Woolly Worm Gazette 2015

Woolly Worm Gazette 38TH ANNUAL

in Beautiful Downtown Banner Elk, NC

A special publication of

2015

Saturday, October 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Woolly Worm Gazette

Page 2

Oct. 17-18, 2015

FILE PHOTO

Adam Binder speaks to the crowd as 2014 champion Vince Weyman’s worm, Kwazimodo, is assessed by reader Tommy Burleson.

Woolly, wriggling, wacers warn of weather

BY GARRETT PRICE garrett.price@averyjournal.com

W

ooly, wandering, two-toned worms are wiggling their way out of the woodwork all over the High Country to warn us of winter weather. The time has arrived for another Woolly Worm Festival.

The festival, which has been going strong in the High Country since 1978, has transcended its local, small town roots and firmly planted itself, much like worms on a string, upon the national stage.

Festival co-founder Jim Morton, who spent his first autumn in the area in 1973, was enamoured by the local legend of the woolly worm as a weather forecaster. According to folklore, the 13 segments of a woolly worm correspond with the 13 weeks of winter. Black segments are said to indicate severe weather, while orange or brown segments are indicative of milder weeks.

Morton put the worm to work in Banner Elk when he, along with a group of local merchants, was tasked to find an annual event to bring to the area.

While Morton had faith in the little worm’s accuracy, not all worms tell the same story. Some of the High Country’s woolliest denizens warned of severe winter weather with their solid black coats. Other, perhaps more optimistic worms in the

same area would have more brown on their backs, indicating that the winter would be mild.

While all the worms were woolly, not all the the worms could be right, so Morton set out to find only the best wormy weathermen by means of a race, of course.

It stands to reason, at least to all of those learned in worm lore, that the fastest, most fit woollies will naturally be the most able forecasters of the weather.

So it has been ever since. Woolly worms and their handlers have flocked to Banner Elk every year from all over the world for the chance to win the right to warn the High Country about its upcoming season.

Banner Elk’s small population swells during the festival. More than 20,000 people have attended the past few events. People flock from all over the country, and not just to gratify the olympian ambitions of their woolly worms. The Banner Elk festival has something to offer to the whole family.

In recent years, more than 140 art and craft vendors have been present at the event. Prospective vendors are juried by the Woolly Worm Festival Committee so that only the best handmade items are allowed to be sold. No buy and resell vendors are allowed at the festival.

The festival, while now a mega-modern woolly worm event to rival the very woolliest the world has to offer, had humble

beginnings. The first Wooly Worm Festival took place at Banner Elk Elementary School on a cold and windy day. The festival organizers discovered through their ground-breaking worm research, that woolly worms, like people, aren’t usually too interested in recreational climbing when it is too cold.

Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to impress the importance of the race upon the woolly worms who, while they are endowed with certain meteorological abilities, resolutely don’t speak English.

To combat the cold, which typically hasn’t totally taken hold over the High Country by mid-October, handlers have now learned that worms can be motivated by hot air blown through a straw.

Woolly worms, many festival attendees are surprised to learn, are not actually worms at all, but are the caterpillar larvae of the Isabella Tiger Moth. The worms, like many Hollywood actors gone wrong, prefer to be known for their adolescent work rather than any perceived grown-up shortcomings (although, waking up and finding that you’ve grown wings must be nice).

The worms that festivalgoers race in the fall aren’t just adept at predicting the winter, they are also well equipped to survive it.

Woolly Worms outlast the winter in hibernation. Instead of burrowing deep underground like many animals, they choose

to spend the winter closer to the surface, under rocks, fallen foliage or logs. The worms produce a chemical called cryoprotectant that allows their bodies to totally freeze solid with no adverse effects. Some worms are known to survive as many as 14 winters using this method.

When it decides it is ready and the spring thaw comes, the worm that stuck itself in the freezer emerges as a moth and spends its newly winged life fluttering around lamps and streetlights remembering the glory days when it was a weather-forecasting festival star.

Attempts to found moth festivals have been met with less success than the groundbased competition.

Entering its 38th year, the Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival will be held in downtown Banner Elk Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18. Races will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s grand prize winner will go home with $1,000, while Sunday’s races, which are typically smaller, will award a grand prize of $500.

Worms can be purchased at the festival for $5, but attendees are also welcome to bring their own worm.

For more information, call the Avery County Chamber of Commerce at (828) 898-5605 or click to www.woollyworm. com.

Woolly Worm Gazette

Oct. 17-18, 2015

Page 3

Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival

W

by the numbers

oolly worms are soft, so if you are at the festival and looking for a change, here is some hard data that illustrates the festival high-points. $40,000 to $50,000 — the approximate amount of revenue the festival generates for the Kiwanis Club to spend on local children, communities and charitable events.

1,000 — the approximate amount of worm-trainers that have competed in recent years.

61 — the average temperature in Fahrenheit in Banner Elk for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18.

37 — the number of years that the Woolly Worm Festival has been held. The event started in 1978.

63 — the number of worms that ran in the inaugural race.

8 — the number of heats of worms racing at the inaugural Wooly Worm Festival.

2,000 — the approximate number of

FILE PHOTO

The crowd gathers to watch one of several heats that has upward of 2,000 worms competing for the coveted crowned champion spot This year the 38th champion will be crowned. worms that competed in 2014’s races.

3 to 4 — the number of arts and crafts vendors that participated in the first

festival.

87 — the percentage of times that the winning worm is right — or close to right

— at predicting the upcoming winter’s weather.

20,000 — the number of visitors at recent festivals.

140 — the approximate number of vendors attending the 2015 festival. $1,000 — the grand prize for Saturday’s races. In addition, the winning worms will be given the honor of predicting the weather. $500 — the grand price for Sunday’s races.

42 — the length in inches of the nylon strings up which the worms race.

25 — the number of worms that race in each heat.

67 — the approximate number of heats required to determine a winner.

13 — the number of bands of fur on a woolly worm, that, according to local legend, correspond to the 13 weeks of winter.

1 — the number of Woolly worms that will be crowned champion.

(828) 898-5605 — the number to call with additional questions about the festival and Avery County.

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Woolly Worm Gazette

Page 4

Oct. 17-18, 2015

FILE PHOTO

Winners gather with ‘Merryweather,’the mascot, and ‘Mr. Woolly Worm’ Roy Krege after their worm ‘Delicious’ claimed the winners circle.

Wiggling for winnings Woolly Worm Festival offers cash prizes, attracts thousands to Banner Elk

W

BY GARRETT PRICE garrett.price@averyjournal.com

oolly worms are back in droves for this year’s 38th annual downtown Banner Elk festival. All the best fuzzy racing worms from all over the country have set their sights on the string and are chomping at the bit to get climbing.

Every year worm handlers make the journey to Banner Elk to set their hopes, and worms, on a 42-inch vertical string upon which they hope to win glory, cash and the right to forecast the winter weather.

The races, that take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, award heat winners $20. Those that win heats have the opportunity to advance to the semi-finals, where they can compete for a prize of $100. Those on Saturday that are among the fortunate few that progress through the semifinals can compete in the finals for a grand prize of $1,000.

In addition to the obvious advantage of winning cash prizes, the winning worm that survives Saturday’s op-

ponents will also be declared the “worm of record” and will be used to predict the winter weather for the High Country.

The champion worm’s stripes, black for severe weather and brown for mild weather will be examined and interpreted by former North Carolina State University star basketball player, Tommy Burleson.

Burleson, an Avery County native, was a member of the 1972 Olympic basketball team and stands more than seven-feet tall.

“Mr. Woolly Worm,” sometimes known by his given name, Roy Krege, also helps to read the worms. Krege contends that you can put a woolly worm against any professional weather forecaster.

“You can’t beat nature for predicting the weather,” Krege said.

The fun isn’t over after Saturday’s last heat, the races are slated to continue through Sunday as well.

Sunday’s heats, which also begins at 9 a.m., award $20 per heat victory and will pay out $500 to the ultimate winner. Typically, there are fewer contestants on Sunday, so participants have a greater chance for victory.

For more information about the Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival, click to www.woollyworm.com, or call the Avery County Chamber of Commerce at (828) 8985605.

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Woolly Worm Gazette

Oct. 17-18, 2015

Page 5

Twicks and tips to twain a winning worm

BY MATT DEBNAM matt.debnam@averyjournal.com

“I

hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

These words from heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali ring true when it comes to the twaining and wacing of woolly worms.

While raising a champion can be tough work, the fortune and glory that follows make the rigorous workout routines endured by the lovable six-legged competitors well worth the while.

Festivalgoers have spent the past 37 years feverishly working to discover what goes into a winning worm, but only 37 worms have held the elite distinction of being named grand champion and ultimate weather predictor.

Every winning worm experience begins, however, with a question: “Where is the best location to find a championship-caliber worm?”

The simplest answer is in the form of another question: “Why not purchase a worm from those selling them onsite?”

One of the many great facets of each year’s Woolly Worm Festival is that worms are available for purchase onsite. Many people are not aware that each year local kids are invited to take time to go out into the community and painstakingly choose the best and brightest woolly worms. These worms are then bought back by Avery Chamber of Commerce and offered for sale to attendees looking to pick out a champion racer.

Now that the question of where to get a worm has been answered, here are a few ways of improving your shot of taking home some cash and bragging rights of having the winning worm on race day:

PHOTO SUBMITTED PHOTO SUBMITTED

Proper woolly-worm handling by owners is crucial to enhancing chances of success on race day.

Cupping a woolly worm inside of one’s hands acts as a warming mechanism and increases activity by the worm just prior to racing on a 42-inch string.

1. A frisky woolly worm is a fast woolly worm. Make sure that your worm moves around a lot, and you can bet your buttons he’ll be fast on a string.

2. Keep your woolly worm moving before the race. Keep him in a container with lots of sticks and things to climb.

3. The biggest does not always mean the fastest. According to “Mr. Woolly Worm,” Roy Krege, a woolly worm not even an inch long was a heat winner in previous years.

4. Keep your caterpillar close to home. Should you decide to venture out to pick your own woolly worm in nature, make sure you notice what kind of plant you find him on. Take a

piece of that plant and put it in his container.

5. Make sure your woolly worm has plenty of moisture. No one can win a race thirsty.

6. Keep your woolly worm energized with plenty of fresh greens. Try feeding him the plant you found him on or dandelion leaves.

7. Keep your woolly worm warm. Many contestants in the past have done this by cupping the woolly worm in their hands and blowing in air to keep them heated. It’s like a worm sauna.

8. Name him something fast, fierce or lucky. If you’re superstitious at all, the name is quite important. Creativity

is key. If you can’t think of a name, try something like “Woolly Mammoth,” “Woolly Nelson” or “Woollywinyes.”

9. Wish for sunshine. The

Former Woolly Worm Festival champion Armstrong possessed the perfect mix of speed and stamina en route to winning top prize and weather-predicting honors. fastest woolly worm always performs best in bright sun. If the sun is shining directly on the board, the woolly worm can race three feet in less than a minute.

As the sun goes down and temperatures drop, the caterpillars curl up to keep warm.

10. Age does not matter.

Whether you are age 5 or 85, you can pick a quick woolly worm. Everyone has their own strategy. Think of what you would want if you were the worm and make it work.

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Woolly Worm Gazette

Page 6

Oct. 17-18, 2015

FILE PHOTO

Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival awards money to the owners of champion worms each year, but of greater lasting value are the funds awarded to local schools and agencies each year for projects and educational needs.

Woolly weturns

Woolly Worm Festival brings funds to area businesses and non-profits

F

BY MATT DEBNAM matt.debnam@averyjournal.com

or 38 years, the Woolly Worm Festival has been a memorable time of fun and entertainment for all who attend. Although the event may appear from an outsider’s perspective to be largely fun and games, the reality is that this event draws not only crowds, but dollars as well. Once the expenses have been paid, and money is set aside for the following year, the additional funds taken in at the festival are donated to a number of causes and organizations that directly benefit the people of Avery County.

According to Mary Jo Brubaker, president of the Wooly Worm Festival Committee, the annual Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival generates an estimated $250,000 of economic impact to the county each year.

“The economic impact on the community is great.” Brubaker said. “Usually all the hotels and bead and breakfasts are full. The restaurants do landslide business. The Kangaroo runs out of Diet Coke.”

This past year, approximately $100,000 was brought in by the festival.

After settling bills and setting aside funds for improvements at this year’s event, the committee paid out $90,000, which was

split between the Avery County Chamber of Commerce and the Banner Elk Kiwanis. While the chamber will use its funds to promote business and tourism in the area, the Banner Elk Kiwanis, consistent to its mission statement, will pass along every penny of its $45,000 proceeds to benefit kids and families in Avery county.

Speaking of how these funds are allocated, Brubaker said that each school in Avery County receives a grant to use for projects of their choice. Grants are also awarded to local agencies such as Feeding Avery Families and Reaching Avery Ministeries, both of which use funds to purchase food and necessities for struggling families in the area.

“Each year, Kiwanis seeks to help the community through awarding grants and assisting those in need,” longtime Banner Elk Kiwanian and “Mr. Woolly Worm” Roy Krege said. “From the Woolly Worm Festival to our Fourth of July Book Drive, Kiwanis is about giving back to those in our local communities what we have been blessed to receive.”

Another way that Kiwanis has impacted children in Avery County has been by distributing three books of each child’s choice every school year to every child enrolled from age pre-K through fifth grade in Avery County Schools, as well as at Williams and Grandfather academies.

“Kiwanis has always been passionate

about the theme ‘Reading is Fundamental,’ and we use funds to help children in our schools to be able to have access to their own books that they can read and enjoy,” Krege added.

For the schools, the funds are a much needed and appreciated boost during a time of tightening budgets that causes demands to outweigh supplies in the classroom.

“The impact that is made by Kiwanis and the Woolly Worm Festival is tremendous. It is absolutely amazing, and allows teachers in schools to do things that funding that is currently in place just doesn’t allow them to do,” Avery County Schools Superintendent David Burleson said. “Teachers can do extraordinary programs for kids. They can get funding for many of their projects, but for that little extra needed for efforts and projects in the classroom the Woolly Worm funds help them to make the projects happen.

The Woolly Worm Fund and Kiwanis have always been a strong source of support to the schools and in the community, and those involved partner with us in recognizing that impact to Avery County; it starts with our youngest citizens.”

The Woolly Worm Committee takes its commitment to giving back to the community seriously, and through the years has helped myriad groups to aid children and help provide for their needs.

The Avery Chamber of Commerce uses its portion of the funds to help with day-to-day operation of the chamber, in addition to aid in promoting tourism and travel to Avery County and the surrounding area through media, brochures, billboards and other methods.

Festival officials make concerted efforts to make sure expenses incurred are steered and geared toward using local merchants and businesses to help generate income for businesses here at home.

“The impact on the community is just fantastic, and I don’t think people really realize what the proceeds go toward, despite signage that discuss the different organizations and groups that receive the money,” Brubaker said,. “Funds go to sponsor Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League Baseball, the Key Club at the high school and a variety of mini-grants through the local schools. Thousands of dollars go out to teachers to do projects with their classes that they otherwise would not have funding from the school board or the state to accomplish, as well as agencies within the county that provide food for families so children are well fed at home and to my personal favorite project, the RIF program.”

For more information, call the Avery County Chamber of Commerce at (828) 898-5605, or click to www.woollyworm. com.

Oct. 17-18, 2015

Woolly Worm Gazette

Page 7

Wules and wegulations

E

BY GARRETT PRICE garrett.price@averyjournal.com

very year at Banner Elk’s famous Woolly Worm festival, thousands of the eponymous crawling creatures climb strings to earn their owners some cash, not to mention the right to predict the upcoming winter’s weather.

With prizes on the line, race organizers at the festival have implemented a strict set of rules and regulations to ensure a good, clean competition.

First off, those wishing to enter a worm into competition must obtain, train and register their worm. Although the festival will have worms available for sell onsite, entrants are allowed to bring their own worms from home.

Those wishing to compete must pay a $5 entrance fee and have a name ready for their worm— which, if you choose to bring one from home, you’ve probably already accomplished. Festival organizers remind racers that the more creative the name, the better.

Worm trainers who are serious about the race should register early, as there are a limited amount of spots available. A maximum of 25 worms compete in each heat

FILE PHOTO

Tommy Burleson, left, and Roy Krege, right, explain the ‘wules and wegulations’ to the participants. Burleson has officiated the festival for more than three decades. and the number of heats are determined by the number of those wishing to compete and the weather.

Only genuine, honest, 100-percent verified woolly worms will be allowed to compete. The festival makes no exceptions for genetic modification or species variation. To ensure that the fuzzy worm you are

handling is indeed a proper woolly worm, check that it has 13 segments and some color variation of orange and black. If it has more or fewer segments then it is recommended that you replace the worm gently back where you found it, as it cannot be guaranteed that all worm wrangling is safe.

At the beginning of each heat, worms are

placed at the bottom of a vertical string on the race board. When the starting signal is given, worm handlers are allowed to release their worms. The worm, string and board are not allowed to be touched during the race but worm drivers are encouraged to yell, scream, whistle or blow on their worms with a drinking straw. The “Rocky” theme and the pre-battle speech from “Braveheart” are also found to be very inspiring to worms.

The first worm to reach the top of the string will be declared the winner by the main race judges that include Tommy Burleson, who has officiated the festival for more than three decades.

Burleson, who stands seven-feet, fourinches tall, is one of the only people who can accurately judge the races dramatic climaxes which take place at the top of a tall race board.

The regulation string upon which the wooly worms will make their ascent is designed to have the texture and tension of a strand of milkweed. Festival founder Jim Morton was inspired to go down this path after watching two woolly worms climb a stalk of milkweed in the wild and wondering which would get to the top more quickly.

Woolly Worm Gazette

Page 8

Oct. 17-18, 2015

High Vantage Point Burleson provide unique view of Festival races

BY MATT DEBNAM matt.debnam@averyjournal.com

E

ach third weekend in October, more than 1,000 worms climb strings at the Woolly Worm Festival. Their aims are nothing less than fame, fortune and eternal glory.

Yet like every sporting event, the annual woolly worm race needs rules to ensure a fair competition.

Although the weekend is packed with fun and excitement, the woolly worm race heats and events are strictly governed by a tight set of stringent rules and regulations.

For starters, entrants must obtain, train, and register their worm. Attendees can either gather their own from the wild

or purchase one on site.

After paying the $5 entry fee, entrants must also be ready with a name for their worm. There are many great names out there for worms, but often times, the more creative the name the better.

Hopeful worm trainers should register early, due to the limited amount of slots available. Only 25 worms compete in each heat, and the number of heats is determined by the number of contestants and the weather.

Only woolly worms are allowed to compete.

No variations or genetically altered species are allowed. “Mr. Woolly Worm” himself, Roy Krege, will accept no imitations, To know if your worm is authentic, check out its body.

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A woolly worm will have 13 segments, in various combinations of black and brown. Anything more or less than 13 segments is definitely not the real deal.

During each heat, the worms are placed on the bottom of the vertical strings on the race board.

When the starter gives the signal, owners are allowed to release their worms. The worm, string and raceboard cannot be touched during the race. People are, however, allowed to scream, whistle, blow on their worms with drinking straws, and encourage their worm to make the climb to the top of the heap.

The first worm to reach the top of the string, according to race judge Tommy Burleson’s reckoning, is declared the winner.

Burleson has been the grand marshall of the festival and primary judge of the championship for more than three decades.

“I did it the first year I came back, in 1981. I was just one of the race officials. Of course, Charles VonCanon was the grand marshal,” Burleson said.

Burleson also explained worm-reading secrets he learned from VonCanon that have made him famous as the official weather prediction reader.

FILE PHOTO

Grand Marshall Tommy Burleson speaks before the crowd at the 2014 Woolly Worm Festival. Burleson has been judging the races since 1981, when he returned to Avery County following a six-year career in the National Basketball Association.

“The winter months have 13 weeks, and there are 13 segments of the woolly worm. You start at the head and read to the back.

The darker the color, the more intense the weather will be that week. You are looking for blacks, flakes and shades of amber,” Burleson added. “The black, many times, will indicate snow. If you get what is called ‘black flake,’ you might be looking at some icy situations.

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Burleson is one of the only officials who can acurately judge when a worm reaches the finish line. This is partially due to his seven-foot four-inch frame, which helped him win an NCAA basketball championship at NC State University, a spot on the 1972 Olympic basketball team and eventual professional basketball career in the National Basketball Association.

Burleson’s blessing of

height makes him a nearperfect judge, with the ability to see the worms finish at the top of the race board and also pluck the worms safely from their high perches.

“My advantage, of course, is that the strings are high,” Burleson explained, comparing his passion for the woolly worm to basketball. “Just like being a center in basketball, that height can be an advantage if used in the right way.”

In addition to interpretation and judging, Burleson also ensures consistent racing conditions. For instance, all of the racing strings must be a the same length and kept at a certain, consistent tension.

“It is to simulate the stalk of the milkweed, which is what Jimmy (Morton) saw when he came up with the idea,” Burleson said, explaining the origins of the festival, which he said came about when Jim Morton was inspired by watching two woolly worms climb up milkweed and found himself wondering which would make the ascent quickest.

“It is exciting to see that type of competition,” Burleson added. “It is just a neat event and I am very blessed to be a part of it.”

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Woolly Worm Gazette

Page 9

FILE PHOTO

Roy Krege flashes the championship prize money as co-master of ceremonies Adam Binder (left, with microphone) and longtime Banner Elk Kiwanians Mac and Judd Gowin look on.

Champion woolly worm predicts chilly 2014-15 winter season

B

BY JAMIE SHELL jamie.shell@averyjournal.com

oasting one of the largest crowds to ever attend in its 37-year history, the 2014 Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival brought visitors from near and far for the annual event that left worms (literally) and owners (figuratively) hanging by a string.

An estimated 15,000 people entered the festival grounds at historic Banner Elk Elementary School on Saturday, Oct. 18, to kickoff the weekend’s festivities.

The smell of various foods and a wide variety of vendors offered a unique experience for each festivalgoer.

The big board stayed busy, as more than 80 races took place over the course of the weekend, with local legend Tommy Burleson among the worm judges and both veteran Master of Ceremonies, “Mr. Woolly Worm” himself, Roy Krege, and “Mr. Woolly Worm in Training,” Adam Binder, keeping the massive crowd lively with conversation and commentary.

When the final whistle blew at the end of the championship race late Saturday afternoon, a worm named “Kwazimodo” stood tall as the grand champion. Owned

by Vince Weyman, a ninth-grade student from Graham, Kwazimodo earned the $1,000 grand prize, as well as the privilege of serving as the official worm predictor of the 13 weeks of winter weather in Banner Elk and the High Country area.

Following the presentation by multiple county dignitaries to Weyman of the winning purse, official festival forecaster Burleson predicted that, according to Kwazimodo, the coming winter in the North Carolina High Country bodes well for lovers of cold weather. Burleson announced that winter will be marked for each of its 13 weeks with below-average temperatures. The first four weeks will include snowy conditions, followed by one week of light snow, then five-consecutive weeks of little to no snow, concluding with one week of moderate snowfall and two weeks of snowy conditions.

The forecast of a cold winter is good

news to those more inclined to enjoy the cold and snow, including those involved in the local ski industry that depend on cold temperatures and typical mountain winter weather for strong seasons.

Races were also run on Sunday, Oct. 19, with the winning worm “Delicious” and owner Brian Stalvey of Pineola taking home a grand prize of $500. According to 2014 Woolly Worm Committee president Mary Jo Brubaker, this year’s festival was an all-around success.

“It was a beautiful weekend in Banner Elk. Everybody had a great time, from the expanded activities for the kids to the great music and vendors. There was a full house of people and something for the entire family,” Brubaker explained. “The vendors were so positive in complementing the festival committee and sponsors about its interaction, how organized we were and how well we keep communication with them. The partnership between Banner Elk Kiwanis and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce is a strong collaboration.”

“We were thrilled that the rain stopped

and the weather cleared for the weekend.

People came in slews on Saturday to the festival, and the sun came out for a beautiful weekend,” “Mr. Woolly Worm” and Banner Elk Kiwanis member Krege added. “The crowd was large for both days and the people were excited to be a part of the festival.”

Former Avery County Chamber of Commerce Director Sue Freeman shared in the sentiment that this year’s Banner Elk Woolly Worm Festival was a tremendous success, despite some obstacles during the weekend that included a shortage of woolly worms and windy conditions overnight on Saturday that wreaked havoc on festival tents on the grounds.

“The festival went well and I feel everyone had a really good time,” Freeman added. “The lack of worms did not help, as people had trouble fining worms across the area. The event was truly a team effort, however. Despite any adversity we faced, the committee and volunteers just pushed through it and everything worked out.”

Woolly Worm Gazette

Page 10

Oct. 17-18, 2015

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Animal Emer Pet Care

141

Alexander Brooms

140

Art N Soul Creations

138-139

Joy in the Journey Rhodes

16

15

Whitson Crafts

Stanley’s Produce

13 & 14

Tarheel Basement

12

11

Chestnut Ridge Publishing

122-123-124

109 & 110

56

Radio

30

83

97

Frances Au Ford

84

Firefly Cove

58

32

4

111

112

98

99 Michael Roberts

73

34

White Wolf Lodge

47

Salt Soothers

60

Wolves of Banner Elk

100

Lee Crafts

48

West End Wreaths

61

Studio Earth

74

35 & 36

Just Rings

49

Jana’s Painting Pottery

62

Redbird Photo

75

37

Seasons To Sew

50

Soli Deo Gloria

63

Designs Zoey Jewelry

76

88 & 89 Silver & Stones Jewelry

87

Americamanta Native Crafts

101 & 102

115-116 & 117

CK Concessions

103

38

Datil Sensations

51

Skyes Craft

64

Ellis Bros.

Builders

77

Spiral Dyes

90

Beech Mtn. TDA

104

105

39

52

Cotton Blossoms

53 & 54

67

May Wildlife Rehab

80

Blue Ridge Mtn. Belts

93

TKC Folk Art

106

Conard Furniture

40

Crossnore Weavers

41 A

Rebecca Hiatt Photography

66

Dandelion Designs

79

Sonrise Pottery

92

Dan Goad Paintings

DB Glass

119

Eagles Nest Patricia Adams Mtn. Hollow Photo Crafts

65

78

Denique Vintage Designs

Bill Lyons Wood

91

Free Reign Farm

Lowder Pottery

118

WORM PURCHASE (PTO)

Entertainment and Music Stage

157

156 Mabry’s Cotton Candy

Turtle Old Man Jewelry

Stonegate Candles

Mountain Mule Hardwoods

Three Came Home Books

114

Face Painting by Donnie

155 Mac’s Fine Food

Peaceful Path Poor Richard’s Jerry’s Custom Wood Craft Gutter Dome BE SDA Pops Creative Pottery Signs Health Screen Stache

33

T-N-T Mine Co. Jewelry

46

59

Mitchell Way Pottery

72

Holston Mtn. Hat Project

85 & 86

Austin Pottery

Bounty Hunter Hats

113

Silly Willy Kids Craft

128 & 129

126 Tommy’s Crafts

125 Worley’s Best

127

136 & 137 Robin Goodwin Christmas Crafts

135

Gourds Gallore

High Country Intarsia

Super Twirl Tin Creations

Floyds Creative Woodwork

45

Sandra’s Upholstry

2 Menya’s

John Greene

3

154 Asian Fusion

134

2-B Rays Weather

2-A Appalachian Soap Co.

1 Woolly Mittens

153 K&M

Applegate Photo

1-B Feeding Avery

1-A Beech Irvine Pottery

152 Southland

Jeri Jewels

My Mountain Beara Bows Flowers

Dogwood Petwear

31

J. Hartman Pottery

44

Country Treasures

57

7th Moon Gifts

70 & 71

Fillaree

Judy’s Gems Kimberly & Woodwork Allen Design

29

43 Sugar Rush

42 Coffee Birdhouse

Avery J. & Fake A Face Humane Soc.

55

69 Heidi Cline Jewelry

68 Artistic Designs

Southeast Avery Farms Expressions Trinity Trees

82

96 Wishful Thinking

95 Habitat LMC

94

151 Steak Boys

133

BE Mini Golf Michell’s Bakery & Mike Leslie

Blue Ridge Light

108 Treasures Jewelry

107

81

Dichroic Glass

132

150 Rainbow Foods

In the Potter’s Hands Pottery

Woolly Worm N Stuff

Bill Elder’s Apples

120 & 121

131 Fleming & Ware

130

149 Paris Festival

Hoffman Blacksmith

Fred n Larry’s Coffee Sunday

148 Auntie Ruths

41 B Stone Dreamer

158

Southern Fried Fact

167

A&Y Concessions

166

International Grill

165

Roop’s Imbiss

164

Carolina BBQ

163

Rockstar Grille

162

Alf’s

161

D’s Burgers

160

Boy Scouts

159

Caribbean Grill & More

Ticket, Gate Entrance

GOLF

Banner Elk Mini Golf

TRAMPOLINE

Bouncin Kids

INFLATABLES

Woolly Worm Gazette

CE RA RM AGE O W ST

Woolly Worm Doctor

Sound

Adoughables Ornaments

27 & 28

The Nut House

26

Dick Crowder Artwork Wood

23, 24 & 25

Persinger Textiles

22

10

Carolina West

Firefly Glass

Duck’s Sauce Inc.

21

9

20

Paintings by J. Mack

Big Bang Books

8

Live Antique Wood Design

19

7

Darlene Sewing Garden

Beech Mt. Bee Keeping

18

17

Santa’s Bag

Prince Custom Leather

6

Palm Tree Pottery

5

Ticket, Gate Entrance and Information

Volunteer Sign In

PET CARE

WOOLLY WORM VENDOR MAP

Oct. 17-18, 2015

Page 11

Page 12

Woolly Worm Gazette

Oct. 17-18, 2015