Blowing Rock’s Christmas in the Park & Lighting of the Town celebration is an annual holiday event that you are sure to love. Join us for games, music and caroling, and visits with Santa. Hot chocolate will be available from local vendors right next to the park, too!
2024 4th of July ParadeSaturday July 6, 10:00 am Join the town of Blowing Rock for the best small-town Main Street parade you’ll find anywhere! Local families, musicians, organizations, and characters celebrate the holiday with a patriotic procession. The parade is usually 40 minutes to an hour long. *PLEASE NOTE the 10am Parade Time! In addition, Main Street will be closed to parking from midnight the night before, to just after the parade (12am-11am on July 6). No parking on Main Street for the parade will ensure better visibility and safety! To make parking easy, a complimentary shuttle service will run from the parking lot at Shoppes on the Parkway to Main Street, beginning at 8:00am. The shuttle will run continuously through 2:00 pm. After the parade, enjoy holiday shopping and dining around town until ready to return to your vehicle, then check out what’s new at Shoppes on the Parkway! Want to participate? Complete a registration form with Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation. Visit their Programs Page here (use the “General” filter or enter parade in the search bar to find it quickly). 2024 July 4th Celebration Schedule will be posted as soon as it is finalized. For more information, call Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation at 828-295-5222 To see what this past year’s celebration looked like, see the video below! https://youtu.be/5wTM5DhsNBo?si=NjvuTLQJ4AMHE11d
Blowing Rock is a fantastic base of operations for your family getaway. If you are traveling with young children, this itinerary offers some ideas for an action-packed day.
Back for 2023! Enjoy the wonder of the Tweetsie Railroad dazzlingly lit for the holidays! The train ride will feature over one million lights on its open-air route. Dress warmly to enjoy this special treat. See Santa in his Ginger Bread House, warm up to a campfire at the Hacienda, enjoy the lights on Main Street and the Christmas trees, visit the shops, and more.
Itinerary at a Glance – History & Arts – Summer – Single day Day One Morning: Start the day at Moses Cone Manor, which also houses a Southern Highland Craft Guild Shop. There is plenty to enjoy just looking at the mansion, with classic twentieth-century architecture. Built in 1901, and with extensive restoration work completed in 2021, the home is as beautiful now as it was when occupied by the Cone family. The Guild shop features handmade works by members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, and you’ll find everything from jewelry to wooden toys. On most summer days, there are live demonstrations by artisans on the front porch. The house and shop opens at 10am, but you should arrive a little early for a wander on some of the famed Carriage Trails. For breakfast, try The Village Cafe. Located in an early 20th century home and garden space, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. The Village Cafe is known for their homemade fugasa bread, which gets turned into delightful french toast, among other tasty things. It’s among the best-loved restaurants in Blowing Rock. Don’t miss the antique vehicles inside the stables, which also house the public restrooms on the property. Afternoon The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum is next, and it’s located right in downtown Blowing Rock. Featuring rotating exhibits that showcase the rich culture, visual and musical art, and history of the Southern Appalachians, there is always something beautiful and interesting to see at the museum. Past exhibits are incredibly varied, and include displays of antique Appalachian toys, 19th Century Romantic paintings, the Black heritage of the Junaluska Community, the Bruce Barclay Cameron Duck Decoy Collection, traditional Appalachian musical instruments, and photography by Margaret Morley. Admission is free! See hours and current exhibits on the museum’s website. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, be sure to stop in at the Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage, right next to the museum. This free series features different regional artists each week, all working in a studio setting! During the rest of the year, the house is a self-guided museum, as the first local home of artist Elliott Daingerfield. Browse the galleries in Blowing Rock, which feature everything from jewelry and Appalachian pottery to oil paintings and glass work. In several cases, the galleries are run by artists, so be sure to ask. The conversations that follow are always worth having! For lunch, try Bistro Roca & Antlers Bar. Tucked away about a block off Main Street, the charming building is home to the oldest continuously-serving bar in NC. They also have a whimsical collection of local pet portraits that you don’t want to miss. Oh, and the wood-fired oven, featured right in the center of the dining room, turns out delectable pizzas, roasted figs, and other delicious bites. Looking for an afternoon coffee or treat? Check out our coffee shops & bakeries! Evening From July through mid-August, wrap up your evening in Boone at Horn in the West, the nation’s longest-running Revolutionary War outdoor drama. The play brings to life the story of the hardy pioneers who, with the help of famed frontiersman, Daniel Boone, and Cherokee allies, settled in the Blue Ridge wilderness as they sought freedom from British tyranny. If you can’t make a show, the Hickory Ridge Homestead at the show grounds is open from April to October for late morning and afternoon tours. Staffed with interpreters in period clothing, Hickory Ridge Living History Museum’s series of authentic, historical cabins give visitors a glimpse into the past and a feeling for the daily lives of early mountain settlers. For dinner ahead of the show, make reservations at the Chestnut Grille at Green Park Inn. This historic dining room is paneled in its namesake hardwood, which is now nearly extinct due to blight. In fact, the entire property is a Victorian showcase, with a striking exterior and beautiful lounge. On Fridays and Saturdays, the Green Park Inn hosts local jazz pianist Charlie Ellis to entertain guests and diners. Don’t forget to bring a blanket to the show at Horn In The West! Mountain evenings get chilly fast once the sun goes down. Even if the evening turns out to be warm, you’ll be glad to have a makeshift cushion for the benches! Looking for more? Take in a show with Ensemble Stage or Lees McRae Summer Theatre in Banner Elk. The Performing Arts Series at Appalachian State University features a variety of concerts, readings, plays, and more performances throughout the year. In July, the offerings really ramp up during the Appalachian Summer Festival. Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University Jones House Concert Series in Boone. Railroad Heritage Weekend at Tweetsie Railroad. See more travel ideas on our Itineraries Main Page!
You’ve crossed Grandfather’s Mile-High Swinging Bridge and been hiking at Bass Lake, enjoyed a show at the Shaefer Center and ridden the rails at Tweetsie, and now you’re looking for more. Or perhaps you just like to find those out-of-the-way gems first. Below, we’ve outlined a great weekend of activities and sights that are sometimes overlooked, but should definitely be experienced! You’ll get a good dose of local history, culture, and personality, as well as leg-stretching activity with this lineup.
Blowing Rock and the High Country are known for being outdoor destinations, so rainy days can stump folks looking for entertainment. But there’s still LOTS to do in the area! We’ve listed over 40 links below as suggestions to enjoy a rainy day around here. If it’s a light passing rain, you may consider ignoring it! Wear a rain-proof jacket and some water resistant shoes and enjoy the views on Blue Ridge Parkway, visit the attraction you planned to see, or take that hike. Truly, there is something magical about the Appalachian woodlands in wet conditions. Mists hang low in the valleys, and new greens shimmer in the damp. If there is thunder and lightning, however, be sure to take cover indoors immediately. And heavy rains can quickly lead to flash flood conditions in the mountains, so head indoors for heavy rain, too. One of our fantastic local restaurants is always a great place for waiting out a storm! Since not all rain can be ignored and sometimes you need something to do while waiting it out, here’s that list of indoor things for those rainy days! Some can take up large blocks of the day, and others may be a quick stop while the clouds clear a bit more. –Blowing Rock Art & History Museum– see rotating and ever-changing exhibits, or check schedule for special programming or classes. Free admission! –Mystery Hill has more to offer than ever, with the all-weather Tomahawk Hill, and a snack bar with local goodies. You’ll still find the wild Mystery House, incredible artifacts collections, and hands-on science fun. –Shoppes on the Parkway – Covered walkways make shopping in the rain a dry experience. –Parkway Craft Center– free crafting demonstrations on the porch in summer, plus a beautiful gallery on the lower floor. Free upstairs tours available on weekends May-October with reservations. Inside the historic mansion of Moses H. Cone, the “Denim King.” –Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage– From Memorial Day through Labor Day, find free art shows at Edgewood Cottage on Main Street, next to the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. Step inside and meet different High Country artists each week. Art for every interest (and budget)! –Gem Mining– Doc’s Rocks in Blowing Rock has lots of indoor flumes! –Indoor Golf- Tee 2 Green Indoor Golf is a state of the art facility with over 700 golf courses programmed into their computers. –Bowling– High Country Lanes in Boone or Cardinal Lanes in West Jefferson. –Linville Caverns– Always rain-free and 52 degrees inside. See incredible formations and learn some interesting geology and local history at NC’s only show caverns. –Country Retreat Family Billiards– a family-friendly business with high-quality pool tables and an in-house restaurant. –Center 45 Climbing– indoor climbing facility in Boone with a variety of skill levels –Mysterium Escape Adventure– An escape room puzzle experience in downtown Boone –Original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis- built in 1883. Don’t forget the Candy Barrel at the Annex! –Theater– Show at Ensemble Stage, Performing Arts Series at Appalachian State University, or Lees McRae Summer Theatre –Local coffee– Bald Guy Brew or Camp Coffee are two local coffee shops and roasteries in Blowing Rock. Boone is also home to several locally-owned and corporate coffee shops- ask a local for a recommendation! –Spa treatment– Westglow Spa, a Relais & Chateau property, and Chetola Spa offer a wide variety of treatments. Boone offers some day-spa and beauty bar spots as well. –Antique hunting- the Blowing Rock Antique Center and downtown shops offer lots of beautiful finds. Also try the Boone Antique Mall on King Street, or Hidden Valley Antique Mall near Foscoe. –Galleries– make your own self-guided tour, there are so many to see in Blowing Rock, Boone, Foscoe, and Banner Elk. –Winery tasting rooms- See our winery information page for details on three local wineries. –Jones House– historic house and cultural center in Boone, with a regular concert series. –Turchin Center– Visual arts museum on King Street in Boone, part of the Appalachian State University campus. –Ashe County Cheese– Take a look inside the factory and see cheese being made. –Children’s Playhouse– Indoor family play center in Boone. –Movies– Regal Cinema in Boone or Parkway Theater in West Jefferson –Churches of the Frescoes– Two small churches in Ashe County with renowned fresco paintings by Ben Long inside. –Local Breweries– Blowing Rock Brewing in Blowing Rock; Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Lost Province Brewing, and Booneshine Brewing in Boone, Boonedocks Brewery and New River Brewing in West Jefferson, and Kettell Beerworks in Banner Elk. –Watch fudge being made at Kilwin’s in Blowing Rock. –Watch candles being made at High Country Candles in Blowing Rock. Don’t forget that the mountains often make rainy conditions very spotty. It may be pouring in one place, and sunny just a few miles down the road. It’s common to hear around here, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes.” See more travel ideas on our Main Itineraries Page!
© 2024, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
