The 2020 Woolly Worm Festival of Banner Elk has been cancelled due to COVID-19. In a press release the Wooly Worm Festivals Board of Director’s stated, “This is not a decision the Woolly Worm Board of Directors has taken lightly. Every year, profits from the festival are given back to our community to enhance the lives of children and to promote business and tourism in Avery County. Local businesses and organizations also benefit from festival visitors to our community. After careful consideration and guidance from local and state agencies as well as the Boards of Directors from the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk and the Avery County Chamber of Commerce the decision was made to cancel this year’s onsite Woolly Worm Festival on October 17 and 18, 2020.” The Wooly Worm Festival has been a fall tradition in Banner Elk since 1978.
In the meantime, the Woolly Worm Festival’s Board of Directors will be developing a link from their website to many of the vendors so that you will still be able to support and purchase some of their handicrafts online. The Board is also working on a way to decide which Woolly Worm will determine this winter’s weather forecast with virtual online races. You can check the Woolly Worm website www.woollyworm.com for more information.
