Family Fun in the Mountains this weekend

April 29 the  2011 Opening Day for Tweetsie Railroad .  NC's oldest theme park opens for another season of wild-west fun & excitement! Kids (of all ages) can be a cowboy, Indian or engineer. Take a spin on the rides in the Country Fair and on Miner’s Mountain, test your skills at the Arcade and Shooting Gallery or meet the friendly animals at DeerPark.

April 30 from 10 AM to 4 PM Hendersonville NC hosts Spring Festival at the Farm . Historic Johnson Farm offers fun for the whole family,including arts & crafts, a pound cake sale, house tours, food, entertainment, wagon and tractor rides. Adults admission $6.00, Students $4.00, preschoolers are free.

April 30 the National Day of Puppetry at Asheville's Folk Art Center is a day-long celebration of the art of puppetry sponsored by the Asheville Puppetry Alliance. Festivities include puppetmaking, puppet demonstrations and roving performers throughout the day with stage shows by the Western North Carolina puppeteers.

Asheville Video from Casablanca Media

Pearsons Falls open for the season

Pearson's Falls is located in the foothills of Western North Carolina  mid-way between Saluda and Tryon. It is a botanical preserve includin  268 acres of virgin forest, spring-fed streams and a 90 ft. waterfall.  Classified as
a deciduous climax forest the preserve hosts over 200 species of fern, flowering plants, algae and mosses.

Perason's Falls is owned and operated by the Tryon Garden Club which was organized in 1928. The Club purchased the property in 1931 to ensure that it would be maintained as a natural preserve in perpetuity. Ir has been operated and preserved by the Club since that time. 

All Aboard for the Polar Express Christmas Eve limited

Dec 24  'The Polar Express Christmas Eve Limited'  comes to life when the train departs Bryson City NC for a journey to a special North Pole. Read along with the magical story and meet Santa. Enjoy holiday caroling, hot cocoa, a special treat and a memento for the children. Daily departure times vary, so check the site.

Biltmore Offers Veterans Day Special

Get Biltmore Tickets at 25% off November 11-14. Veterans save 25% of regular daytime admission. Please purchase tickets at Biltmore's Reservations & Ticket Center.

BILTMORE, America's "Castle", was built in 1895 by George Vanderbuilt and is preserved and maintained today by his descendants. With interior square footage over 4 acres, 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms and an impressive collection of art and period furnishing it is one of the East's most popular attractions. Once a working dairy farm the 8,000 acre estate now includes a winery; trails, gardens & grounds to explore; an Equestrian Center, River Bend Farm, a luxury Inn and the newest addition, Antler Village. Plan on spending at least one full day or more to fully enjoy all that Biltmore has to offer.

Christmas at Biltmore

November 5 through January 2 Biltmore offers its annual Christmas magic. Enjoy America's largest home decorated with dozens of Christmas trees, hundreds of wreaths, bows, and poinsettias; miles of evergreen garland; thousands of ornaments, tinsel, and beading; and a magnificent 35-foot Fraser fir with the largest ornaments you've ever seen. It's a classic symbol of Christmas in a way you've never experienced. Organ music fills the grand Banquet Hall and First Floor during Christmastime to imbue guests with an elated holiday feeling.

All Aboard for Summer Fun at Tweetsie Railroad!

July at Tweetsie Railroad
With a visit from Dora and Diego and some high flying dogs in store, Tweetsie is the place to be in July. Mark your calendar now for these exciting events:

• Nickelodeon's Dora and Diego will visit the park July 16 - 18
• The amazing K-9's in Flight Frisbee Dogs will perform three shows daily July 31 - August 8

As always, all of Tweetsie's special events are included park admission: Adults $32; Kids (ages 3-12) $22; age 2 & under free!

Build Engine #190 The Yukon Queen!

Tweetsie Railroad announces the third paper train in this season's series of 3-D Locomotive Sets! Our historic Engine #190, The Yukon Queen – in her 50th year taking Tweetsie guests on an adventure-filled ride – is now available free for download.

Tweetsie Railroad offers Golden Rail Season Pass

Golden Rail Season Passes are only $80 for adults and $55 for kids (age 3 to 12). Not only do you get unlimited park visits throughout the season, free parking on July 4th, and one free admission to our Ghost Train Halloween Festival, but your Golden Rail Season Pass also entitles you to special offers from several area attractions. Daily admission rates are $32 for adults, $22 for kids (age 3 to 12). Tweetsie Railroad is located at 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock North Carolina   http://tweetsie.com/

Historic Orchard at Alta Pass - a Blue Ridge Parkway "Must See"

June 9-14 (in between Spruce Pine and Little Switzerland) North Carolina. Live Music and More - the Historic Orchard at Altapass   Live music and mountain dancing, storytelling and hayrides, monarch butterfly raising, naturalist tours and birding walks, arts and handwork demonstrations, book signings and more. Every week, Wed-Sun. The Orchard is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 328.3.

Day Out with Thomas Celebration Tour 2010

June 4 - 13, Tweetsie Railroad, 300 Tweetsie Railroad lane, Blowing Rock North Carolina. Thomas the Tank Engine is back! Ride a full-size Thomas, meet Sir Topham Hatt and enjoy storytelling, live music, Mega Bloks and more. ALL ABOARD!

Got Choo-Choo? You will in 10 Days!

April 30, Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock North Carolina. Tweetsie Rialroad opens for the 2010 season on April 30.  If you can't wait until April 30, here's your chance to make your own Engine No.12 with our 3-D paper train locomotive set. The famed Engine No. 12 will be the first in a series of FREE 3-D paper trains. Collect them all, and enjoy Tweetsie's 2010 season! Click here to get your set...    cut-out, fold, glue - enjoy!

Mount Airy Museum offers World's Largest Collection of Any Griffith Memorabilia

Mount Airy North Carolina. The new Andy Griffith Museum open mid-November providing a permanent place for the world's largest collection of Andy Griffith memorabilia. The half million dollar 2500 square foot museum is located next door to the Andy Griffith Playhouse, a half-mile from the actor's boyhood home, and houses a treasure trove of items collected by Emmett Forrest, a schoolmate and close friend of Griffith. The collection features hundreds of items from the life and career of Andy Griffith in movies, television and music as well as a variety of memorabilia. There are even actual props from The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock given by Andy Griffith himself. http://www.andygriffithmuseum.com/

Save on Specialty Tours

Jan 4 - March 26, Biltmore, Asheville NC. Bring your ticket or playbill from a participating local performing arts venue to Biltmore and receive your choice of either a Free Audio Tour or a Buy One Get One Free Specialty Tour, with the purchase of a Biltmore adult daytime admissions ticket. Learn More...    http://www.biltmore.com/visit/current_offers.asp

Tweetsie Season Passes at Preseason Discount

Tweetsie Railroad 2010 Season Tickets are now available online at a pre-season discount:
2010 GOLDEN RAIL SEASON PASS PRICES - available now at a savings of $15 off the regular Adult price and $10 off the regular Childens price.
Regular                               Pre-Season
Adult                 $80                $65
Children 3-12     $55                $45
Children age 2 and under Free Free
Visit the site for details or purchase

Sunday Afternoon Music and Fun

To do: Live music, dancing and more
When/Where:  Oct 25, Historic Orchard at Altapass, between Spruce Pine and Little Switzerland, NC.
Live music and mountain dancing, storytelling and hayrides, monarch butterfly raising, naturalist tours and birding walks, arts and handwork demonstrations, book signings and more. Free; The Orchard at Altapass, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 328.3. Website: http://www.altapassorchard.com/