11.19.09
Mystery Hill
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Entertainment & Attractions, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts, Local Businesses tagged Banner Elk, Festiva Resorts, Blue Ridge Village, Boone, Mystery Hill at 12:01 am by festivabannerelk
Boone is never short of mystery and intrigue when attempting to find attractions. One attraction that has been around for over 50 years is Mystery Hill, nestled at the base of a mountain in between Boone and Blowing Rock. This house has several attractions, but is most noted for its obvious defiance of gravity. While staying at Festiva Resorts’ Blue Ridge Village for your relaxing getaway, Mystery Hill is a must-see stop along the way.
The house has a stronger pull to the North, making all things seem out of shape, and even a little backwards. The first thing you come to upon entering the house is a platform on which people of equal heights can stand and one will appear taller than the other because of the gravitational pulls. Once inside the house, a mass of confusion sets in as you try to walk around. You can lean your body almost 45 degrees parallel to the floor without falling over. Within the house, you can watch water move from a lower point to a higher point and even see a ball roll up hill! A swing fixed within the mystery room demonstrates the gravitational pull by positioning itself at a very odd angle. Many have tried to define the unique balance within the house, but to this day it still remains a mystery.
After passing through the Mystery House, you come into the Hall of Mystery. This room (the gravitational force is back to normal here) contains many illusions and other sleight of hand tricks to amuse and dazzle the young and old alike. You can leave your shadow on a wall, or find yourself inside a giant bubble. Along with these attractions are also ones such as the “spooky spigot” and “magic light bulb.” One thing is for sure; everyone is bound to leave puzzled and perplexed over the mysteries that surround Mystery Hill. Admission is only $8 for adults and $6 for children, with those under 4 admitted for free.
11.09.09
All Aboard!
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Entertainment & Attractions, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts tagged Amusement Parks, Banner Elk, Blue Ridge Village, Boone, Festiva Resorts, Tweetsie Railroad at 1:49 pm by festivabannerelk
Even in the fast paced society we live in, there’s still a place for old fashioned fun at Tweetsie Railroad in Boone, North Carolina. Tweetsie has been open for more than 50 years, and has provided entertainment for the young and old alike. Although Tweetsie is known mainly for its train rides, there are many more attractions and entertainment venues.
Live entertainment is in no short supply at the park. Diamond Lil’s Can-Can revue presents the world famous Tweetsie Can-Can dancers, along with toe tapping musical entertainment. The Tweetsie Can-Can dancers are full of high kicks and dazzling skills. The music featured in the shows is the classic western music from the 1800’s, and guests are welcome to sing along. Between the live shows, classic movies play on the screen for your enjoyment. Along with the Can-Can Dancers, Tweetsie also features the Tweetsie Cloggers’ performances.
For the young and young at heart, come check out Hopper and Porter’s Musical Celebration. They present their story in a live musical, as Hopper the Tweetsie Engineer and Porter the Tweetsie Conductor.
For mystery fans, Professor Peppercorn’s Magical Extravaganza is sure to dazzle and awe audiences. This new addition to Tweetsie will feature sleight-of-hand tricks and illusions.
If live shows are not your cup of tea, Tweetsie also provides an amusement park for thrill seekers, with rides compatible for children as well. The amusement park features many classic fair rides, such as the Tilt-A-Whirl and Merry-Go-Round. For the more daring, the Tornado will have you spinning at mind-boggling speeds while off the ground. The Free Fall takes you to the top, with a view to rival many others, and then unexpectedly drops passengers in a zero gravity capacity.
There are many shops to purchase souvenirs as well as many eateries and small kiosks set up throughout the park for food and beverage refreshment.
Call the Blue Ridge Village today, or visit www.tweetsie.com. Ticket prices, park hours, and season passes are available online.
11.01.09
The Blowing Rock
Posted in Entertainment & Attractions, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts tagged Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Blue Ridge Village, Festiva Resorts, Natural Attractions at 11:13 am by festivabannerelk
The mountains are known for their mystery and intrigue. Not falling short of this stereotype, The Blowing Rock near Banner Elk, N.C., is one anomaly that defies gravity and continues to baffle tourists year round. The Blowing Rock has been featured on Ripley’s Believe it or Not and has been dubbed the only place in the world where “snow falls upside down.” Its name comes from the ever-present upward blowing wind that can be felt there.
The Blowing Rock is a cliff that sits 4,000 feet above sea level. It overhangs John’s River Gorge, which is 3,000 feet below. The phenomenon can only be explained due to the rocky walls of the gorge, and how they form a structure similar to a flume in which Northwest wind flows through with such a force that it returns lightweight objects that are thrown over the edge of the cliff.
Legend has it that a Chickasaw young maiden met a Cherokee Indian one day while he was below in the gorge. She shot arrows playfully down to him and they soon became lovers. One afternoon while both were standing on the cliff, the sky reddened. This warning brought great trouble to the Cherokee warrior, for he felt it was a sign he needed to return to his tribe’s home.
Plagued by his commitment to his duty with his people, and his love for the lady, he leaped from the Rock, surely plummeting to his death. The girl, stricken with grief, prayed daily to the Great Spirit to bring her lover back to her. One evening, as the reddening sky returned, a gust of wind blew her lover back up unto the cliff and back into her arms. Since that day, a wind has blown up through the flume, even causing the wind to make the snow fall reverse.
The park is open year around, daily from April through mid-January. Mid-January through March the Blowing Rock is only open on weekends, weather permitting. The park not only features the natural phenomenon, but an assortment of other activities.
At the park you’ll find the garden waterfall, and observation tower and beautiful Natural trails. You can explore gardens that boast many plant species native only to the Western North Carolina region. A gift shop also supplies refreshments and snacks for patrons, or you can pack a lunch and picnic in the designated areas.
The Blowing Rock is just a short distance from the Blue Ridge Village, and is a must for those visiting the area. Call for more details or visit www.festivaresorts.com.
10.30.09
Halloween Happenings in the High Country
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Entertainment & Attractions, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts, Holiday Happenings, Local Businesses, Local Events tagged Banner Elk, Blue Ridge Village, Festiva Resorts, Halloween at 9:36 am by festivabannerelk
The weekend of Halloween is a busy one in the high country, as many activities are being offered in the area to make your Halloween special!
The Boone Mall will be open to trick-or-treaters October 31st from 5pm to 7pm. This will be a safe environment to bring the children and allow them to celebrate Halloween and pick up some ghoulish goodies. There will be a costume contest, starting at 6pm with gift certificates to the mall as prizes. Also available will be the Pumpkin House, a not so frightening fun house for small children. Make up Artist Tom Lanno will be there at 2pm, to work a little magic and turn the alive into the undead. The Boone mall is located at 1180 Blowing Rock Road in Boone.
Trunk-or-Treat in Banner Elk. The 5th annual Trunk-or-Treat will be held this year at the Tate-Evans Park for all ages. It’s from 5:30pm to 8pm, and is a one stop shop for all your Halloween events. Visitors are encouraged to decorate their cars, and prizes will be given for the best decorated ghostmobile. Those registering a decorated vehicle need to be there between 4:30pm and 5:00pm. There will be loads of candy for the trick-0r-treaters, and all visitors are encouraged to bring more. This year’s Haunted House boasts a bigger and better one than last year. There will also be a jack-a-lantern contest, and a costume contest for the children. The costume categories will be: prettiest, scariest, cutest, and most original.
DownTown Boo!! The events will start at 2pm at the Watauga County Library. There will be songs, activities, and even scary story readings for the children. At 3pm, the ghosts and ghouls will then have a parade that takes everyone to the Jones House, and from there trick-or-treating at all the local merchants until 5pm. Participating businesses will display streams, banners and balloons.
Hope everyone has a safe and scary Halloween!!
For more information or to book a room for Halloween in the High Country, call the Blue Ridge Village or visit www.festivaresorts.com
10.25.09
One way ticket to FRIGHT!
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Entertainment & Attractions, Family Fun, Festiva Adventure Club, Festiva Resorts, Holiday Happenings, Resort Activities tagged Banner Elk, Blue Ridge Village, Festiva Resorts, Halloween, Tweetsie Ghost Train, Tweetsie Railroad at 9:14 pm by festivabannerelk
If you’re visiting the Blue Ridge Village this Halloween, a great place to take in the spooks and sounds is the Tweetsie Ghost Train.
Each October, Tweetsie turns the normal theme park into a Thrill park, with many attractions. The most famous is the Ghost Train, when they actually dress up the train and take a mysterious ride through the park. This isn’t the only spooktacular exhibit they have.
Also available for the bold and the brave are the 3-D Maze, Black Hole, Freaky Forest, a Haunted Hause, and even trick-or-treating for the kids.
If screams and heart-pumping action aren’t your cup of tea, never fear. Tweetsie also has Halloween Shows for all ages. The Tweetsie Palace Spectacular will also be available, along with Creepy Carnival rides. Your admission ticket allows for as many rides and tours as you can handle.
Tweetsie boasts safe and scary fun for the whole family. Tickets are $26 per person, and children under 2 are admitted free. Get there early, as they only admit a certain number of people for the festivities. The train rides start at 8 pm and then run every 30 minutes until the park closes.
To ensure you don’t miss out, you can purchase tickets ahead of time at www.tweetsie.com
Call the Blue Ridge Village for more details.
10.14.09
32nd Annual Woolly Worm Festival
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts, Local Events tagged Banner Elk, Blue Ridge Village, Festiva Resorts, Woolly Worm Festival at 10:08 am by festivabannerelk
Woolly Worms are often found during the fall months, and are rather cute creatures. They’re furry, and display the colors of brown and black. Many people think that Woolly Worms turn into butterflies, but they in fact, turn into moths.
Woolly Worms are actually referred to as the “Banded Woolly Bear” caterpillar, and are just one stage in the process of transforming into Isabella tiger moths. They hatch from their eggs in the fall, and a protective layer allows them to survive through the winters, transforming into the moth in the spring. They are not poisonous creatures, so it is safe to handle them, however don’t be surprised if one plays dead once you pick it up, a natural defense mechanism against predators.
Folklore has it that you can predict weather by the Woolly Worm’s bands. If the Woolly Worm has a thick brown band in the middle, winter will be mild. If however, the bands are thin, it is said that the winters will be harsh.
The Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival is held the 3rd weekend in October, and offers many festivities for the participants. There will be over 140 craft and food vendors this year at the festival. Some of the vendors will have displays for stained glass, pottery, photography and much more. The children’s play arena will also be expanded, allowing more activities for children, such as face painting and games. Sunday will feature noted local musicians, The John Schuffer Band. Tickets for the concert will be available at the festival.
Probably the most famous tradition at the Woolly Worm Festival is the Woolly Worm race. You can enter your own Woolly Worm in the race, and the winner receives a $1,000 prize! The winning Woolly Worm will also be the predictor of our impending winter weather. Sunday there will be a second race, with the winner receives a $500 prize. Be sure to arrive early to register your Woolly Worm.
Call Festiva Resorts’ Blue Ridge Village for more information, or to book your room for the weekend of the festivities.
09.28.09
An apple a Day
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts, Local Events tagged Apple Festival, Banner Elk, Blue Ridge Village, Boone NC, Festiva Resorts, Horn in the West at 1:38 am by festivabannerelk
It hasn’t been scientifically proven that this old adage is true, but at the Hickory Ridge Homestead Apple Festival, you’re bound to have a great time. The Apple Festival comes to town once a year in Boone, North Carolina.
The festival this year will be held October 3rd, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. This festival brings people from all over to enjoy a piece of history as you watch apples being pressed into the freshest apple juice known to man, or learn how apple butter is cooked over open fires. If you prefer your apples baked, there will also be a pie eating contest (apple, of course) during the day.
There is also an apple peeling contest (apparently it is possible to peel an apple without breaking the skin…but you’ll never know unless you attend the festival).
The festival is held at the outdoor drama arena set for Horn in the West, so visitors will also get to see exhibits and experience what it was like to live during the 1700’s. There will also be live music to enjoy.
Call the Blue Ridge Village today for more details, and head down to the Apple Festival this year, one sure sign that Fall is right around the corner.
09.26.09
There’s no place like home
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts, Local Events tagged Autumn at Oz, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, Blue Ridge Village, Wizard of Oz at 2:08 am by festivabannerelk
At a special event in Beech Mountain that only happens two days a year, the Wizard of Oz comes to town for the Autumn at Oz Festival. This year the event takes place October 4 – 5 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Take a stroll along the yellow brick road and meet some of the characters you remember from the movie. Shake hands with the Cowardly Lion or snap a photo with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry.
This special event is great for the young to experience one of the greatest cinematic wonders of all time, and for the older to experience nostalgia as you gaze upon the munchkins. Visitors are asked to park in the field across the street from Beech Mountain Town Hall, and admission is $15 (free for children under age 3). Proceeds go to pay for the restorations of such a unique little place.
Tours usually last anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. There will be concession stands open for refreshments and great food you only find at festivals. Along with the concession stands, there will be vendors set up with Oz merchandise, and you can even test your knowledge with Oz trivia!
Children (or adults) will be able to have their face painted, and there will be live music and square dancing to finish off a magical day in Oz land. Oz like costumes are appreciated! So find your gingham printed dress and ruby red slippers, and head over to the Oz Festival in Beech Mountain, just a short drive from the Blue Ridge Village. Call the Blue Ridge Village for more details or to book a room for the weekend.
And remember, you aren’t in Kansas anymore!
09.16.09
Oktoberfest comes to Sugar Mountain!
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Entertainment & Attractions, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts, Holiday Happenings, Local Events tagged Banner Elk, Blue Ridge Village, Festiva Resorts, Oktoberfest, Sugar Mountain at 2:23 pm by festivabannerelk
The 19th annual Oktoberfest will be held at Sugar Mountain October 10th and 11th, 2009. The festival holds entertainment for adults and children alike. There will be hay rides for the children, along with inflatable obstacle courses. The local celebrities Sugar Bear and Sweetie Bear will also be there to meet and greet the children.
Along with activities for children, several local vendors will be set up at the festival to sell handmade goods and show off their exquisite craftsmanship. Products available will range from homemade beeswax candles and wooden toys to ceramic pottery and oil paintings. There will also be live music for those wanting to dance! The ski lift will be open during the festival so that you are able to see Banner Elk from the top of Sugar Mountain, 5300 feet up!
No Oktoberfest is complete without the authentic German food. Vendors will be selling famous cuisine from Germany, such as Bratwurst, Knackwurst, Sauerkraut, German potato salads, and pretzels. Make sure to bring your stein, as there will also be beer available for purchase.
Admission and parking are free. Call the Blue Ridge Village or Festiva Resorts today to book your room in advance, as space is limited! You can also visit www.festivaresorts.com.
A few German phrases to prepare you for the festival:
Guten Tag! : Good day!
Hallo! : Hello!
Auf Wiedersehen : Goodbye
Bitte : Please
Danke : Thank you
Einen Schonen tag allerseits! : Have a nice day!
Guten appetit! : Enjoy the meal!
Ja : Yes
Nein : No
Hope to see you there at the 19th annual Oktoberfest!
09.09.09
17th Annual Avery County Fair
Posted in Banner Elk, NC, Entertainment & Attractions, Family Fun, Festiva Resorts, Local Events tagged Agriculture event, Avery County, Avery County Fair, Banner Elk, Blue Ridge Village, Carnival, County Fairs, Festiva Resorts, Horticulture Event, Nascar, Petting Zoo at 1:21 am by festivabannerelk
The Blue Ridge Village in Banner Elk, a Festiva Resort, is situated ideally for all sorts of fall excursions. About 15 miles from the Blue Ridge Village, the 17th annual Avery County Agriculture and Horticulture Fair will be held from Sept. 08 through Sept. 12.
The fair is located in Newland and will feature carnival rides, games, food and a variety of great music from local and regional artists to a few nationally known musicians. There will be exhibits ranging from canned goods, baked goods and all sorts of artwork and crafts, all made by the hands of skilled locals. Their exquisite talent and country style will be shown throughout the booths at the fair. There will also be a judging contest, in which blue ribbons will be handed out.
The carnival portion of the fair will feature over 20 rides. Along with the endless entertainment, the fair will also feature a petting zoo complete with exotic animals, and even a NASCAR demonstration.
The fairgrounds open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and at 12 noon on Saturday. Rides start at 6 p.m. through the week and 1 p.m. on the weekend. Unlimited ride bands are available for $15, in addition to individual tickets. Admission to the fairgrounds is $6 for ages 13 and up, 6-12 are only $3, and under 6 are free! The fairgrounds are located at Heritage Park in Newland, found off of Hwy 194. Call the Blue Ridge Village for more details!
