Annual Events and Story Ideas

The Blowing Rock and NC High Country area are OPEN and excited to welcome travelers! More than 40 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway is open for exploration in the Blowing Rock area. The NC High Country has bounced back, so come on up! 

• For our printable Fall 2025 Press Sheet, click here.
• We welcome your inquiries about Blowing Rock and are happy to provide you with information, interviews, high resolution photographs, b-roll and contacts to help with your stories.
• For more information, please contact Amanda Lugenbell, 828-295-4636 or [email protected]

Story Ideas

2025 New & Coming Soon Around Town

• Ben Long Frescoes: Blowing Rock is the new home of two frescoes by renowned artist, Ben Long. One is a depiction of the 23rd Psalm while the other depicts The Good Shepherd. Rescued from obscurity and near-destruction in their previous home, they were brought to Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church on Main Street. With this move, all of Ben Long’s domestic frescoes are now in North Carolina. Public viewings are available on weekends with free docent tours. Private tours are available by reservation.
• Blowing Rock Food & Wine Tours: A new three-hour walking tour of downtown Blowing Rock, exploring local food, wine, art, & history! Guide Joanna is a foodie with a passion for Blowing Rock! Features include work by Elliott Daingerfield and food & drink at favorite spots like Bistro Roca, Blowing Rock Ale House, and Hellbender Bed & Beverage
• Daingerfield’s is now open at Westglow Resort & Spa, offering fine dining from talented chef, Micheal Armes. The dining room is also a gallery of Elliott Daingerfield’s ethereal work.
• Embers Hotel, a 36-room, full-service boutique hotel and restaurant, is now open in downtown Blowing Rock. With an excellent menu and bar program, the restaurant is already a local favorite.
• Amenities Pass at Chetola Resort: Blowing Rock’s premier resort is now offering day passes for their amenities. Through ResortPass, visitors may purchase access to the indoor pool and sauna, water sports equipment on the lake, tennis & pickleball courts, fitness room, and more- even if they are staying at a different local hotel.
• Middle Fork Greenway: A beautiful section of about 2 miles is open from a new trailhead on Highway 321 to Sterling Creek Park, flowing past Tweetsie Railroad and Mystery Hill attractions. The Middle Fork Greenwaywill connect Blowing Rock to Boone with a pedestrian path along the river.
• Green Park Inn Restoration: Blowing Rock’s grand Green Park Inn is being restored to its original glory. Work has begun with the demolition of the modern wings, which were added decades after the main structure. After thorough assessments, meticulous restoration will begin on the historic building.
• New Hotel on Sunset Drive: A new boutique hotel is under construction on Sunset Drive in downtown Blowing Rock. This is a local venture by the same family that built and operates The Manor and The Getaway, also in downtown Blowing Rock. Projected opening is late fall 2025.

Unique Places to Stay

Locally owned properties mean special attention to detail, but there are a few places pulling out all the stops for special experiences. All of these are downtown, within easy walking distance of shopping and dining!

• Meadowbrook Inn has two suites that include a private pool!
• Hellbender Bed & Beverage caters to the adventurer, with Eno hammocks and clawfoot soaking tubs in select rooms.
• Mountainaire Inn offers little log cabins tucked in a garden, right on Main Street.
• The top-floor Treehouse Suite at the Inn at Ragged Gardens features multiple skylights, bark siding along the walls, a bathroom fireplace, and a private balcony with a view of the grounds.
• Also in town, but a bit more distanced from downtown spaces:
• Gideon Ridge Inn features incredible mountain views and luxurious amenities that include reservations at the Restaurant at Gideon Ridge, which ranked highly on Trip Advisor’s most recent Best of the Best lists.

Artisans at Work

Blowing Rock attracts creative people who draw inspiration from the natural splendor of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today, there are several artisans making beautiful things right inside their local shops. They are happy to share their process, answer questions, and talk about creating special pieces.

• Katherine Lile, 4th-generation quilter, makes rope baskets at The Mountain Thread Company.
• The Zieglers have passed on their techniques for hand-dipped candles at High Country Candles.
• Hunter Allen designs & hand-stitches leather wallets and more in his newly-expanded Grounded Works.
• Gaines Kiker forges custom jewelry, furniture, and sculpture at his studio gallery.
• Randy “Doc” McCoy cuts and sets gemstones in the workshop at McCoy Minerals.
• The Bolick and Traditions family pottery studio is located just outside town; two heritage events are held each year.
• From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Artists In Residence hosts a different pair of regional artists each week working in a studio setting inside the historic Edgewood Cottage on Main Street.

Finding Outlander’s Fraser’s Ridge

Fans of Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” series know that NC is heavily featured in the later books. In fact, Jamie and Claire’s mountain homestead would be located near Blowing Rock, according to the author herself! There are several activities and numerous vistas that would remind Outlander readers of passages in the books, and would be excellent additions to a themed itinerary. See details at blowingrock.com/finding-frasers-ridge

History & Magical Holidays at Tweetsie Railroad

Tweetsie Railroad is North Carolina’s first theme park! Offering rides, shows, and fun, the Wild West theme park is home to engine Number 12, a steam locomotive that used to run the narrow-gauge rail lines from Johnson City, TN, to Cranberry, NC. Number 190 is the park’s second antique steam engine, from Alaska, known as the “Yukon Queen.” The park also operates its own Steam Locomotive Shop, which manufactures rare parts and maintains & restores other vintage engines from around the country, along with the two found in the park.

Tweetsie Railroad has been welcoming Halloween-lovers to Tweetsie Ghost Train for decades. During the fall season, the park becomes a spooky and exciting land of surprises and frights after dark. Tweetsie Christmas launched in 2022 to immediate success, selling out in its very first year and continuing to do so each holiday season. From Thanksgiving to Christmas, the park is open nights only, with festive lights illuminating a winter wonderland.

Girls Getaways & Bachelorette Escapes

Blowing Rock is home to world-class resorts and adventurous experiences that encourage reconnection. Natural splendor, outdoor and indulgent activities, and a schedule on “mountain time” will all help friends reconnect while having a blast! Stay downtown and walk to local dining, attractions, shopping and parks; check-in and then relax! Try out Blowing Rock Food & Wine Tours or enjoy an intimate dinner with friends. Just a few miles from Main Street, Westglow Resort & Spa has been rated among the top 10 destination spas in the world by Travel & Leisure. Or try Chetola Resort for an enchanting downtown location, accommodations, and spa amenities. More experiences include wine tastings at Sunset & Vine, ziplining with Sky Valley Zip Tours, art classes & exhibitions at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, and mechanical bull-riding & tomahawk throwing at Mystery Hill. 

Outdoor Recreation Adventure Hub

Location is everything when it comes to the variety of outdoor recreation Blowing Rock offers!

• On the Blue Ridge Parkway and adjacent to Pisgah National Forest
• Multiple outfitters and nearby local communities
• Many lodging and dining options right in the heart of the shopping district, making Blowing Rock is the perfect place to unwind after a day full of adventure
• The Blue Ridge Parkway offers scenic parks, diverse hiking trails, and a favorite route for road cyclists.
• Blowing Rock Boulders is a prime spot for rock climbers, though some may be there practicing for bigger nearby challenges like Ship Rock.
• Whitewater rafting, tubing and kayaking, as well as caving expeditions, can be arranged with one of several area guide companies.
• The trout fishing is great, too, and we have multiple guide services to help you get the best catch!
• Winter in Blowing Rock brings fantastic snow sports opportunities at three ski resorts and a snowtubing park.

Central Location for Family Fun

Blowing Rock is the perfect base for a sight-seeing family adventure. Numerous attractions await! Grandfather Mountain, Tweetsie Railroad, the Blowing Rock, Mystery Hill, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Linville Falls and more are all just minutes away. Plus, families will be charmed by the quaint, safe village atmosphere. Walk from your lodging room to Memorial Park with incredible playground equipment, the community pool, and various dining opportunities.

At Home in Mitford

Jan Karon once called Blowing Rock home, at the time she began writing the “Mitford” series of best-selling books. There are many landmarks and places within the village of Blowing Rock that personify descriptions in Karon’s stories. This leads many to believe that Blowing Rock is Mitford. See more details and history at blowingrock.com/mitford

Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show is over 100 Years Old

Haw many places have events that are over 100 (continuous) years old? The Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show celebrated 100 years in 2023. This outdoor show has been uninterrupted by wars, recessions, and the Covid pandemic.

• Officially held for the first time in 1923, presented annually since.
• Among the longest running shows of its kind in the country.
• The United States Equestrian Federation has honored the show with a Heritage Competition designation, the highest honor currently held by any Federation horse show.
• Spanning three weeks each summer.
• Details at BRCHS.org