Celebrations abound in Banner Elk for this year's Independence Day celebration! Parades, live music, theater, art fairs, and more! 

​Scroll down to learn more. 

The holiday season is officially underway at Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.

​While the first snowflakes usually fall, we have plenty of mild days for walks across the Mile High Swinging Bridge or for a winter hike. Our wildlife habitat residents are active, especially on warmer days. On cold and wet days, find plenty of things to explore inside the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery.
Additionally, our gift shops at the Wilson Center and Top Shop offer many local and handmade goods that can make for great presents that give back!


Read more about our holiday offerings.


Those looking for unique gifts for loved ones that will also help support the foundation have plenty of options to choose from this year.


 
Get your shopping done and feel good knowing your gifts are giving in more ways than one.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING IDEAS
 
Adopt an Animal
Looking for a gift that’s warm and fuzzy? While Grandfather Mountain’s resident animals are not for sale, the Adopt-an-Animal Program is the next best thing.
 
The program allows participants to symbolically adopt any of Grandfather Mountain’s furry or feathered residents, including black bears, river otters, cougars, bald eagles, elk and Sally the Corn Snake.
 
By adopting an animal, individually or on behalf of a loved one, the recipient will receive a special gift package. Gifts vary, depending on the donation level, and can include photographs, plush toys, paintings created by your adopted animal, day passes and more.
 
Visit www.grandfather.com/adopt to learn more.
 
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Treat your favorite animal lover to an up-close and personal experience with Grandfather’s resident animals.
 
Hosted by Grandfather’s knowledgeable and experienced keepers, Behind-the-Scenes Tours show guests where the park’s resident animals sleep overnight while sharing the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round. Behind-the-Scenes Tours are offered April through October and can be booked in advance.
 
To give a Behind-the-Scenes Tour as a gift, please call the Wilson Center Gift Shop at 828-733-1059 and purchase over the phone. The gift recipient will be responsible for contacting the habitat staff and scheduling their tour. Please note, a gift of a tour or experience does not include park admission. That will need to be purchased separately or covered by a Bridge Club membership.
 
Visit www.grandfather.com/experiences/animal-habitats-vip-tours for additional information.
 
Paint With a Bear
This one-of-a-kind activity will lead to lifelong memories. Watch one of the resident bears playfully create a painting by walking through nontoxic paint, in an assortment of colors chosen by the group, and onto sheets of paper for each participant to take home. Paint With a Bear is available Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m., April through October.
 
Those wanting to give this experience as a gift should call the Wilson Center Gift Shop at 828-733-1059 to purchase over the phone. The gift recipient will be responsible for contacting the habitat staff and scheduling their tour. Please note, a gift of a tour or experience does not include park admission. That will need to be purchased separately or covered by a Bridge Club membership.
 
For more information, visit www.grandfather.com/paint-with-bear.
 
Meet-the-Bears Tours
With Grandfather’s Meet-the-Bears Tours, go behind the scenes to meet some of the mountain’s resident black bears and learn all about them, including their names, daily routines, care, histories and more. This offering is available weekends, at 11 a.m., April through October.
 
To give a Meet-the-Bears Tour as a gift, please call the Wilson Center Gift Shop at 828-733-1059 and purchase over the phone. The gift recipient will be responsible for contacting the habitat staff and scheduling their tour. Please note, a gift of a tour or experience does not include park admission. That will need to be purchased separately or covered by a Bridge Club membership.
 
More information is available at www.grandfather.com/experiences/meet-the-bears.
 
Animal Wish List
Make the season merry and bright for the creatures that call Grandfather home by treating them to gift items and enrichment treats.
 
To see what the animals want this holiday season, visit www.grandfather.com/animal-enrichment-wishlist.
 
Fudge
Think the views are sweet? Try Grandfather Mountain’s fudge.
 
The park offers homemade fudge, available in year-round favorites chocolate, peanut butter and tiger butter. Best of all, it’s only a phone call away.
 
To place an order for pickup or shipment, call 828-733-1058.
 
Season Passes
For a gift that keeps on giving, shoppers can purchase an annual membership to Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club.
 
Bridge Club membership offers free admission to Grandfather Mountain for a year, exclusive discounts on and off the mountain, a Bridge Club car decal and more. Group passes are also available.
 
To learn more, visit www.grandfather.com/bridge-club.
 
Donate
Grandfather Mountain is owned and operated by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example.
 
The park’s funding is entirely derived from admission, souvenir sales, food and beverage sales and donations, 100% of which go right back into the mountain, ensuring its pristine beauty is preserved for generations to come.
 
Charitable giving also benefits the park’s many educational programs and initiatives.
 
Those hoping to contribute in their or someone else’s name may do so by visiting www.grandfather.com/donate, which allows them to sponsor a particular project or donate to a cause of their choosing.
 
PURCHASING A GIFT WHILE ON THE MOUNTAIN?
 
Gift Shops
Located in the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and the Top Shop, Grandfather Mountain’s gift shops carry a variety of artisan crafts and goods, as well as signature Grandfather Mountain souvenirs, from apparel to drinkware and all things in between.
 
One of the most popular items is truly unique to the mountain – animal paintings, as in artwork painted by Grandfather Mountain’s habitat animals.
 
If you’re looking to support small businesses, our gift shops offer many goods created by local vendors:

• Jewelry by Don Haywood Jewelry (Boone, N.C.)
• Hand-carved trees by Fall Creek Woods (Todd, N.C.)
• Face carvings by Bill Lyons (Hampton, T.N.)
• Hand-painted ornaments by Corn Husk Shoppe (Asheville, N.C.)
• Laser-cut wood and porcelain ornaments by MJC Woodworking (Mocksville, N.C.)
• Laser-cut wood slab art salvaged from Hurricane Helene by Scribe Werks (Newland, N.C.)
• Honey products by Whole Hive Honey (Boone, N.C.)
• Jams, jellies and honey by The Dutch Kettle (Hamptonville, N.C.)
• Soaps by Foothills Soap Company (Marion, N.C.), Mercy Springs Farm (Vilas, N.C.) and Highland Croft (Elk Park, N.C.).

 
Choose and Cut and Save
Grandfather Mountain’s official tree will be on display Nov. 21, and guests are welcome to bring their own to enjoy a festive discount on park admission during the holiday season. Yes – you read that right, bring your own tree!
 
As a gesture of support to local Christmas tree farmers, anyone who arrives at the mountain with a tree atop their vehicle or a receipt from a local tree farm will receive $2 off each adult admission and $1 off each child admission.
 
This offer is valid when booking a visit online at www.grandfather.com (choose the discount pricing) or when buying tickets in person, if available.
 
Winter Hours
Grandfather Mountain is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day in winter, weather permitting, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Ticket sales end at 3:30 p.m., and trails close at 4 p.m. Please note, the park will close early Dec. 16 for a staff event and on Christmas Eve. On those two days, the park will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the last entry at 2:30 p.m. and trails closing at 3 p.m.
 
Guests are encouraged to book their visit online at www.grandfather.com. With the exception of this year’s choose-and-cut Christmas tree promotion, discounts and coupons are valid only when booking online.
 
During times of inclement weather, the park may close early or delay opening until all roads and paths can be cleared of snow and ice. As such, those planning a trip are encouraged to call the Entrance Gate at 828-733-4337 or check the website before visiting to learn about the day’s conditions and opening status.
 
Learn more about the holiday season at Grandfather Mountain at www.grandfather.com/holiday-season.
 
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.

​The Barn at Cornerstone & Stonewalls Catering

Let Stonewalls and the Barn at Cornerstone take all the Hassle out of your Holidays! They are partnering together to offer everything you need for a festive gathering, from beautiful decor to tasty meals.
828-898-5550
scott@stonewallsnc.com

Sorrento's | Thanksgiving Day Meal

Spend Thanksgiving at Sorrento's. A beautifully curated holiday menu will be served from 3pm to 10 pm. 

Bayou Banner Elk | Thanksgiving Meal

If your kind of Thanksgiving is good food, good people, and a laid back atmosphere… Bayou’s the spot! Think slow smoked brisket, char grilled oysters, mac-n-cheese, sweet tater tots, and pecan pie to finish.

Holiday hours: Breakfast 8–12, Lunch/Dinner 12–8. Come hungry!

8288985625
esiegel@mybestfriendsbarkery.com
​
176 Shawneehaw Ave,
Banner Elk, NC 28604

This hit event returns! Join Banner Elk Presbyterian Church for this fun 90-minute concert, featuring love songs from our favorite musicals. This performance features singers from the Lees-McRae Summer Theater and the Banner Elk Presbyterian Choir. 

Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. 100% of the donations benefit the Banner Elk Presbyterian Church Preschool. 

LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, will host its annual Junior Naturalist Day on Saturday, Aug. 9. Activities, included with admission, will be provided specifically for children ages 5 to 12 — though all ages are welcome — to explore their environment and experience all that Grandfather has to offer.

Programming takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature birding with a naturalist, nature journaling, looking for lichen and more.

In honor of the mountain’s upcoming “Hawk Watch” event during the month of September, there will be a Junior Hawk Watch program near the Mile High Swinging Bridge in the afternoon. Grandfather is one of more than 300 Hawk Watch sites officially designated by the Hawk Migration Association of North America.
Grandfather Mountain’s Junior Naturalist Program offers an experience that caters to curious young explorers at the park’s Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and Conservation Campus — which will be expanded in fall 2025 through the opening of Yonni’s Clubhouse, a space designed to combine learning and fun via indoor and outdoor, hands-on, education opportunities.

“Junior Naturalist Day is a perfect example of what we strive to do at Grandfather Mountain,” said Lauren Farrell, director of education for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “It’s important to teach kids about conservation so they can feel empowered to take their knowledge home and make a change.”
The day’s full schedule is below.

Junior Naturalist Day Schedule:
10 – 11 a.m.: Nature Journaling – Learn how to start your own nature journal by observing some of the nature around our botanical garden. (Botanical Garden, rain location: sunroom)
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Animal Observations – Join our naturalists observing animals and their different behaviors. We’ll be observing birds, squirrels and chipmunks around the Wilson Center bird feeders. (Wilson Center deck, rain location: sunroom)
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Looking for Lichen with a Naturalist – Help look for different types of lichen and plants around the botanical garden. Kids will learn to use techniques that biologists use in the field. (Botanical Garden, rain location: Wilson Center)
1 – 2 p.m.: Pollinator Scavenger Hunt – Explore different kinds of pollinators found in our garden. Learn about the different flower shapes and colors the pollinators prefer to visit. (Botanical Garden, rain location: Wilson Center)
2 – 3 p.m.: Junior Hawk Watch – Borrow a pair of binoculars, grab a booklet and join our naturalists in observing the migrating birds of prey! (Mile High Swinging Bridge, rain location: Top Shop second floor)
At certain times during the event, guests will also be able to meet some critters up close and personal around the Wilson Center.

To learn more about this year’s Junior Naturalist Day at Grandfather Mountain, visit www.grandfather.com/event/junior-naturalist-day.

It is recommended that those planning to attend purchase tickets to the park online in advance at www.grandfather.com/tickets.

The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.
 ​