Wooly Worm Festival - Banner Elk NC This Weekend 10/16 & 17

Wooly Worm Festival
Banner Elk NC
This Weekend - 10/16 & 17, 2o10
Saturday 10/16/10 9am-5pm
Sunday 10/17 10 9am - 4pm

For the 33rd year the town of Banner Elk has welcomed both old and new friends to the annual Woolly Worm Festival.

This family event co-hosted by the Avery County Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Organization of Banner Elk welcomes more than 23,000 people to the community to make family memories and also to win the prestigious title of predicting the High Country weather and the chance to win the $1000 bounty.

Some changes and additions from last year’s festival continuing through this year; opening the gates at 9:00 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday and the expansion of the kid’s area in the park. There was special music on Sunday by the John Schuffler Band and local family pricing as well on Sunday.

For more info about the Wooly Worm Festival - check the website.

Autumn At Oz-Beech Mtn NC Oct 2-3, 2010 *Limited Tickets*

Walk the Yellow Brick Road to Oz on Beech Mountain NC - Saturday & Sunday October 2 & 3, 2010.

Come meet your favorite Oz characters, Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion, Scarecrow, Witches and the Wizard. They're all there. Visit Auntie Em's farm and hide from the tornado in the basement.

Lot's of fun, food, music, hay rides, memorabilia and more. Tickets are $16.50 in advance and $20.00 at the party. Children 2 years and under are free. ****A limited number of 7000 tickets will be sold and are available on line. ** Buy Tickets Online

Tickets are non-refundable, no exceptions. This event is rain or shine, snow or twisters too.

Ski Beech Resort will offer scenic lift rides from Land of Oz to Ski Resort and back to Oz for $10.00.

The weather at Oz can be rather blustery after a tornado so bring a jacket, umbrella, sweatshirt just in case. Oz is not handicap or large stroller friendly.

Tour sessions are Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 12, 12 to 2 and

2 to 4. Both days are broken down into 3 sessions to accommodate our visitors. It does not mean that you can spend only 2 hours in Oz. The sessions indicate the date and hours you can load on a bus or hay ride to the Autumn at Oz Party. Both days events are the same.

If you are unable to buy tickets on line they may be purchased, pending availability, from the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce by mail or by visiting the chamber office prior to the event date.

Groups of 15 or more may purchase group tickets (Sunday Only) at $13.50 each. Contact the chamber office at 800-468-5506 for special mailing instructions and group tickets.

No credit card sales will be accepted Oct 2-3 (event dates) or by the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce. Cash and Checks only. Visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets on line to assure your choice of day and session.

Visit www.emeraldmtn.com for driving directions and the history of the Land of Oz.

Mile High Kite Festival - Beech Mountain NC Sept 5, 2010

Mile High Kite Festival

Beech Mountain, NC

will be held on Sun,

Sept 5th 10am - 4pm

This will be the eighth year for the Mile High Kite Festival. The Richmond Air Force and the Charlotte WACKOS kite club will be partaking in the Festival. The 8th Annual Mile High Kite Festival is hosted by the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce.

There will be refreshments, and many vendors at the Kite Festival. Kids of all ages can come out and enjoy participating or watch the kites fly! There will be FREE kites for the first 200 kids. There will be prizes given out for the smallest and largest kites and best decorated kite.

On September 4th, there will be a kite workshop in the field across from town hall for those kids that want to learn how to make a kite. Also on Saturday evening from 7p.m. to 9p.m - 9/4/10. there will be a street dance for all ages to enjoy!

For more information please call the Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce: (828) 387-9283 or (800) 468-5506

Photo from Town of Beech Mountain site

Escape The Heat! Enjoy Cool Temps In The 70s on Beech Mtn NC

Escape The Heat! Enjoy Cool Temps In The 70s on Beech Mtn NC !

What better place to escape 90 degree summer days than in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.. The average summer temperature on Beech Mountain NC is in the mid 70s!

Check out Ray's Weather for Beech Mtn - the prediction for the week of 6/14-20 shows a high of 74.. Perfect for hiking, fishing or just relaxing !

The Town of Beech Mountain is located in North-Western North Carolina near the North Carolina - Tennessee state line. The Town is situated on the Watauga/Avery County Line at the end of NC 184. NC 184, also known as The Beech Mountain Parkway, is the main road into the town from Banner Elk.

Beech Mountain is nestled in the Southern Appalachian Highlands between Roan Mountain, Tennessee, and Boone, North Carolina. It's less than six hours from Atlanta, less than seven from Cincinnati, and only five hours from Nashville, Tennessee.

Bike Beech Mountain NC On Lance Armstrong's Route

Welcome to Beech Mountain, eastern America's highest town (elevation 5506 feet), where you can follow the route of Lance Armstrong and the Tour Du Pont or enjoy 50 miles of great riding on the town's road bike routes. Beech is a bikers mountain offering something for everyone.

Annually, hundreds of bikers ascend the south side of the mountain from Banner Elk to the site of the Tour Du Pont finish line. A climb in elevation of 1400 feet in three and half miles, the Beech Mountain Parkway offers a great route most of the year.

Once on Beech, a variety of great biking awaits you with the town's 51.20 miles of paved bike routes. All routes begin at the visitors center, adjacent to the town hall.

You will retrace routes used by Lance Armstrong when he trained on the mountain. While most routes are through residential neighborhoods, others will take you by Buckeye Lake and the town's new recreation center. Traffic is usually minimal and Beech's 25 mph speed limit is a positive for cyclists.

Find out more info at Bike Beech Mountain

Hiking - Beech Mountain NC

Something for everyone is the best way to describe the twenty miles of designated hiking trails on Beech Mountain, North Carolina.

Depending on your desire for an easy stroll through the woods with your family, or for those more adventurous, an eight mile trek through a thousand feet of elevation change, Beech's trails can fulfill your need for adventure.

Whether it is for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing or trail runs, we have the trails for you on Beech Mountain.

See all the area hiking trails and info at "Hike Beech Mountain's" website..

Beech Mountain NC to Host Porsche 928 Rally June 5, 2010

Beech Mountain to Host Rally for Porsche 928s on June 5

By Craig Distl 04.MAY.10 Beech Mountain, N.C. --

Fans of the Porsche 928 can witness the nation’s largest gathering of this powerful sports car on Saturday, June 5, atop Beech Mountain. The 13th annual Sharks in the Mountains rally, hosted by 928 Specialists of Spruce Pine, will attract a fleet of more than 100 cars. These unique Porsches are called “sharks” because their front profile resembles that of a shark.

David and Jeannie Roberts, owners of 928 Specialists, invite sports car fans to visit Beech Mountain for this special event, beginning with a 10 a.m. “park in” of all participants. This takes place in the central business district of Beech Mountain in front of Town Hall.

“We have an ideal setting right here at the top of the mountain. Car owners can use our parking area and visitors can come through and see these cars,” said Beech Mountain town manager Randy Feierabend. “It’s also an opportunity to get people up here in June so they can see how beautiful our mountain is in summer.

”The front engine V8 Porsche 928 is a lesser known model in the Porsche stable. There were only 60,000 made over a 17-year period and there aren’t many left.

“To see that many 928s at one time is rare,” said David Roberts. “This is one of only two such annual events of this size in the United States, and ours is the biggest and oldest. If you’re a car person and like classic cars, it’s quite a sight to see.

”Roberts said folks are welcome to stroll along the isles of cars and chat with owners.

“Porsche 928 owners are some of the most down to earth folks you’ll find,” he said. “They love to talk to about their cars and are happy to expose others to the Porsche 928.

”After spending the day in the town of Beech Mountain, the group departs in grand style with a 5 p.m. parade that follows the route of the former Beech Mountain Hill Climb race and continues down the mountain to Banner Elk.

“It will be a parade of more than 100 beautiful sports cars driving through town,” said Feierabend. “Even if you’re not a fan of the Porsche 928, it will still be cool to watch.”

For more info, visit BeechMtn.com or call (800) 468-5506.

Porsche 928 Photo from Wikipedia