. The public can park on site at the Games field Thursday and Friday, but public parking is not available at the field on Saturday and Sunday. Shuttle service is provided between MacRae Meadows and satellite parking areas in Linville, Newland and Boone. Shuttle fees vary depend on the distance between the shuttle lots and MacRae Meadows. Tickets to the off-mountain evening events vary by event. For more information call 828-733-1333 or visit online at www.gmhg.org. For lodging and other travel information, contact The Avery County Chamber of Commerce at 800-972-2183
The 47th Annual Roasting of the Hog and Fireworks Display
This year, celebrate independence day with Beech Mountain. An annual event, the hog is roasted all day to perfection and cut up right in front of the crowd. With music, moon pies, games, and fireworks, this is a family affair that you wont want to miss! The roasting will take place July 5th, 2014 at 6pm.
For more information, or to inquire about purchasing tickets, please call 828-387-9283.
Taste of Avery
On June 5th Kick off the summer season with the Culinary Event of the Year! The Avery County Chamber of Commerce presents the 4th Annual Taste of Avery, on Thursday June 5th from 6-8:30 pm at the Best Western in Banner Elk. Enjoy delicious samplings from more than 16 of Avery counties finest restaurants. With something yummy for every taste and palate, you won’t want to miss this event! But hurry as tickets sold out the first three years and are going fast now! Ticket price is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Be sure to contact the Avery County Chamber Office at 828-898-5605 to purchase your advance tickets, or stop by the Chamber Office located in the Shoppes of Tynecastle, at the intersection of 184 and 105, and open 10-4 daily. Start your summer with the tastiest event of the season! Thursday night, June 5th at 6 pm at the Best Western Mountain Lodge in Banner Elk. Call 828-898-5605 for tickets and information. Bring a crowd to The Taste of Avery…indulge your palate!
