Mile High Kite Festival On Beech Mountain NC - Sept 5 - 6, 2009

BEECH MOUNTAIN, N.C. Why not go fly a kite on Labor Day weekend?

The seventh annual Mile High Kite Festival will be held in the meadows at the top of Beech Mountain, the highest destination in the North Carolina mountains. The free event gives children of all ages an opportunity to fly a kite at an altitude of 1 mile above sea level.

Festivities get under way Saturday 9/5/09 with a clinic for kite makers from 2 to 4 p.m. Folks are encouraged to bring their homemade kites, and members of the kite clubs will be on hand to discuss the intricacies of kite building.

Two members of the Richmond Air Force kite club--Terry Murray and Will Smoot -- will serve as announcers for the Kite Festival on Sunday 9/6/09. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free kites will be given to the first 200 children younger than 12. There also will be kites for sale, and folks are welcome to bring their own. Other activities will include children's races and face painting, and there will be craft vendors.

Contests will be held for biggest, smallest and best-decorated kites. For more information, call (800) 468-5506 or visit http://www.beechmtn.com/.

Kite photo by wolfpix on flickr

Get Discounts On NC High Country Attractions, Restaurants & More

Get Discounts On NC High Country Attractions, Restaurants & More !

Real Deals Now has a new way of advertising many of the businesses around Blowing Rock, Boone, Grandfather Mountain, Tweetsie and Banner Elk. Go to the Real Deals Now website and register by email for a chance to win discounts to Tweetsie, The Blowing Rock, Mystery Hill and Grandfather Mountain and lots more..

Real Deals Now also has a variety of restaurant coupons - including Woodlands BBQ, The Best Cellar and the Blowing Rock Grille in Blowing Rock.. Some of the choices in Boone are The Daniel Boone Inn, Makoto's Japanese Steak House, The Peddler Steak House, Boone Drugs and even - Cheap Joe's Art Stuff... Check out the Real Deals Now Business Page for the full list . The "How To Use This Site" page will get you up to speed on just how you can take advantage of some great deals in the NC High Country !

We had the privilege of using this site last week to win discount tickets to Tweetsie. Not only did we get a fantastic deal, owners - Tim and Janice Baxter went out of their way to help us secure our tickets at the very last minute !!! These folks are not only nice and helpful, they really want you to have a great time in the NC mountains..

If you are planning a trip to Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, or Grandfather Mountain - you must check out Real Deals Now

Autumn At Oz - Beech Mountain NC - October 3 & 4, 2009

Autum at Oz - Beech Mountain NC To be held Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th, 2009 from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m.

When you arrive on Beech Mountain, you can park in the meadows across from the Beech Mountain Town Hall then walk, or catch the bus, up to the private garden of OZ. The walk is approximately 1 gentle, uphill mile.

Guests will take a tour of Aunt Em's and Uncle Henry's farm and meet Dorothy, Toto and friends along the Yellow Brick Road. While you wait for your bus, you will enjoy all the visitors decked out as Dorothy, TinMan, Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, Glinda-The Good Witch or the Wicked Witch.. it is a blast!

The tour takes from 1 1/2 to 2 hours - or a little longer, depends on how long you linger in Emerald City. You can go anytime between 10 am and 5 pm but the buses generally run at 10am, 12noon and 2pm. * Strollers and wheelchairs will need to be parked.

There will be a mini-museum to visit and artifacts to share all about Oz. The bands are not yet determind but some will provide music, Peter McTavish will provide Magic Shows in between, and Genesis Wildlife Sanctuary will exhibit a small petting zoo, adding more fun at the Farm. There will be face painting, food treats, and special Oz concessions in "Kansas".

New and old trivia will be available for purchase, with part of the money going back into upkeep and restorations.Our very special guests of honor will be ??? from the 1939 movie. Everyone is encouraged to wear something "Ozzie" and bring their photos and treasures to add to the event.

A special invite is extended again to past employees of Carolina Caribbean and the Land of OZ. The price is $15.00, children under 3 free. We'll gladly take original yellow bricks or other park remains for trade.

Unfortunately, I never visited the Land of Oz as a child.....but last year I came to Autumn at Oz for the first time.. I was very impressed with the organization of the event, the costumes, the Ozzie characters and thoroughly enjoyed the entire day there.. The folks of Beech Mountain and everyone that participates in this event should be commended. Well Done ! Lord willing, I will be back this year..

A limited number of advance tickets are available at the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce, http://www.beechmtn.com/ . 800-468-5506.

Photos by C. Gilliam