Waynesville, North Carolina Attractions

Below you will find an extensive list of year-round Waynesville, North Carolina vacation attractions.Take the time to enjoy all that western North Carolina has to offer!

Downtown Waynesville Attractions

ART AFTER DARK

On the 1st Friday of each month from May thru November, 14 Art Galleries and Studios remain open late with demonstrations, receptions, music and more in downtown Waynesville and the Historic Frog Level area.

QUICK DRAW

A Western North Carolina Annual Benefit Event, Quick Draw brings professional artists to Waynesville to create original art pieces in a timed 60-minute quick draw! The evening begins at 5:30 PM on Saturday, April 24 at The Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa with a cash bar, and then at 6:15 the clock starts ticking and the creativity flows! At 7:15 you'll enjoy Hors d'oeuvres and a preview of the spectacular works of art before the auction of the pieces begins at 8:15. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at www.wncquickdraw.com , or we'd be happy to pick them up for you at a local gallery. Come enjoy this inspiring evening and support art in schools!

BLOCK PARTIES

Over Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekend, downtown Waynesville comes alive with food vendors and dancing in the street, on Main Street, to live bands playing music sure to please every generation! Set the dates of May 29 and September 4, 2010!

STARS & STRIPES CELEBRATION

On July 4th, sidewalk sales, live entertainment, refreshments and fun for all ages throughout downtown Waynesville help us celebrate this patriotic holiday!

MOUNTAIN STREET DANCES

Live music, demonstrations of clogging and square dancing, and instruction by local clogging teams; provide the experience of a true mountain hoedown! This takes place on specific Friday evenings in June, July and August. Join the fun and clog along on June 25, July 9 and 23, and August 6, 2010!

DOWNTOWN STUDIO & GALLERY TOUR

Waynesville’s opportunity to visit downtown artists as they work, as well as, other local and regional artists featured in our downtown area on sidewalks and in parks. October 2 and 3, 2010.

H.A.R.T. THEATRE

January through March enjoy The Feichter Studio performances in the H.A.R.T. Theatre, and their Mainstage performances from April through November.

FOLKMOOT, USA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL www.folkmoot.com

Folkmoot has a 23-year history of performers demonstrating cultural heritage through colorful, authentic and original reproduction costumes, lively dance and beautiful music. Over the 23 years, more than 200 folk groups from more than 100 countries have shared their heritage and culture at Folkmoot USA, North Carolina’s International Festival held each July.
Opening day is held on Main Street in Waynesville when the Folkmoot, USA Parade kicks off the festival with its Parade of Nations with dancers and musicians from around the world parading down Main Street. 2010's parade will be held on Friday, July 23.
International Festival Day is held on Main Street in Waynesville the day before closing ceremonies for the festival. This daylong extravaganza of music, dance, native crafts and food from around the world is presented by Folkmoot, USA and the Haywood County Arts Council. 2010's International Festival Day is Saturday, July 31, 2010.

CHURCH STREET ART & CRAFT SHOW

This one-day event is known as the finest art and craft show in the region! Downtown becomes an art and craft marketplace from 10 AM to 5 PM, along with food stands, live music and clogging, providing fun for everyone! Come find that special treasure at this year's show on Saturday, October 9, 2010.

APPLE HARVEST FESTIVAL

Celebrate the apple harvest with us! Waynesville’s Main Street comes alive with live mountain music, dancing, crafts and demonstrations, and of course apples! Enjoy fresh cider, fried pies and various other apple dishes as you enjoy Waynesville’s hospitality. October 16, 2010.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Get in the holiday spirit as you soak in the sights, scents and sounds of the holiday in our shops and galleries, as they display their decorations to kickoff the beginning of Waynesville’s holiday season festivities. November 21, 2010.

A NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

A holiday tradition in Waynesville, our town becomes the scene of a fairy tale with luminaries lining Main Street, caroling, live music, a live Nativity, pictures with Santa, old-fashioned wagon rides, storytelling, poetry and more! December 4 and 11, 2010.

MAST GENERAL STORE

Charles Kuralt once said, “All General Stores are satisfying to visit, but one of them, the Mast Store, is a destination.” With over 500 old-fashioned candy favorites, traditional clothing, travel and trail outfitters, rugged and casual footwear, and old-fashioned mercantile like timeless toys, pottery, furniture, traditional house wares, jams, jellies and maple syrup, you’ll have to visit this store several times to see everything!

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

ELK VIEWING www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/elk.htm

Just 25 miles from us in Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park you'll find history and adventure, whether you're hiking the trails, or taking an auto tour of the cove and historic structures with the parks self-guiding booklet. Feel the history as you walk through the schoolhouse or chapel where ancestors of the original settlers still have an annual reunion! See elk, deer, bear, wild turkey and other wildlife along the trails and in Cataloochee's meadows. Early morning and late evening are the best times to view elk throughout the year. Summer is best for seeing calves, September and October are best months to see males sparring and to hear the male's legendary bugling calls to attract cows.

BILTMORE ESTATE www.biltmore.com

George Vanderbilt’s 250-room chateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains is located in Asheville, NC, 30 minutes from Waynesville. For more than a century, America’s largest home has been an escape from everyday life for those visiting. Treasures abound in this carefully preserved home with every detail allowing the visitor to enter the family life of the Vanderbilts. Surrounded by 250 acres of beautiful gardens and grounds, this castle’s gardens accent the mountains’ natural beauty throughout the year with breathtaking spring blooms, lush summer borders and glorious autumn color. Our Asheville AAA Office has general admission tickets for $40/each which can be used any time EXCEPT the evening candle light holiday tours (they are valid for day tours during this same time period). Just let us know if you'd like more information.

FOLK ART CENTER www.craftguild.org

At Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, NC you can see exhibits of traditional and contemporary crafts of the Appalachian region at The Folk Art Center. With free admission, daily craft demonstrations from March through December, and one of the nation's top craft retail store, it's worth the trip!

THE NORTH CAROLINA ARBORETUM www.ncarboretum.org

Reflecting the cultural and natural heritage of the Southern Appalachians, these gardens and landscape exhibits provide an educational, as well as, beautiful, relaxing environment for all ages. Time can be spent learning at the exhibit center, walking through the gardens, or hiking the miles of trails available on this beautiful natural garden setting for just $8!

THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL www.wolfememorial.com

Asheville Home of America's Powerful Twentieth-Century Writer. Come visit this historic site immortalized inWolfe's "Look Homeward, Angel". Read the book, then visit one of literature's most famous landmarks and feel it come alive as you recognize the rooms and imagine the characters described by Wolfe. Admission $1!

ASHEVILLE

Our spirited and eclectic town has everything, but a big city atmosphere. But don’t worry, whether you take the scenic route through the Blue Ridge Mountains, or the 30 minute drive on the expressway from Waynesville, you can have both! While you are enjoying the advantages of our quaint, small town atmosphere, why not visit the city of Asheville for some of its attractions? Asheville offers art, music and culture similar to Waynesville, but with a bigger city feel.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN FOLK FESTIVAL

Come share our mountain folk music with us on September 3 and 4, 2010 with two full evenings of authentic mountain folk music at beautiful Lake Junaluska, just 10 minutes away.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD www.gsmr.com

We’re less than a 45 minutes away from the Bryson City Depot for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. Take a relaxing ride through the mountains to see the splendor of each season, or be adventurous and take the train to the beginning of a white water adventure! Even if you don't want to ride the train, the Smoky Mountain Trains' museum in Bryson City includes a model railroad half the size of a basketball court and over 7,000 Lionel engines, cars and accessories. The vast collection dates back to 1918! (Please note, the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Dillsboro Depot has been closed.)

CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK www.chimneyrockpark.com

Explore Chimney Rock and enjoy the possibilities of scenic views on the 5 trails of varying ease or difficulty, find adventure and arrange to participate in one of their Rock Climbing Clinics, or save your energy to enjoy in town shopping, and take the elevator up a 26-story shaft to reach Chimney Rock to enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Lure (seen in this picture). Less than 1 hour from our Western North Carolina bed and breakfast, it's a must see North Carolina attraction!

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY www.nps.gov/blri

In 10 minutes you can be at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s southern end, and on your way to the point of highest elevation for this scenic route at Richland Balsam Mountain. See the beautiful Fraser fir and red spruce as you take a self-guiding nature trail that leads you through this beautiful area with not only its own natural beauty, but also breathtaking views of the Great Smokies!

THE GREAT SMOKIES www.nps.gov/grsm

See some of the most diverse species of plant and animal life in the world in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Whether you’re viewing its beautiful wildflowers, colorful fall foliage, mountain vistas (this pic is from Clingman's Dome) and historic buildings from your car or taking a park trail, being in the Smokies connects you to how our forebears lived. Simply being in the magnificent forests, with the lack of human-generated noise can open up a world of natural sights, sounds, and smells that instantly connect you to the wonders of nature. We’re fortunate to have a fairly large section of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park right in our own county, with one of the main entrance points in nearby Maggie Valley, just 20 minutes away!

CHEROKEE www.cherokee-nc.com

This town offers its visitors the opportunity to experience the rich history of the Cherokee through the MUSEUM OF THE CHEROKEE INDIAN which houses a creative blend of the latest museum technology and the most extensive collection of Cherokee artifacts, or its newest attraction, HARRAH’S CHEROKEE CASINO. Both a 40 minute drive from downtown Waynesville.

Online Reservations

The Windover Inn, Waynesville, North Carolina Bed & Breakfast
117 Old Hickory Street, Waynesville, North Carolina (NC) 28786
Toll Free: 1-866-452-4411 Email: relax@windoverinn.com