While Boone and Blowing Rock get all the notoriety, Banner Elk sits idly by awaiting its turn. And fall is the ideal time to discover this mountain gem. Don’t believe us? Just check out this great article by Randy Johnson and WNC Magazine.

From WNC Magazine:

Fall’s a perfect time to hit the road for Banner Elk, a town with fewer than 1,500 residents situated within lofty valleys and more-than-mile-high mountains gleaming with autumn color. For starters, it’s the only place you’ll find the annual Woolly Worm Festival. Taking place the third weekend of October, it offers live entertainment, food, and craft vendors, as well as the chance to watch a woolly worm race—the winning worm’s stripes are “read” to predict the severity of the coming winter. Extend your visit to see why this season shines here.

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