Category: Blowing Rock

MerleFest 2023

With spring right not far away in Boone, that also means the 35th annual MerleFest is right behind as well!

This year, MerleFest will take place from April 27-30. There will be music over 4 days from over 60 different performers! A couple examples of the bands and performers are:

On Thursday, Rock band The Black Crowes. Also playing Thursday is Yasmin Williams who is a finger-style guitarist using a harp guitar.

Friday has some very exciting bands such as the Black Opry Revue and Peter Rowan’s Bluegrass Band.

Saturday’s lineup includes, amongst others, the bluegrass band Della Mae and The Waybacks.

On Sunday, Pete and Joan Wernick entertain with their banjo playing. Also playing is local band Pretty Little Goat.

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Live Music at Sugar Mountain in January

With the skiing season underway, what are some of the events going on at the resorts? At Sugar Mountain they have multiple bands lined up to play music throughout January.

On January 14, the Smokin’ Joe Randolph Band plays at Sugar Mountain from 4pm through 7pm. They play a wide variety of blues, rockabilly, surf, swing, and soul music.

On January 21, the Classic Highway Band visits from 4pm through 6pm. They are a Boone band who specialize in classic rock, blues, and soul music from the 60s-80s.

William Kradel Leave a comment on Live Music at Sugar Mountain in January Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, Concerts and Events, Outdoor Fun, Skiing, Winter Activities

Snowshoeing Tours at Sugar Mountain

For many, one of the most exciting parts of a vacation is trying new things! And Sugar Mountain offers what is likely new for many people: snowshoeing tours!

The Snowshoeing season on Sugar Mountain runs from December through March. During the week, snowshoe tours are offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:00 p.m. On Saturday, they are at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 

Both rentals of showshoes and the guided tour by an experienced guide are included. Adult tours are for those who are 12 years or older. Children’s tours are for those ages 8-11. You need to sign up at least fifteen minutes prior to your tour time at the Snowsports School building at the resort.

William Kradel Leave a comment on Snowshoeing Tours at Sugar Mountain Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Hiking, Outdoor Fun, Skiing, Tours, Winter Activities

Appalachian Ski Mountain Opening 2022 and History

November 18 is a very exciting day for skiing and winter fans as it is the opening day of Appalachian Ski Mountain in Boone, NC!  So, what makes Appalachian Ski Mountain so special? And what is its history?

Appalachian Ski Mountain got its start in 1968 when Grady Moretz and four other partners bought the area at a public auction

Originally, the resort only had a 12,000-foot base lodge and 3 slopes. These slopes only had two rope tows for ascending the mountain. As it became more and more popular, in 1984 it underwent a major renovation which added chairlifts and a 6,000-foot addition to the ski lodge.

By 2010 Appalachian Ski Mountain has twelve slopes, three chairlifts, two conveyer lifts and one handle pull lift. The ski lodge itself now covers 46,000 feet and is very comfortable as well. 

William Kradel Leave a comment on Appalachian Ski Mountain Opening 2022 and History Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Outdoor Fun, Skiing, Winter Activities

Banner Elk and Boone Travel Info for October 15 and 16

This weekend, October 15 and 16, at Banner Elk is the very popular Woolly Worm festival. Also this weekend we have the peak time for viewing the autumn colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the area.

Another event running this weekend in the same area is the Valle Fair at Valle Crucis. Both the fair and the Woolly Worm festival open at 9am both days.

All of these events going on at once means this will be a weekend with very high traffic congestion throughout the area. Most of the roads into and in both Banner Elk and Valle Crucis are only two lane roads so there will be heavy delays throughout as the events are very popular.

So make sure to leave much earlier than you’d expect to need to so as to account for the traffic. Also, bring along a lot of patience to get through the traffic. 

William Kradel Leave a comment on Banner Elk and Boone Travel Info for October 15 and 16 Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, Concerts and Events, Festival, Outdoor Fun, Tours, Vacation Rentals

Wildlife Habitat Daily Programs at Grandfather Mountain

This October, and every April through October, Grandfather Mountain offers a guided tour through the special Animal Habitats in the mountain park! These are great opportunities to see each wild animal active in their natural habitat close to the overlook of their habitat.

On Grandfather Mountain, many of the native species such as the bears, otters, and elk have very large, designated wildlife habitats which have large moats or retaining walls in designated viewing era for guests. During a normal day, the animals are not consistently visible as the habitats are very large. But that is different on certain hours each day.

Daily, at certain hours, a keeper will bring special scents or toys out to entice the animals to come closer to the viewing area for people to enjoy them. The keeper will then offer interesting facts about the different animals. This happens daily every half from 11am through 4pm at the different habitats.

There is no additional fee to enjoy these wildlife habitats. They are included with the price of admission. You do need to schedule visits to Grandfather Mountain ahead of time though.

William Kradel Leave a comment on Wildlife Habitat Daily Programs at Grandfather Mountain Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Boone, Hiking, Hiking, Outdoor Fun, Tours