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Festivals & Events
Our cabin in Spruce Pine NC is located right in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the numerous Western North Carolina festivals and cultural events hosted here each and every year. Visitors to our cabin are encouraged to take advantage of the exciting events in Spruce Pine and the surrounding areas. On this page we’ve detailed some of the more popular festivals and events close to our cabin, along with dates. The next time you’re in the area, be sure to check out what events are happening in the area. There’s always something unique and exciting coming up.

Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair
The Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair is usually held during the first weekend of August at Mt. Mitchell in Burnsville. Those with an appreciation for traditional local crafts should not miss this event. Here you’ll find handmade quilts, pottery, woven baskets, and just about any other handmade craft you can think of. Burnsville is only about 20 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, and about 35 miles northeast of Asheville. Over 225 artisans fill the historic main streets of Burnsville to showcase their crafts each year. There is also free live entertainment, featuring an array of traditional mountain music and dance, including bluegrass, folk, gospel, clog dancing, and others. A variety of delicious food is provided by local non-profit organizations, local restaurants, and professional food vendors. Sales from refreshments benefit several service programs and nonprofit groups.

Toe River Arts Council
Each year on the first full weekend in December and the second full weekend in June, the Toe River Arts Council sponsors the Toe River Studio Tour. The tour takes place all through Yancey and Mitchell counties, including the areas of Penland, Burnsville, Spruce Pine, Celo, and Bakersville. Over 100 artists showcase their work each year, including blown glass, pottery, sculptures, baskets, ironworks, paintings, photographs, textiles, and even more! All you need to take along with you is a tour map, outlining the craft trail, and then just follow the arrowed signs. In the days before the tour an interactive map will be posted online with a list of participating artists and galleries.

Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival
The Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival is truly one of the most beautiful events in all of Western North Carolina. The first festival was held in June of 1947, and the tradition has carried on each year since during the third or fourth weekend of June, depending on the peak of the rhododendron bloom. Originally the festival was held at the top of Roan Mountain, but in recent years it has been in Roan Mountain State Park at the base of the mountain. Here you’ll find a variety of handmade crafts, delicious homemade food, and some of the best traditional music and performances you’ll see all year. The festival is carried out by the Roan Mountain Citizens Club as a way to celebrate the most beautiful spectacle in the Appalachian Mountains. Hundreds of Catawba Rhododendrons spread over the mountain, each boasting a hundred or more clusters of gorgeous flowers. The unique shape of the bush makes them appear as though they have been hand pruned to have the perfect round shape, yet no human hand has pruned the plants.

Fire on the Mountain Blacksmith Festival
Spruce Pine plays host to the annual ‘Fire on the Mountain’ festival in late April to celebrate the rich heritage of North Carolina blacksmiths. There’s something here to entertain the whole family; you can watch demonstrations, participate in hands-on activities, eat some delicious local food, and purchase locally made blacksmith art. The Blue Ridge Mountains create the perfect springtime backdrop for Spruce Pine, as the mountains have come to life during the month of April.

NC Mineral and Gem Festival
Another annual Spruce Pine festival is the North Carolina Mineral and Gem Festival, held in late July or Early August. This is a popular event for rockhounds from all over the country. Here you can watch gem faceting demonstrations, browse through the exhibits including historic mining exhibits, purchase jewelry, mineral specimens, and lapidary supplies, and even enjoy some food in the air conditioned dining area.

Woolly Worm Festival
Perhaps the most unique festival in the Western North Carolina Mountains, the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk draws 25,000 people each October. The main event is definitely the woolly worm races, where contestants can enter their own worm for $5. The winner of all the races takes home a cash prize of $500, and then the worms stripes are “read” to predict the upcoming winter by local Charles Von Canon. Over the last 21 years he has a prediction rate of 90%! The festival also features live music, great food, and tons of fun!