April 2026

4th of July Parade & Festival, July 4, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Summer 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside, you’ll find gatherings celebrating food and drink, the arts, music, and more—all worth building a mountain road trip around. Pick your favorite festival theme and start planning!
Cumberland Valley Cruise-In

Spring 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside, you’ll find gatherings celebrating food and drink, the arts, music, and more—all worth building a mountain road trip around. Pick your favorite festival theme and start planning!
Trout Lilly. Credit Joe Cook and Monica Sheppard

April’s Mountain Wildflower: Trout Lily

Like its western relative the glacier lily (Erythronium grandiflorum), trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is often found pushing its way through a blanket of snow in early spring.
Blue Ridge Country Parkway Guide 2026

2026 Blue Ridge Parkway Guide

Start planning your next trip on America's Favorite Scenic Highway
RIVERSIDE ROCK Housed in a former cotton mill, the Haw River Ballroom is a place that connects you not only to music but to the land itself.

Where the River Meets Revival

From the Haw River Ballroom to Saxapahaw Island Park, charming North Carolina town is a haven of creative expression, community spirit and natural beauty

Departments

Behind Blue Ridge Country

Even More Sweet Virginia Breezes

Casually cruising to Claytor Lake in southwest Virginia, I felt like I had come home – back to where it

CALENDAR OF EVENTS