Woolly Worm Festival

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Woolly Worm Festival

The official page of the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Join us for the 49th Annual festival on October 17-18, 2026

08/12/2026

Come for the Woolly Worm Festival. Stay for the High Country in October 🐛🍁

Peak fall color, crisp air, charming mountain towns, and a weekend that just feels like the High Country at its best.

Who else is counting down?

07/30/2026

The races make us cheer but the names make us laugh!

Just look at this lineup from last year:

✨ Obi-Worm Kenobi
🐛 W***y
🎸 MJ Lenderworm

We see hundreds of racers every year and the creativity never disappoints 😊

It’s never too early to start brainstorming your champion’s race name. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Darth Wiggler
Crawly Parton
Dale Wormhart

07/27/2026

🐛If you could only pick ONE thing about the Woolly Worm Festival, what are you choosing?

🛍️ Hunting for handmade treasures
🌮 Festival food
🎶 Live mountain music
🏁 Watching the Woolly Worm Races

Drop your answer (or your own favorite) in the comments. 👇

07/22/2026

Want your business to be part of one of the High Country’s biggest weekends of the year?

2026 Woolly Worm Festival sponsorship opportunities are now available!

The festival welcomes more than 20,000 visitors to Banner Elk and gives businesses an opportunity to connect with a huge audience while supporting something that directly benefits our community. Festival proceeds help support local schools, children’s programs, community initiatives, and tourism throughout Avery County.

Whether you want your brand front and center during festival weekend or are looking for a creative way to support this beloved High Country tradition, we’d love to have you involved.

Learn more at: https://woollyworm.com/sponsors/

07/13/2026

Ya heard it here, folks 🗞️

Keep an eye out over the next few weeks as we start introducing the incredible vendors bringing their handmade goods, art, and unique finds to this year’s Woolly Worm Festival. You might want to start making room now 👀

07/06/2026

📣 ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

Volunteer applications for the 2026 Woolly Worm Festival are officially OPEN!

It may only be summer, but we’re already gearing up for another woolly weekend in Banner Elk, and we’re looking for an amazing team of volunteers to help make it happen.

Whether you’ve been part of the festival for years or you’re looking to join the fun for the first time, we’d love to have you on the team.

As a volunteer, you’ll get:
🚗 Priority parking close to the festival grounds
🥤 Access to our volunteer hospitality suite with snacks, water, and private restrooms
👕 A free official 2026 Woolly Worm Festival T-shirt for the first 100 volunteers
🎟️ Free admission throughout the festival weekend
❤️ The opportunity to be part of one of the High Country’s most cherished traditions

From welcoming guests to helping behind the scenes, every volunteer plays a part in making the Woolly Worm Festival a weekend to remember.

The countdown to October starts now. We’d love for you to be part of it.

Sign up at https://woollyworm.com/volunteer/

06/17/2026

4 months until Banner Elk gets a little wilder🐛

The crowds. The cheers. The races. The tradition.

The 2026 Woolly Worm Festival is just 4 months away, and we’re already counting down the days until thousands gather once again for one of the High Country’s most beloved weekends.

October 17 & 18, 2026.

Who’s ready?

04/17/2026

Daydreaming of festival views like this 😍 We’re exactly 6 months out, folks! Mark your calendar for October 17 & 18 for the 2026 Woolly Worm Festival. Tag a woolly good friend to join you 👇

04/10/2026

In today's game of "where's woolly", how many worms do you see??

Have a beautiful spring weekend!

Address

Banner Elk, NC
28604

Telephone

(828) 898-5605

Website

http://www.woollyworm.com/

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