May NC Events

Date:      May 1    
NC City:  CHEROKEE
Event:     Oconaluftee Indian Village Opens for the Season   The Oconaluftee Indian Village opens for the 2012 season with self guided tours, authentic children's costumes, guided tours, and the Time of War. The Village Re-creates an authentic 18th-century Indian community. Cherokee artisans and guides demonstrate and explain the arts and crafts and the lifestyle and culture of their ancestors. Replicas of Cherokee homes, council house and squareground of the 1750 period.
Date:      May 1    
NC City:  ASHEVILLE  
Event:    WNC Chefs Challenge   Inn on Biltmore Estate vs. winner of March 20 competition  Food and sport combine for the ultimate food fight. The Challenge brings together 14 leading chefs from the region and one secret ingredient in weekly battles each Tuesday from March 20 - May 22.  Diners enjoy six plated culinary creations (three from each team) that incorporate the secret ingredient and score each dish. The votes from the audience and a panel of professional chefs, journalists, and culinary experts are tallied. A winner is announced at the end of the night and continues to the next round of competition.
Date:      May 3 - 20   
NC City:  FLAT ROCK  
Event:     Flat Rock Playhouse presents "Our Show of Shows"   From 1950 to 1954, millions of viewers tuned their television sets to NBC for a 90-minute sketch-comedy show starring Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris and Imogene Coca. The writers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart and Mel Tolkin and the show was called "Your Show of Shows." The show changed television forever and influenced every television comedy that came after it. Flat Rock Playhouse is pleased to revisit some of the greatest comedy skits ever written as the classic television series comes to life in this all-new stage production. World Premiere.  Wed-Sat evenings 8:00PM, Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sun Matinee 2:00PM
Date:      May   4-6
NC City:  MAGGIE VALLEY
Event:     Thunder in the Smokies Spring Rally   Come ride in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enjoy Tour Rides, Music Concerts, Bike Builders, Bike Games, Bike Show, Prizes, Vendors and much more during our three day rally! All bikes and ages welcomed. Gates open at 11am - 11pm on Friday, 9am - 11pm on Saturday and 9am - 4pm on Sunday.
Date:      May   4-6
NC City:  TRYON
Event:     Art Trek Tryon   Approximately 40 artists in Tryon, Saluda, and Columbus, NC and Landrum, SC open their studios to the public. Trekking begins on Friday evening, May 4, and continues through Sunday, May 6. Saturday studio hours are 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday hours are 12 noon to 4 pm.  Enjoy dining at sponsoring restaurants. An Art Trek Guide is your road map to the artistic community and is available from Trek Base Upstairs Artspace gallery located in downtown Tryon. The guide provides an image of each artist’s work, directions to their studio and road maps of each community. Four area maps identify major roads and artist locations.  MAPS are are also available at artist's studios.
Date:      May 4-6   
NC City:  ASHEVILLE
Event:     23rd Annual Asheville Herb Festival   The WNC Chapter of the NC Herb Association represents the incredibly wide variety of herbalists and herb businesses in North Carolina: herb growers and vendors, natural gardening and landscaping specialists, and makers of herbal ointments, balms, soaps, teas, medicines, and other products. We hope you'll join us and more than 25,000 other herb lovers when we celebrate our 23rd annual Asheville Herb Festival.
Date:      May 5 
NC City:  NORTH WILKESBORO
Event:     7th Annual Shine to Wine Festival    This event features some of the best wine North Carolina has to offer as well as live music, art and food. Held on 10th Street in Downtown North Wilkesboro.  $15 in advance; $20 at the gate
Date:      May 5 
NC City:  NORTH WILKESBORO
Event:     Dreams & Kitestrings - 5K Family Walk/Run    The race starts between  8 and 8:30 AM  on the Greenway behind the Express YMCA. The mission of Dreams and Kitestrings is to provide women and children the wings to soar by providing financial assistance to help achieve their education, athletic, and career aspirations.
Date:      May 5 
NC City:  OLD FORT
Event:     ArtsMart   Locally created arts and crafts displayed inside the historic Old Fort Depot. Stop by to chat with the creators of these one-of-a-kind items while you shop for yourself, family or friends. Something for everyone including baskets, paintings, woodwork, wreaths, candles and live demonstrations. Sponsored by Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League.
Date:      May 5-6
NC City:  Ronda
Event:     Vineyards of Swan Creek Wine and Cheese Festival   Join the Vineyards of Swan Creek as each vineyard pairs one of their wines with a unique, local cheese from the Ashe County Cheese Factory.  The Vineyards of Swan Creek include Raffaldini Vineyards, Dobbins Creek Vineyard, Shadow Springs Vineyard, and Laural Gray Vineyard.
Date:      May 5-10   
NC City:  BLACK MOUNTAIN
Event:     LEAF - Lake Eden Art Festival   LEAF is one of the treasured traditions for families and friends across the southeast. Held annually at  at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, a weekend at LEAF is the equivalent of going on a year-long multi-cultural music, arts, dance, and outdoor adventures journey to "recharges your batteries". A few aspects that make LEAF popular is the family friendly atmosphere, the diverse sampling of arts and music, the beautiful setting, and the intimate size.
Date:      May 6  
NC City:  WAYNESVILLE
Event:     78th Annual Ramp Festival   An afternoon celebration featuring live bluegrass music, clogging, and food featuring ramps, a wild onion that grows in the mountains.
Date:      May 7  
NC City:  MARION
Event:     Annual Walleye Fishing Tournament   The Third annual event,  formerly the Thomas E. McDivitt and Bill Lee Memorial Walley Tournament. Entry fee $25.00 per person. Monetary prizes awarded in various categories as well as drawings for other prizes. Lake James, Black Bear Access, Marion.
Date:      May 8-11
NC City:  HENDERSONVILLE
Event:     Music on the Rock Series: Abba Returns  The 10 concert 2012 series produced by The Flat Rock Theatre offers a celebration of music form country to pop to Sinatra. 
Date:      May 11-13
NC City:  Franklin
Event:     11th Annual Mother's Cay Gemboree   Gem show featuring dealers from across the United States. Rough and cut gemstones, minerals, lapidary equipment and much more. Sponsored by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
Date:      May 11-13
NC City:  LINVILLE
Event:     Grandfather Mountain Naturalist Weekend   A fascinating collection of programs and guided walks offered to help guests discover more about the diversity of life at Grandfather Mountain. All programs and guided walks offered as part of the Naturalist’s Weekend are included in the price of admission. Those who attend for both days should keep to their receipt on Saturday and present that for discount admission on Sunday. 
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  NORTH WILKESBORO
Event:     Black Cat Station Open House  Black Cat Station is home of a large "H.O." Scale Model Railroad operating many trains at one time
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  FRANKLIN 
Event:     Airing of the Quilts   Downtown stores and churches will be decorated with quilts. Downtown Square will features exhibits by the Smoky Mountain Quilters guild, Macon county Quilt Trail, Macon County Art Association, and various community development clubs. The Town of Franklin antique fire truck will be decorated and on display.
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  BREVARD
Event:     DuPont State Forest Tour de Falls    Tour DuPont State Forest by bus. Cars and buses are normally not allowed in the forest. The buses will be available in the parking lot on DuPont/Staton Rd. to take visitors to High Falls, Triple Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Lake Julia, sponsored by Friends of DuPont Forest.
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  WAYNESVILLE
Event:     Whole Bloomin' Thing Spring Festival   The Festival promotes and showcases local growers (farmers) and artists. You'll find lots of plants and herbs, handicrafts, food, entertainment, and kid's activities. FREE event.
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  BLOWING ROCK
Event:     Art in the Park   A juried arts & craft show featuring 90 artists held in the picturesque downtown park once a  month from May October.
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  Ronda
Event:     Day of Wine and Roses   Savor the small of the roses in full bloom. Enjoy a glass of Raffaldini wine as you take a complimentary tour of the gardens surrounding the Villa Raffaldini. This event will be held rain or shine.
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  WILKESBORO
Event:     3rd Annual Wilkes Amazing Race   The Race combines mental and physical challenges with a host of fun and wacky team competitions. Teams of two will enjoy a county-wide adventure, whiles visiting many of the tourist destinations, with the hopes of winning the ultimate prize! We will end the day with a fun social gathering of food and entertainment. Proceeds go to the Samaritan's Christian Ministry of Wilkes. Their mission is "to feed the hungry of Wilkes County."
Date:      May 12  
NC City:  TRYON
Event:     Tryon Gallery Trot   From 5-8 PM downtown Tryon comes to life with galleries hosting opening receptions, late hours, or featuring special events. The Tryon Gallery Trots are evenings where the arts are the primary focus with an open invitation for all to attend and enjoy. View new art exhibits and  meet and talk with artists and craftspeople, or authors & illustrators during the Trots.  Enjoy light refreshments, view art demonstrations and enjoy performances.
Date:      May 12-13  
NC City:  WEAVERVILLE
Event:     Weaverville Art Safari  A free, self-guided tour of artists' home studios in the scenic area surrounding the villages of Weaverville and Barnardsville, North Carolina. Weaverville is located just 10 minutes north of Asheville. Visitors are granted direct access during Safari weekends to the home studios of a wide variety of local artists and a few visiting artists. The Art Safari will be preceded, as usual, by a gala preview party & silent auction on Friday night, May 11.
Date:      May 12-13
NC City:  CHIMNEY ROCK
Event:     Shutterbugs Nature Photography Workshop    Capture spring wildflowers, 75-mile views and a 404-foot waterfall with your camera at Chimney Rock. The instructor, Les Saucier, has led nature photography workshops for more than 26 years, participates in many juried shows and has had his work published in numerous books and magazines, including National Geographic. This 2-day workshop includes classroom time, field time and critique.
Date:      May 12-13
NC City:  Tryon
Event:     3rd Annual Tryon Art in Bloom   Tour five spectacular local gardens with local artist painting on site. The garden tours are in partnership with local garden clubs and benefit Tryon Fine Arts Center, Garden & Art Bazaar in downtown Tryon and Landrum.  Downtown Tryon and Landrum will come alive with vendors of plants of all sizes and colors. Proceeds benefit TFAC’s ArtScapes project to bring public art to Tryon Landrum and Columbus. Sunday, May 13, 4:00 PM at the Tryon Fine Arts Center Sculpture Exhibit Sculpture indoors and outdoors by local sculptors of national and regional stature. Landscape Lecture and Garden Party Lecture by Sally Barnet Spanger, Editor of the Garden Clubs of America Bulletin tryonarts.org for more information
Date:      May 13
NC City:  Rhonda 
Event:     Mamma Mia! Mother's Day Celebration   Raffaldina Vineyards celebration of all mothers on this special day. All mothers will receive a complimentary "Lady's Kiss" cookie and wine tasting of our Frizzante wine paired with a Baci di Dama, or "Lady's Kiss," cookie. Bring a picnic or create one yourself from our fully-stocked deli.
Date:      May 18
NC City:  Wilkesboro
Event:     Wilkesboro Open Air Market   Historic Downtown Wilkesboro's popular Open Air Market events series returns in 2012 starting on April 20 and continues the through August.  Events will feature downtown merchants, food vendors, local wineries, musicians, regional farms and produce, arts and crafts, demonstrators, as well as non-profit and civic organizations. Each Third Friday Open Air Market will be themed with live music, children's activities, contests, and more. The Regular Friday markets will happen every Friday and will feature the freshest produce and handmade crafts of the surrounding area
Date:      May 19  
NC City:  WILKESBORO
Event:     Candle Light Ghost Tours   Come out for an evening of tales, mystery and haunts at the Candle Light Ghost Tours. Learn about the ghosts that haunt the old buildings that make up downtown Wilkesboro. Visit a cemetery where Civil War Soldiers are buried, stand in the jail cell Tom Dooley spent his last days, and listen to the stories of the haunted Smithey Hotel. Tickets will be sold on the Courthouse lawn at the museum and at the Wilkesboro Open Air Market the Friday before. Tours start at 8 PM 
Date:      22   
NC City:  ASHEVILLE  
Event:    WNC Chefs Challenge   Knife & Fork vs. winner of April 24 competition  Food and sport combine for the ultimate food fight. The Challenge brings together 14 leading chefs from the region and one secret ingredient in weekly battles each Tuesday from March 20 - May 22.  Diners enjoy six plated culinary creations (three from each team) that incorporate the secret ingredient and score each dish. The votes from the audience and a panel of professional chefs, journalists, and culinary experts are tallied. A winner is announced at the end of the night and continues to the next round of competition.
Date:      May 28
NC City:  Spruce Pine / Little Switzerland
Event:     Memorial Day at the Orchard   Live music all day, storytelling and hayrides at the historic Orchard at Alta Pass.
Date:      May 31  
NC City:  ASHEVILLE  
Events:   Mountain Safari at the WNC Nature Center   A one-of-a-kind social adventure! Dress in your best safari gear and party with the animals.  Tickets on sale on our website!  The evening festivities include live entertainment, special animal encounters, auction & raffle, plus great food and drink.