Woolly Worm Festival
October 19 - October 20
This year’s event – the 47th annual – takes place Oct. 19-20 on the field of the Historic Banner Elk Elementary School. The Woolly Worm Festival is co-hosted by the Avery County Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Organization of Banner Elk.
The Woolly Worm races begin around 10:00 a.m. Each heat consists of 25 worms, and races continue all day until the grand final around 4 p.m. The winning worm on Saturday is declared the official winter forecasting agent. The Sunday worm races are for prestige, fun, and small prizes. Worm Races are limited so please arrive early to the festival and register your worms.
In addition to the Woolly Worm Races, the festival features crafts, food vendors, live entertainment, and much more. Past festivals have attracted an estimated 20,000 fans, 170 vendors, and around 1,000 race entrants.
For festival info, visit: www.WoollyWorm.com or call (800) 972-2183. For lodging options, go to: www.BannerElk.com.
