Weekend Mountain Festivals Celebrate Fall Colors, Crafts, NC Heritage and Mountain Music

Get links for these festivals and other weekend events on our NC Events Calendar.

Date: October 6 - 10, 2015
NC City: CHEROKEE
Event: 103rd Annual Cherokee Indian Fair    Part carnival, part art exhibit and agriculture show, this annual fair features artwork, traditional Cherokee food, nightly musical entertainment, rides and games, and of course, fireworks. You’ll find Cherokee white oak baskets, pottery and beadwork, and you’ll marvel and the traditional

photo courtesy www.visitnc.com

Cherokee contests and competitions like the infamous Cherokee Stickball games. Don't miss the Cherokee Fair Parade from 4 - 6 PM on the opening day, 10/6. While you’re on the Ferris wheel, be sure to take in the gorgeous fall foliage that engulfs the Great Smoky Mountains at this time of the year.

Date: October 10, 2015
NC City: TODD
Event: Annual Todd New River Festival    This FREE festival features multiple music performances, storytelling, bluegrass jams, puppet shows, athletic competitions and other recreational events for all to enjoy. More than 30 vendors offer a variety of arts and crafts. Enjoy plenty of NC barbecue and great food. Admission is free. Parking and a shuttle ride to the festival are available for $5 at the field just off Railroad Grade Road from the Highway 194 entrance to Todd.

Date: October 10, 2015
NC City: MARION
Event: 32nd Annual Mountain Glory Festival    The festival covers the court house lawn and 3 blocks of downtown Marion. Browsers and shoppers looking for original handicrafts or handspun enjoyment will find plenty of choice among more than 125 artists, crafters and food booths and a variety of entertainment, from local bluegrass bands playing traditional mountain music to haunting melodies of Native American music. 9:30 AM - 5 PM

Date: October 9 - 11, 2015
NC City: CASHIERS
Event: Cashiers Leaf Festival    Each year, the Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association (known locally a GCAMA, or G-comma) sponsors the Cashiers Leaf Festival. This 3-day event celebrates the beauty of the season that's particularly unique to this area. Featuring arts and crafts from local and regional artisans, food from area restaurants, music from a variety of bands on two main stages, and activities for all ages at various locations throughout the Cashiers Valley, the Cashiers Leaf Festival serves as the centerpiece of the area's Leaf Season.

photo courtesy of Tweetsie Railroad

Date: October 9 - 10, 2015
NC City: BLOWING ROCK
Event: Ghost Train Halloween Festival at Tweetsie Railroad   Advanced ticket purchase is recommended for this very popular event. Fun for the whole family this ghastly special event admission includes: all the nighttime activities in the park - the ride on the Ghost Train, trick-or-treating for the kids, Haunted House, Tweetsie Palace Spooktacular, the rides in the Creepy Carnival, and the attractions in "The Boneyard” section, featuring the Black Hole, 3-D maze, and the “Freaky Forest.”

Date: October 10, 2015
NC City: ASHEVILLE
Event: Hey Day Fall Family Festival at the WNC Nature Center   Enjoy the 37th annual Hey Day Festival featuring live music and dance performances, special animal encounters, educational programs, arts and crafts for the kids, and delicious food from local vendors. Hey Day is the Nature Center's biggest event of the year.

Date: October 10, 2015
NC City: ASHEVILLE
Event: Asheville Oktoberfest   Downtown Asheville's Wall Street will transform into "Little Germany" for the Asheville Downtown Association's 6th Annual Oktoberfest. Internationally-renowned "oompah" band, The Stratton Mountain Boys, returns to the stage with happy yodeling songs, shoe-slapping dances and lively spirited Polka music sure to incite dancing in the street and rousing cheers of "ein Prosit!" The event will feature beer tastings from local breweries including Highland Brewing, Asheville Brewing Company, Pisgah Brewing, Green Man Brewery, Boojum Brewing Company, Noble Cider, Catawba Brewing Company, Craggie Brewing and French Broad Brewing Company. Many brewers are featuring seasonal ales for Oktoberfest, and will be on hand to discuss their beers. Oktoberfest Games are back as well with some old favorites like the Stein Races and Keg-rolling contests as well as some new ones.

image courtesy of High Country Press, www.hcpress.com

Date: October 11, 2015 
NC City: BOONE 
Event: Boone Heritage Festival    Celebrate Appalachian heritage with living history demonstrations, "yarn-spinners," music jams (bring your instrument) and old-time music on stage. Hear award-winning musicians and storytellers of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area perform in the cozy setting of the Coffey Cabin porch. Historical interpreters in period clothing will demonstrate 18th century skills such as spinning and weaving, throwing a tomahawk, shooting a flintlock rifle and more. Make-and-Take Crafts include cornhusk crafts, toddler-size scarecrows, "tin" lanterns, jack-o-lanterns and more. Craft vendors offer authentic items such as alpaca wool apparel, turned wooden bowls, handcrafted soaps, candles, jewelry, handblown glass ornaments, crocheted hats and baby items, books, quilts, wooden furniture, leather items, prints and more. Non-profit exhibitors include conservation, farming and education organizations. Snack on fried apple pies, kettle corn, cotton candy, Scotch eggs, hot dogs and more. Admission, music and storytelling are free. A small fee for hands-on craft activities helps cover the cost of materials.