Summer Has Arrived!

Summer has arrived!! Warm temperatures, low humidity, sunny skies and lots of upcoming events to enjoy are here!  Banner Elk is the home for a summer full of theater productions at Lees-McRae College, outdoor concerts in the park every week starting Thursday June 22, many restaurants with inside and outside musicians and craft fairs hosted in front of the Historic Banner Elk Elementary School!

Curious children and adults alike can now visit the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center on the campus of Lees-McRae College Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. for its free summer wildlife presentation series. The hour-long presentations feature Lees-McRae wildlife rehabilitation students teaching the importance of preserving and caring for North Carolina’s wildlife with the use of several animal ambassadors. The ambassadors, ranging in species from owl to flying squirrel, remain at the center due to their permanent injuries and are therefore unable to return to the wild.

Our beautiful town park offers a stream to play in, playgrounds for children, an amphitheater, a dog park for your furry family member and covered picnic shelters.  The Greenway trail can be accessed  from the park for a walking tour around beautiful Banner Elk.  You might even see our white crow!

Not only is Banner Elk just a great place to relax, but if adventure is what you are seeking, sign up for a rafting trip down the Watauga River with class 1 and 2 rapids, hike or bike on the Blue Ridge Parkway and see breathtaking views wherever you go! Minutes away from the many local wineries, the Blowing Rock, Tweetsie Railroad, Grandfather Mountain State Park, Linville Falls,the beautiful Rhododendron gardens on Roan Mountain, TN and the Land of Oz on Beech Mountain.

You will not be disappointed with your dining experiences.  The Banner Elk area offers everything from 5 star dining to takeout! Order a picnic to go and relax as you sit on a peaceful vista  enjoying a cool evening sunset, or dine sitting beside a babbling mountain stream. The choices are endless.

Our area is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts with flora and fauna to thrill all nature lovers!  Hike the esteemed Profile Trail, located off of Highway 105, that meanders it way to the top of Grandfather Mountain. This is one of the many trails lush with native wildflowers and even a stream to look for salamanders and crawfish.  Be sure to look for the Red Eft Salamander found o0n most of the trails.

Welcome to summer in Banner Elk and the surrounding High Country!