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Featured Photo: Officials, Vendors and Demonstrators Set Up for the Woolly Worm Festival This Weekend

By Madison Fisler Lewis

Photo by Ken Ketchie

Trish Daniels of Fake-a-Face sets up her face painting tent in anticipation for the woolly worm festival this weekend
Trish Daniels of Fake-a-Face sets up her face painting tent in anticipation for the woolly worm festival this weekend

Oct. 17, 2014. Who will pick the winning winter weather worm this weekend? The 37th annual Woolly Worm Festival, scheduled for Oct. 18-19 in Banner Elk, is coming up quick! Since 1978, the residents of beautiful, scenic Banner Elk have celebrated the coming of winter with the highly-anticipated event that always takes place on the third weekend of October.

The festival is currently being set up down in Banner Elk, with vendors, demonstrators and the racing station being prepped for the big opening day tomorrow morning.

The annual festival will include great food, plenty of activities, craft vendors, performances and of course, the highlight event – the woolly worm races.

Participants wishing to race their worm may register at 9 a.m. and shortly thereafter, the races will begin. Twenty-five worms are in each heat, but please come early as races fill up early in the afternoon, said Executive Director of the Chamber Susan Freeman. “And we want all contestants to have an opportunity to Wace their Worm!”

Admission to the Woolly Worm Festival is $5 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12 and free for children age 5 and under.

Last year’s event had record-breaking attendance, with 25,000 people attending the festival over the weekend. This year, the Avery County Chamber of Commerce hopes that even more people will come out for a great time.

For more information, call the Avery County Chamber of Commerce at 828-898-5605 or visit the websitehere. To purchase tickets online click here.

Cost to enter the race is just $5. Participants may bring their own woolly worm to race, or woolly worms can be purchased from the Banner Elk PTO for just $1. All proceeds will go back to the community to enhance children’s programs and support small businesses.