2025 Symphony By Chetola Lake:
Date: July 25, 2025
Opening Performance: Jakeb Hardin Quartet
Featured Performance: Symphony of the Mountains featuring Bristol Lightning
Theme: A Celtic Celebration
Tickets for this year’s event are nearly sold out! If you plan to buy tickets, go ahead and do so here.
What is Symphony by Chetola Lake?
Symphony by Chetola Lake has been considered the jewel in the crown that is Blowing Rock’s Summer Season for 37 years. This event brings approximately 3,000 people around the lake at Chetola Resort to hear Symphony of the Mountains perform a curated selection of music based around the year’s theme. Local businesses and families purchase tents from the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce and go all out decorating them for the theme and providing their guests with delicious food.
Basic Event Information:
The gates open at 5:00pm with the opening performance beginning at 5:30pm. The featured performance begins at 7:30pm, and the evening wraps up with a fantastic firework finale! Tickets are available in advance only, and must be picked up at the Chamber of Commerce, 132 Park Ave., no later than Sunday, July 20th at 3:00 pm. If you cannot pick-up by that date, please let the Chamber of Commerce know in the notes section of your order when you will pick-up. There will be NO ticket pick-up on the day of the Symphony.
Guests with General Admission tickets are welcome to bring low lawn chairs and blankets, a cooler with a picnic meal, beer, wine, soft drinks, and water. Outside hard Liquor is prohibited at this event, however, Chetola will be offering a cash bar. Other items that are prohibited are, smoking on the premises, tall objects that will obstruct other’s view such as umbrellas or tall chairs and tables, grills or anything with an open flame, and pets other than certified service animals.
Planning, Arriving, and Parking:
Tickets for Symphony by Chetola Lake go on sale yearly on May 1. There are two types of ticket, General Admission which is $85 per person and Audiophile which is $180 per person. General Admission gets you through the gate while Audiophile places you in front of the Symphony tent, comes with a charcuterie box and 2 drink tickets per person, and the section is capped at 100 people for comfortability. Parking passes are also available on this day and they are $25 per car. Carpooling is highly recommended as parking spaces sell out quickly. There is also free parking available on the left side of Shoppes on the Parkway’s parking lot. An entrance gate will be set up there, please note that it is a short uphill walk from that parking location. If you are driving on Chetola’s property, please be cautious and patient with pedestrians.
During the Event:
This event is meant to be fun, social, and culturally enriching. Many people will be trying to listen to the Symphony’s performance so do be respectful of that fact. That being said, it is also the social event of the year, so walk around the perimeter, greet friends, and meet new people if you need to stretch your legs at any point. Bathroom trailers are brought in for the event so keep an eye out for those in case you need them. Enjoy your picnic dinner and beverages while the sounds of the Symphony of the Mountains washes over you. Chetola will be providing cash bars and snacks on site should you need anything.
Best Practices & Etiquette:
- Wear sunscreen even though it’s evening.
- Bring rain protection just in case.
- You’ll want to look nice because everyone shows out their summer best for this event, but wear comfortable clothes and shoes. There will be walking and if it rains there will be mud.
- Don’t forget to hydrate. Even if you’re bringing beer & wine, bring plenty of water in case it’s hot or you get thirsty.
- Carpool with friends as parking is limited.
- Be social, but not loud. People are there to listen to the music.
- Don’t eat food out of a tent unless it is offered to you. People work very hard and spend a lot of time and money to make a great event for their family, friends and customers. They cannot feed all 3,000 people, so please be cognizant of that and bring your own picnic dinner for you and your group.
This event is intended to be fun, inspiring, and enriching for all of Blowing Rock’s residents and guests. It can get crowded so please keep in mind that everyone is there to have a good time and exercise patience where possible. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you there!
All photos on this page taken by Josh Floyd.