Latest / Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce / 2026 Fall Festival Season Primer: From Apple Butter in the Valle, Wolly Worms & More

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2026 Fall Festival Season Primer: From Apple Butter in the Valle, Wolly Worms & More · Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_04: October is here and festival season is near.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_04: We'll give you the lowdown on some of the best fall events in the high country.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_04: From the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, this is Mind Your Business.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_03: Mind Your Business.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_03: Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_03: Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_04: Hello and welcome into Mind Your Business.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_04: I'm David Jackson, President and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for joining us once again this week, whether that's through the airwaves of WATA here in Boone or as a subscriber of the podcast version of this program, which is made possible each week by our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_04: If you have not yet subscribed, that is not an issue.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_04: Just search for Mind Your Business wherever you get your podcast.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_04: There you can gain access to full archives, occasional bonus content like last week's Meet the Candidates Forum archives.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_04: We've got extended episodes there and plenty more as we connect you with the business news that you can use from right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_04: We are moving into a rather magical time of year here in the High Country.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_04: Festival season is upon us.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_04: From Oktoberfests and celebrating the beverages that come with that experience to some of the longest standing arts and crafts events out there, fall festival season is downright fun and beneficial to so many because most of the fall festivals in the High Country have a philanthropic connection.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_04: These events create grant opportunities for service-based nonprofits to continue their mission-driven work throughout the year.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_04: Some of those grants are still supplementing Helene-related repairs.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_04: All of these events bring people to the area, and that means impact for Main Street retailers, outdoor adventure providers, and most importantly, the artists and creatives themselves that see these fall events serve as the springboard to the very important holiday period that will be here before we know it.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_04: A few numbers for you because, you know, if you forgot, we're a numbers podcast.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: Last year, the third weekend of October brought us Valley Country Fair, the Woolly Worm Festival up in Banner Elk, and App State's homecoming football game.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_04: Now, according to our Placer AI data, downtown Boone saw nearly 94,000 non-resident visits that weekend.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_04: Again, the football game had something to do with that.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_04: Banner Elk, nearly 47,000 in the backyard of the Woolly Worm Festival.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_04: Overall, Watauga County saw 125,000 visitors from October 17th through the 19th of 2025.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_04: So these festivals are not just cute pop-up events.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_04: They drive significant business to the festivals themselves and supporting business community around them.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_04: According to a report released by the Watauga Arts Council, Creative Economy earnings grew 14.6% in 2025, and sales grew nearly 23%.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_04: Overall, there were nearly 1,500 jobs directly connected to the creative economy, just here in Wataga County.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_04: Again, this is an important piece of our overall economic mix.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_04: Coming up on this installment to Mind Your Business, we will hear directly from organizers of the Valley Country Fair and the Wooly Worm Festival.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_04: Two great events, one exciting weekend, and located just about six and a half beautiful windy miles from one another.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_04: Valley Country Fair takes place on October 17th.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_04: The Wooly Worm Festival lasts the entire weekend.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_04: Both of these festivals have similar missions and complement each other incredibly well.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_04: And they are magnets for one of the most anticipated visitation weekends here in the high country for the entire calendar year.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_04: We'll be back to get this festival discussion started right after this.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_04: You are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_03: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_03: For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome back to Mind Your Business.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_04: I'm David Jackson.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_04: Before we talk crisp fall air and the festivals that make those days perfect, let us talk about someone who is whipping up a fresh batch of great leads for your next commercial real estate adventure.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_04: That's James Milner and Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_04: They solve simple and complex commercial real estate problems in and around the Buna area and beyond.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_04: Whether you own or lease commercial real estate, regardless of the property type, have an advocate on your side, along with the expertise and experience to assist you and your business.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_04: For more information, you can check them out on the web, Appalachian CRE.com.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_04: Valley Country Fair, a high country institution since 1979, bringing artists, delicious food, and people looking for the quintessential fall experience right to the epicenter of such activity.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_04: Valley Cruces, North Carolina, just a few miles outside the heart of Boone.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_04: While Valley Country Fair brings visitors from far and wide seeking wares from some of the top juried artists in the region, those sales make a true local impact, to the tune of nearly one and a half million dollars distributed to nearly one hundred and thirty different high country organizations since the event's inception.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_04: Last year a significant boost for all involved as the fair returned from a hurricane Helene-induced hiatus.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_04: Festival organizers talked last year's impact and this year's plans.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_04: And also a warning: there is no way that you will not be hungry after this conversation.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: My name is Julie Gates, and I am uh the 2026 co-chair of the Valley Country Fair.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_05: Hello, I'm the Reverend Jonathan Chesney, and I'm the current rector of Holy Cross Episcopal Church.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_06: My name is Tracy Heiss, and I am a co-chair for the 2026 Valley Country Fair.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_04: Well, it's great to have you all here.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_04: A changing of the seasons and a sign of the times.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_04: It's time to talk the fair.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_04: That means fall is right around the corner, and it certainly feels that way right now as well.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_04: So I guess first things first, let's talk about last year.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, this was the first year post-Helene, uh, a lot of renewal of this fair and and everything that's so magical about it.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_04: How did it all go?
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: So it was exciting last year to get this now for 48-year event back on the tracks.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it was a record year.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, there were over$83,000 uh raised and granted back out to nonprofit organizations in the high country, but also individuals.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um and the economic impact, which we're proud of.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, this is a fundraiser, it's a feel-good event, but it's nice to know that over$740,000 of economic impact was generated by this one-day event last year.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we always uh we like being good stewards of this beautiful real estate that we're part of, and so that it just feels like a way to um help the community.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_04: Well, aside from the monetary side of this too, uh, you know, this is twice now in the last seven years that the fair has been interrupted, and like you mentioned, almost a 50-year legacy now.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_04: I'm sure that it felt good just to see people again, especially after everything that the Valley had been through and everybody else that vends and and makes food and and is involved with the organization had some touch to Hurricane Helene to it as well.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's it's easy to get, you know, we talk a lot about the mechanics of the fair, but really the calling card of the fair is the feel-good um experiences, the sights, the smells, the music, you know, all in this idyllic valley that makes Valley Cruces just uh so special.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: But it was nice to provide this event where people could just reconnect.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: It made them feel good.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: We all had a blast, and we hope to see that happen again this year.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_04: So as we think toward this year's event, Saturday, October 17th, not too far down the road, what can you tell us about this time around and what the fair will offer?
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_06: You know, the fair is is known for so many things.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_06: We have over 135 uh juried exhibitors um this year.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_06: We have all of our food, the food tents for the Holy Cross, which have become iconic for the fair, barbecue, the apple butter, apple cider, the grill tent, chili, um, the sausage tent, and so you will in the barbecue and the Brunswick stew.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_06: So people do not go home hungry.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_06: And um, so their bellies are full, and it's a great way to start your Christmas shopping.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_06: And we have musicians that come and and give us their time and they play, and um we have some just amazing events.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_06: It's a very joyful day, and it's so beautiful down there, and the leaves are always out, so it's it's just a a must add to your weekend for sure.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_04: I know that you talked about the the juried nature of of the fair from the artist perspective.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_04: In a community of makers, how does that process work?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_04: How soon do you get into the kind of scoping out for the different things that people will make and and maybe just following artists specifically for next year?
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_06: Right.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_06: So those applications go out, the application process starts on our website, they get posted in December of the year following the fair or right after the fair, and then we do a whole ex like juried thing.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_06: So anybody who was a past exhibitor is always invited back.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_06: And then we jury this year.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_06: We have 26 new artists um joining us, and it is a juried event.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_06: And um, so you know, it's beautiful in that every single we bring a lot of different like craft exhibitors into the fair.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_06: A lot of them are here local from the high country and surrounding areas.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_04: And always neat to see how, even though over 48 years there are a lot of things that are similar, it reinvents itself a little bit with with those new items and things like that as well.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_04: Um a number of community partners that that make all of this happen.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_04: Who is who is at the ground floor of all of that activity this year?
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_06: There are so many.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_06: Um, you know, we have Curtis Media Group and High Country Radio, Wataga Arts Council, Mountain Times, Wataga Democrat, and then we have just so amazing partners.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_06: We have Mountain Alliance that we could not do setup and take down without.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_06: And then we have the Beta Alpha Phi Epsilon Kappa chapter at ASU.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_06: It's an accounting fraternity.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_06: They not only help us with setup and takedown, but they are there the day of the fair and help us run the event, Sunrise Rotary, we have the Boy Scout Troop 109, the Children's Council, the Valley Cruises PTSO and Parkway School.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_06: Um, Moe's Barbecue from Asheville helps us out, Skyline, Sky Best, U.S.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_06: Foods, Freeman Gas, and we also have Norwood Commercial Appliances.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_06: So it's it takes a village.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_06: We have, and plus, we have over 200 volunteers that just help us create the event, and we have a leadership team of 50 plus people just uh just to get it going.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_04: I know you just mentioned Skyline, Sky Business makes this easily the most data connected field in the middle of the mountains that there can be.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_06: My husband helps with all the Wi-Fi, and apparently they're boosting everything this year, so he's very excited about that.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_04: That's that's excellent.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_04: Um well, uh aside from the Wi-Fi, I'm sure you've heard a number of other things about this event over the course of the years.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_04: How did this help draw you uh to Holy Cross and to Valley Cruces'?
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_05: Sure.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_05: Well, what first drew me to Holy Cross was um just the sense of hospitality.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_05: Uh I had learned that um they were looking for a new rector.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_05: I had learned that they had uh days after Helene taken in um classrooms from Valley Cruces School as well as Valley Cruces' Methodist Church.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_05: And I felt that that was the sort of place and the sort of people that I wanted to serve among.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_05: Um and um uh God led us through the process.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_05: And I was brought on and uh have begun to, of course, to learn about the fair.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_05: This will be my first fair um to experience.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_05: I'm excited to see it, to be walking around and to see all those joyful faces and smell all those delicious smells and just see everything.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_05: And I I've learned that the same thing that drew me to Holy Cross really runs through um the whole valley, uh especially learning and getting to know some of the volunteers who are coming from other organizations and just the way that people look forward to this, the way that people pull together clearly the way that they did even before Helene, but it I think uh it's only made more poignant in the in that fact that these people care for one another and love to um host visitors and and show this wonderful community and wonderful place that they have.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_05: And I think this is just kind of symbolic of that.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think churches and faith-based organizations of all kinds always look for opportunities to have their mission show up in in true, genuine work.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I'm sure that that this has got to be one of the more unique opportunities to have something that is so synonymous with a season as well as bringing light to the church, bringing light to community all under one roof.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_04: What do you do with that from here?
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, the um uh just the fact that this whole process goes on and now for 48 years um and and that it all is turned around uh with uh all the funds going directly to um organizations that serve others and serve the community and to individuals who are seeking um who are in need, who are in a tough spot.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_05: And the fact that that all is the point um goes around, I think, is just emblematic of um who our little parish uh of Holy Cross is um and and the heart that it has.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_05: Um and but then also just how excited people get to take part in that.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_05: And the I think that's really what draws people together.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_05: And some people at the fair may not even realize that, but the but but I think I think that has to underlie kind of the sense of of joy that people experience is that this is a for the purpose of helping those, uh helping others showing love.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_04: Or with the Valley Country Fair leadership trio, right after this, you are listening to MindYour Business.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_03: They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_03: For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome back to Mind Your Business.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_04: I'm David Jackson.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_04: We continue our discussion with Julie Gates, Tracy Heiss, and the Reverend Jonathan Chesney as we talk Valley Country Fair 2026.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_04: That genuine connection that is made throughout the community, Julie has to be helpful to in bringing people in to help facilitate this.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_04: From a volunteer's perspective, this has always been one of those things that as a community member, you find your way there either as an attendee or a volunteer, or maybe both if you're lucky.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: If we have our way about it, it's both.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, the I think it's just the tr the true nature of volunteering is and I and I think a lot of people don't talk about it, but really the gift that the volunteer receives, just giving time and energy.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_01: You know, nothing feels better than that tired feeling after a long, hard day of knowing that that you've worked hard for others.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, we use this phrase neighbors helping neighbors, and you know, we saw like we saw that emulated during the hurricane.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_01: We saw that we, you know, there's just there have been a lot of examples of this, but this is a yearly example of people who don't know each other, people who have known each other forever, are elbow to elbow really making this thing happen.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: So um it's it's I think both Tracy and I, we were we both agreed to chair the fair years ago before we had ever experienced a fair.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: So I think we were kind of new blood in the valley, and it was but but I still I tell people to this day that it was the best part of acclimating for us to a new community because you meet so many people, it brings out the best in people.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's it's a gift to the volunteers.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think that's one of the um one of the warmest parts of it that I've heard people share about their own experiences in volunteering, are those who have now done it for several years become a little bit of a mini community within the community, um, people who have been working the grill tent for several years now.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_05: Uh, we've had a unfortunately had a few um several funerals for um uh deep-seated and longtime members of the community this year.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_05: But several of the stories, the lovely stories that come up when we're celebrating someone's life are some memories of people who, when they first came, maybe as an apstate college student, to volunteer years ago and they met, say, Bill Welch and helped out in the Cider Press, and they have memories and these experiences, fighting off bees that were coming in, um, you know, and uh and these deep-seated memories of service, of help, but also of friendship, um, of tie these ties that bind people to each other and to the community are are really shining.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah, it's a truly joyful day.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_06: I mean, uh, you always have that sense of warmth and community, and that day just kind of it's just there in the essence of it.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_06: And, you know, we just, you know, the exhibitors even tied back money to us, and that's part of the the money that we we get back.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_06: And so it's it's not just you know our food booths and everything, it's all it's a true sense of of giving from everyone who is there, and it I think it touches a lot of lives, and people who have been touched through grant recipients and things like that, they they will come and and they come and volunteer as well.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, and and you think about all of the different organizations and then the work that is fueled by this event, helping those folks connect with their missions.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's a it's a cycle that that plays itself out all year long, and about the time that it's it's ready to refill that spirit again, right?
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_04: Here comes the fair and here comes fall, and and that's always a magical time of year.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_04: So we we we've talked a lot about the why.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_04: Let's talk about the when.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_04: Uh event details, parking, logistics.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_04: What would you like to share?
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: So the easiest way to remember when the Valley Country Fair happens is it is always the third Saturday of October.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: So this year, it is October 17th.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: There is no home football game, so that frees up thousands more people to join us at the fair.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so the uh the fair opens at 9 a.m.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: There are often early browsers, a little earlier than that.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh the fair wraps up at 4 p.m.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: There's food and music all day long.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh parking, so admission is free.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: Parking is$10 per vehicle.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: So think clowns in a Volkswagen.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like pack your vehicle, bring all your friends.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you can get them in one vehicle, it's$10.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and these this event happens rain or shine.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: We always pray very hard for the former.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and the one thing that we ask is that there are no pets allowed at the fairground.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: So there are 10 to 12,000 people.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: It is it just becomes complicated quickly.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: So we ask that everyone please leave your pets at home.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: There'll be signs to remind you.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but uh anyway, so yes, October 17th, 9 to 4.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I know bridge construction is in a little better place than it was at this time last year.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_04: Uh is there a preferred route in incoming, outgoing, um, that that you would like to share or basically just get to the valley?
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_06: No particular route, but we do work very hard.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_06: We have um parking meetings, infrastructure meetings with the sheriffs and the police every year um in order to keep the flow of traffic coming in and out of the fair um to keep those routes open.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_06: And so we do put a lot of time and energy into that so that to help any traffic type issues.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_06: And this year we're it it's we're lucky that the bridge project is a little bit better.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_06: So we we we work really hard in the last couple years, we've had a really nice flow of traffic.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, the way we describe that is the the bridge project, there's an actual bridge there now.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: So absolutely.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the other thing, um think about it like going to the grocery store.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if you come to the fair at 8 30, the traffic will be on the lighter side.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: If you're there at 10 30 a.m., just expect it to be heavier.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: If you're there at 2 30, it may be a little bit lighter.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: So it just depends.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: But I think there's all this urban legend back years when we had one entrance to the fairgrounds and traffic was backed up down Broadstone to 105.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: There are two entrances into the fairgrounds.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: The traffic flows smoothly, um, barring you know something unforeseen.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's worth it if you haven't been in a while, if you're a local and think this is a time that you don't leave your home.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, come out and give us a try.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think you'll find egress and egress is safe and much more efficient, and you'll have a blast.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_04: And if you have to get stuck in traffic somewhere, even for a few minutes, there is no more beautiful place at that time of year than Valley Cruises.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_06: Leaves alone.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_06: We'll just do it for you.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_06: And and you know, the the fair itself is a one-day event.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_06: But it's such an iconic weekend in the high country because you have the Valley Country Fair, you have the Woolly Worm Festival, and that's in Banner Elk.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_06: And so, you know, it's a great way to spend your weekend.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_06: You come to the Valley Country Fair on Saturday, you can make your way up to the Woolly Worm after, or spend uh Sunday at the Woolly Worm Festival.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_06: So it's just a it has become a very iconic weekend.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_04: Well, we hope for nothing but sunny skies and and just that right amount of autumn crispness to make people really need.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: Need the cider uh in the Brunswick's too, but but certainly appreciate not only everything that you do on this weekend, but how this resonates throughout the community all year long.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_04: There are many organizations that could not do what they do without Holy Cross and and all of the volunteers and everybody that makes this event happen.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_04: So thank you for the part that you play in that.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_04: We thank you for your support.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_04: It means a lot.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_04: Excellent.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_04: Well, we'll see you all at the fair here too.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_04: Come on over.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_04: Visit the website valleycountryfair.org.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_04: All of the best details regarding directions, exhibitors, schedule of local musicians, all of the details you need at valleycountryfair.org.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_04: That's Valley Spelled Our Way, by the way.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_04: V-A-L-L-E.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_04: Also remember, service animals only please.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_04: Too much food around, and I know how my dog would handle that temptation.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_04: Just south on Highway 194 is Bannerel, home of the Woolly Worm Festival, another annual event celebrating its 49th year.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_04: It combines art, crafts, food, and racing.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_04: Woolly worm racing, that is.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_04: And the weather predictions that come from this event are coveted by, well, all of us in the High Country really.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_04: We'll get to this phenomenon coming up right after this.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_04: You are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: Are you a young professional looking to expand your network?
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_00: The High Country Young Professionals affectionately dubbed the High Country Young Rose.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's a dedicated group of 200 plus professional young adults under the age of 40 serving in various industries across the high country.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: Join us for our casual networking event on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: As we visit locations across the high country.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: Events are free of charge, however, donations are appreciated.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: Not a chamber member?
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_00: No membership needed to join us.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: We just have to be under 40.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: Learn more about high country GoPros at bootchamber.com slash HYP.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_03: Find your business.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_03: Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_04: Fuzzy little creatures have never had so much impact.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_04: The 49th Annual Woolly Worm Festival, October 17th and 18th in downtown Panor Elk, another fall festival here in the high country with a big heart.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_04: All net proceeds from this event are redistributed to community schools and children's programs and are used to promote businesses in Avery County.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_04: Victoria Bowman, my counterpart and friend at the Avery County Chamber of Commerce, explains the sensation of a woolly worm race.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_04: Ooh, that's a wonderful question.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_07: I've never been asked that.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_07: I've done so much media.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_07: Nobody's ever asked that.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_07: Um, okay, so I think it's actually equal parts like excitement and then dread slash embarrassment.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_07: Because you know right away, right?
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_07: Like if you picked a gunner, like he's going.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_07: There's no like middle ground to these guys.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_07: It is an all or nothing kind of vibe.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_07: So honestly, you know if uh you're winning pretty quickly.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_07: Um, because some of these guys just like take off and then some are just just sit there and kind of like mock you, um, which feels great.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_07: Um, but I also think it's funny because you watch people um kind of look around like, is this real life?
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_07: Like, are we this is what we're doing right now, especially as grown adults?
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_07: Like, yeah, yeah, it's pretty awesome.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_07: It's a it's a little, you know, juxtaposition of emotion.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_04: So so when it gets down to like the last competitive pieces of this, and we're we're fighting to see who gets to tell the weather here, how competitive does it really get?
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, do you see some sport parent vibes come out in people?
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_07: A hundred percent, a hundred percent stage moms in the back, like yelling these names because you know, and then it is fun, they have really fun different naming devices.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_07: We also like try to keep it PG, right?
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_07: So sometimes we have to talk people off ledges on their name selections, but they're like chanting in the background.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, it is straight up like college football vibes behind us.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_07: Um, and usually by that point, the finale races on Saturday are usually around like 3, 3:30.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_07: So the head count is insane, like it's just packed with people.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_07: And I mean, you have full grown adults blowing up a worm's butt, like on purpose, like fully embracing it.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_07: It's like no judgment.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, you see a couple elbows too.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_07: I'm not gonna lie.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_07: So whoever has to like race officiate those last races, I don't even go out there.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_07: Honestly, I was like, I'll catch you fools on Sunday, like it's not.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_04: Well, aside from the um the description that you just laid out there, that's perfect.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_04: Um, 49 years of this event, it means more than racing woolly worms.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_04: What has made this such the staple that it is, along with Valley Country Fair?
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_04: We just talked about that, but but what makes these events the attraction that they are?
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, honestly, it sounds kind of cheesy, but it comes down to the community of it.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, and and I say community in some of the broadest terms because we have such a loyal, um, somewhat cult-like, loving that um following for the worms.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_07: So we have these repeat families who have been coming, you know, their their dad brought them when they're a little kid, and we've been around long enough that now they're bringing their kids.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_07: Like the amount of stories we've seen told in these generational things, super cool.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_07: Vendor community around the same.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, we have over 165 vendors between crafts and nonprofit and food, and it's a really big mix.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, we have some vendors that have been with us for over 30 years, and then you have your net new kind of young blood bring in different things.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_07: Um, because we have to stay modern and we have to stay polished to be able to survive for another 40 some odd years, right?
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_07: Because the marketplace is changing.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_07: So it's this beautiful, I think, marriage of the history that is built on and the polish and the toys that I believe my office has given it to take it into, you know, the next 50 years.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_07: But community number one, I mean, as tired as we are, and I am so drained, um, it just it fills you with joy to be around that.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_07: And I always say too when I do press, it's like it's just a little bit of magic in in the world today, like there's nothing wrong with wanting a little bit of magic.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_07: You know what I mean?
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_07: So um community and magic.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_07: That's what I'd say.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_04: So there are a lot of people, especially throughout the state and region, that see Banner Elk at different times of year.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_04: A lot of people come for the winter time and they're they're used to that vibe.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_04: For anybody that's never been through on this particular weekend in the fall, how would you describe that?
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, good lord.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, the reason we live here, honestly, it is right, like we we survive um some of those horrible winter weather where the kids never go to school and we just feel like caged by our own lives.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_07: And then you just enter this era of fall, and and whether we get six weeks of that or eight weeks of that, but um we lived in basically a Hallmark movie for those weeks, right?
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_07: And I think it's just it's small town lore, small town community, just like at its finest.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_07: And yes, you have to take your patient pill because there are a million people on the mountain that weekend, like, you know, traffic's gonna be yucky, and you know you're gonna be waiting, but um just take a breath and like turn around and see the profile of Grandfather Mountain while you're driving down 105, you know.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_07: Uh, there's a lot worse places or things to be stuck in or a part of.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_07: And you know, I think the other beauty of it is it's not just Banner Elk, and that's what's done it.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_07: I think the festival has done such a great job of really kind of expanding that reach.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_07: So we see the economic impact in a positive way in all of our surrounding counties.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, with you guys, with Ash County, with I see it down in Mitchell and Yancey, we tap into eastern Tennessee.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_07: So it really is not just a uh come and see Banner Elf play, it's a come and experience Avery County, come and experience the high country, because we're talking about everybody, and that almost sits to the point of what right we try to do on the chamber side is you know, let's break down those silos.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_07: And the festival is such a wonderful conduit for that.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, you know, last year I know that a lot of of this time of year was about being back to a spot where we could have people again, and a lot of these festivals were raising money that was still being utilized for Helene recovery.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_04: This has always had such a strong community tie to it from a philanthropic standpoint as well.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_04: How do you see those proceeds benefiting the community this year, maybe a little different than last year from the Hellen perspective, but still getting out there and putting dollars in Avery County in the way they need to be?
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, for sure.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, I think that's the other thing I'm most proud of is the money goes right back into the community, and it really is focused around the youth organizations.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_07: So we have done a massive overhaul with the relationship with the Avery County School District.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_07: So the touch points that our kiddos have had and the money that goes directly back into the teachers or directly um to the school administration to be able to use where they need is amazing.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_07: There's multiple opportunities to apply for scholarships and grants within any youth nonprofit.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, it can be anything from um Gears for Groms, which does the ski equipment for underprivileged youth to be able to come out and experience Beach Mountain.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_07: Um, you know, it's Western Youth Alliance, it's it's all of these things for the pipeline that matters the most to us, right?
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_07: The the parents who are raising the kids here.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_07: And not for nothing helps keep the lights on here.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_07: You know, you know just as well as I do.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_07: Shaper Life is not a cash-heavy kind of business model.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_07: So, like we want to keep thriving because we know that we're in a perfect position to continue to enhance business development and professional development within our county.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_07: So we need help to do that too.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_07: So it all feeds itself.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_07: Um, so every dollar that our our tourist community or even our local community um contributes, you know, they're going back to those organizations.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_07: Or, you know, you look at two all of these craft vendors.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_07: We don't allow any resale at all at this festival, which I don't think Valley Cruises does either.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_07: These are all small businesses.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_07: So you are supporting small wherever you're shopping, whether it's, you know, going to get your chicken tenders with what the clock, or if you're going to get your welcome pair, like everybody is a local and or you know, local adjacent artisan.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_07: So um, I don't know, it just it lives up to our mantra, I think.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_07: So, and and honestly, we wouldn't work this hard on an event this size if we didn't fundamentally believe in the mission behind it.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, very well said.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_04: So if you've got the opportunity here, the dates, the times, all the particulars, what do you need people to know?
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_07: Okay, so you are gonna go to willyworm.com to get your tickets because you can buy your tickets online.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_07: Um, just a little small service fee, but that is gonna save so much stress when you come see us on either Saturday, October 17th or Sunday, October 18th in downtown Banner Elk.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_07: We have Disney inspired fast pass lanes, so early worms, pun intended, lanes where if you pre-purchase your ticket, you get to stand through, so you're not standing in line for tickets.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_07: Um, it's$10 for adults, four dollars for children.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_07: That's very nominal.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_07: Um, you want to get in, get your worm, and get registered for the races because those do sell out.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_07: Um, those are ten dollars a pop.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_07: Um, but again, all of this money is just generating back into the infrastructure of the festival, the Avery Chamber of Commerce, and then supporting youth organizations um throughout uh throughout the high country.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_07: Um the other thing I would say is again, patient pill with the traffic.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_07: Our friends at Valley Cruises Fair are also on Saturday, and there's nothing wrong with that.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_07: Go see them on Saturday, come see us on Sunday.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_07: Um, but the traffic is is a little dicey.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_07: Um one thing I will say too, to be noted, we launched a relationship with Lisa McCrae College last year to do remote parking on the athletics and the South Campus, and that worked out beautifully.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_07: So we're doing that again.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_07: So don't sit in that downtown mess, just hang a left or a right, depending which way you're coming.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_07: Hit up South Campus.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_07: You can park.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_07: You're supporting the athletic teams and the clubs at the college by paying your$10 there.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_07: Um, and then you're taking a shuttle and it's police escorted.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_07: So you get through right to downtown, right to the Elk statue, and then pickups right at the same spot.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_07: So um, but yeah, follow us on social, woollyworm.com.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_07: Everything you need to know is right there.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_04: That's awesome.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I look forward to logging onto the site and seeing the Rocky training montage that is your worm getting ready for the battle.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_04: And and I feel like uh, you know, it'll be chasing a chicken and climbing up a mountain, all the things.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, for sure.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_04: Expect nothing less, but really appreciate everything that you all do for the for the community uh in this particular event, but all year long.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_04: You you've been a tremendous partner to work with, and we enjoy every interaction with you and look forward to many more uh throughout the year, and best of luck with the worms.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you, sir.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_07: Bye.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_04: Woolyworm festival, October 17th and 18th at Baynorel.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_04: Check out woollyworm.com for festival details.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_04: Another one of our favorites, Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_04: That's this weekend, the 10th and 11th.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_04: It's the 36th annual event at Sugar, all things bravarian, too, including a costume contest, plenty of things for the kids, great music, amazing food, the works.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_04: Check out Oktoberfest.com.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_04: And it's never too early to start thinking about Halloween.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_04: Both Boone and Blowing Rock have their own annual festivals that are on that Saturday, October 31st.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_04: Check out joneshouse.org for Boon Boo details and blowingrock.com slash Halloween for their information.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_04: And you better come ready with your costumes, too.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_04: This is no amateur hour operation when it comes to these Halloween festivals in the high country.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_04: You are listening to Mind Your Business.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_02: Folks, the creative economy is a critical part of North Carolina's economy, and it is an absolutely essential part of Western North Carolina's economy.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_02: It is as important to us as manufacturing as it is diversity and wood products, and it is a critical part of who we are and the culture that brings people here.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_04: That was Sharon Decker with Grow NC talking about the impact of the creative economy as it relates to Western North Carolina's Helene recovery.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_04: We discussed this plan a few weeks ago with Dan Gerlock.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_04: We have the full plan available now for download on our website, boomchamber.com.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_04: Check it out.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_04: You'll see how the creative community and the feeling that comes with celebrating culture in these mountains will be a significant part of the comeback story for our entire region.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_04: Another component of that story, agriculture.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_04: And with that, heads off to the Watauka County Farmers Market, voted the number one market in North Carolina and a top five market in the Southeast, according to American Farmland Trust, the 2026 American Farmers Market celebration.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_04: This farmers market, a Saturday morning staple in our community, is a must-checkout item.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_04: So posting on Saturday or any Saturday at Daniel Boone Park between now and November 28th.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_04: That'll do it for this edition of Find Your Business, this program written and produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks to North Carolina Small Market Radio Station of the Year, WATA, for putting us on the airwaves each and every week.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_04: And hey, congrats to our partners.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_04: What a well-deserved honor.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_04: We're happy to be one of the many supporters of the power of local radio right here in the high country.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks as always to James Milner and the team at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate for making the podcast version of this program possible as well.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_04: If you have not subscribed, do it now.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_04: Search for Mind Your Business wherever you get those podcasts.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_04: You can visit us online at foodchamber.com as well.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_04: Until next week, so long, everybody.