WNC MOUNTAINS | WHERE TO BE IN '23 - EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

MARCH 17

Beer Train to Dillsboro

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot in Bryson City

Join us for the St. Patrick's Day Special Edition Smoky Mountain Beer Run! A unique train ride celebrating all things CRAFT BEER and for ONE DAY ONLY, St. Patrick’s Day. Make sure to wear something green for good luck!

This specialty experience aboard our Railroad includes three samples of local craft beer from Innovation Brewing in Dillsboro, North Carolina. Your table will receive a wonderfully crafted Irish nibbler tray perfect for sharing.

MARCH 25

Cottontail Market

Waynesville

Come visit hundreds of local vendors! Cottontail Market is a one-day market offering a wide variety of vintage, antiques, handmade jewelry, furniture, home decor, boutique clothing, food trucks, and much more!

APRIL 1

Assault on the Carolinas

Downtown Brevard

The Assault on the Carolinas is a popular bike ride and annual fundraiser for the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club. They offer 100k and 50k rides. This is a fully supported ride with 5 well-stocked rest stops and a full meal after the ride.

APRIL 7-8

Bunny Hopper Express

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot in Bryson City

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad welcomes back The Bunny Hopper Express Easter Train April 7 & 8! This 4 and half-hour round trip special event train departs the historic Bryson City Depot at 10:30 am and will travel through the Smoky Mountains to our picturesque layover destination, for Easter-themed activities and Egg Hunt.

Passengers will be on the lookout for those train-hopping bunnies who have snuck on to take a free ride! Festivities include an Easter egg hunt with prizes, a give-away bag with activities to enjoy during the train ride, and a yummy Easter treat for our junior railroaders to enjoy at the layover. There will also be plenty of opportunities for pictures with our bunny hoppers, so do not forget your camera!

APRIL 22

Greening Up the Mountain Festival

Bridge Park, Town of Sylva

The Greening Up the Mountains Festival, now in its 25th year, is a heritage arts festival that celebrates the arrival of Spring through both traditional and contemporary forms of Appalachian art, music, food, and beverage which honor our community and local artisans. The festival is sponsored by both the Town of Sylva and the Main Street Sylva Association and will be held in historical downtown Sylva, North Carolina. The Greening Up The Mountains Festival enjoys crowds of upwards of 12,000 attendees and has 175 vendor booth spaces.

MAY 1-31

Festival of Peonies in Bloom

Wildcat Ridge Farm, Clyde

Our farm located at the bank on the Pigeon River specializes in growing, propagating and selling the finest herbaceous peonies and Itoh’s intersectional peonies plants and fresh peony cut flowers. We will be open during May, everyday from 10am to 4pm, it's free and we are inviting all peony lovers to visit our farm.

MAY 20-21

Strawberry Jam

Darnell Farms, Bryson City

Enjoy a full day of fun with local bands, pie eating contest, clogging, mule demonstrations, DreamWhips, strawberry shortcake,food trucks, local craft vendors, hayrides, U-Pick strawberries and more!

MAY 26-28

White Squirrel Weekend

Downtown Brevard Learn More

The beloved White Squirrel Weekend combines a stellar live music line-up, a smorgasbord of tasty offerings from vendors and local craft breweries and an assortment of craft & retail vendors into one fantastic event.