Events
Events and Festivals
The Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina invite you to take part in the many local events happening in and around our area throughout the year. From live music performances to farmers markets and festivals, there is always something to explore or experience in one of our communities. Create your own unique souvenir at a hands-on art workshop, see history come alive at a local historic attraction or push your abilities to the limit at an annual ultramarathon trail race.
The warmer months bring plenty of ways to experience western North Carolina. Each community has something special to showcase, especially Marion and Old Fort. Plan on attending these festivals to learn about the region’s unique history and culture.
In early June, the Trails & Trains Festival in Old Fort celebrates the history of the Blue Ridge Mountain town, specifically through its railroad past and ties to Pisgah National Forest. The McDowell Trails Association will host guided hikes, and the festival even includes a 50K, half-marathon, and 10K race. The Ritual Mountain Bike Film Festival will also return to Euda Wine. Attendees can enjoy fly fishing demonstrations, naturalist hikes, live bluegrass music, food trucks, and vendors selling locally made goods
The North Carolina Gold Festival, also in early June, focuses on the state’s rich history of gold mining. Held at Marion’s Lucky Strike Gold and Gem Mine, which has been family-owned and operated since 1991, the festival offers free admission and will include live entertainment, gold and gem vendors, and demonstrations of mining techniques. There’s also food, including the mine’s famous Bonanza Burger, and vendors. If you don’t want to miss out on a second of the fun, the mine also has onsite camping.
The Orchard at Altapass in Spruce Pine plays host to June’s Pipes on the Parkway, a celebration of the region’s long Scots-Irish history in early June. The preservation orchard in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains makes for the ideal setting for the bagpipe music coming from the performers in full dress. The orchard also hosts a weekly music series most weekends throughout the summer.
The Marion Livermush Festival showcases the offbeat dish traditional to this area each June. If you’ve never had livermush before, this is the place to try it, usually made with pork trimmings and seasonings and formed into a patty to be cooked on the griddle. You’ll usually see it as a breakfast or lunch offering, but each restaurant has its take during this festival, which takes over Main Street. Visitors can also catch the hog call contest, craft vendors, and plenty of kid-friendly activities.
West Marion Community Forum Inc. organizes the annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival around the national holiday honoring the abolition of slavery and the many contributions of African-Americans. The festival includes a pageant, family programming, and worship services at locations around Marion and Nebo.
Ring in July 4 with the Independence Day Celebration in Marion, complete with a parade, live music with street dancing, and, of course, a fireworks display as soon as night falls. Bring your chair to enjoy the entire day downtown.
You don’t have to be a believer to attend the WNC Bigfoot Festival, held in downtown Marion in late August, not far from where people are said to have spotted the hairy creature. The free festival has previously seen crowds of 40,000 curious visitors looking to experience the educational panels about the mysterious cryptid, food inspired by Sasquatch, and even a Bigfoot calling contest.
Charming Little Switzerland offers square dancing at its historic Geneva Hall in July and August. No experience is necessary to participate as the regular crowd is there to show you the moves.
