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BANNER ELK, NC: "START YOUR WORMS!"

If you’ve never seen a worm race, if you’ve never even heard of a woolly worm...well, you’re not native to these mountains, my friend. Maybe you missed CNN’s televised coverage, or had your radio turned off during one of the 150 radio interviews from the Banner Elk’s Woolly Worm Festival last year.

But don’t miss this twentieth annual event on October 18-19. Sponsored by the Banner Elk Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Banner Elk, the money made here, after expenses, goes to support area tourism and to charitable programs for children.

Amid autumn’s splendor, thousands throng the school yard of the Banner Elk Elementary School where the festival is staged, a block from the town’s only stoptraffic light. Here are the woolly worm races on a flatbed trailer which has a backboard with 20 vertical strings attached. About 60 heats run throughout the day with 20 worms in each heat. People buy or bring a worm, give them a name, pay an entry fee of $5 and wait for their heat to be called. The winner of the heat wins a cash prize of $20. There are six semi-final heats in which the winners take away $50 and at the end of the day, a final race with the winners from each semi-final.

The winner of this race wins $500 and has the honor of having his worm’s stripes "read" by Banner Elk’s town father, Charles Von Canon, who learned to read the worms from his grandfather.

This reading of the stripes refers to an old mountain folktale that says you can predict the coming winter weather by the stripes on the woolly worm. Woolly worms have 13 stripes, supposedly corresponding to the 13 weeks of winter. The darker the stripe, the colder that week will be. Mr. Von Canon boasts of a 90% accuracy rate of the past 18 years.

Banner Elk is a resort community of about 400 people, nestled in a valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a popular summer destination for those seeking cooler temperatures. In the winter, skiers flock to the area’s three ski slopes.

Information: Banner Elk Area Chamber of Commerce, 800/972-2183; 704/898-5605; www.banner-elk.com.

BEECH MOUNTAIN, NC, HOSTS SPORTS CAR HILL CLIMB THIS FALL

The roar of engines will echo in Beech Mountain, NC, as some 110 drivers push their vehicles 500 feet up the mountain in a race that some expect to be record-setting. The SCCA Central Carolina Region sports car hill climb is September 20-21, the SCCA’s third visit to Beech Mountain with its 4,475 foot elevation starting line.

Beech Mountain is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest corner of North Carolina and at peak elevation of 5,506 feet, is the highest incorporated town east of the Mississippi River. This is the first autumn race to be run here. Officials hope for fall will mean more predictable weather and thus, more record setting runs than in previous spring-time races of 1996 and 1997. Information:Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce, (704) 387-9283; website: www.beechmtn.com

BILTMORE ESTATE MARKS ITS 1997 AUTUMN HARVEST WITH NEW MICHAELMAS CELEBRATION

Each autumn since its opening in the late 1890s near Asheville, NC, George Vanderbilt’s palatial Biltmore Estate has celebrated the changing season with colorful fall gardens and the glory of Blue Ridge Mountain foliage. At the turn of the century, Mrs. Vanderbilt orchestrated a more elaborate celebration called The Biltmore Fair, a harvest celebration showcasing the baking and canning talents of employees. It included events for estate staff ranging from relays to tug-of-war matches.

Fall 1997 at Biltmore Estate will again salute the clear blue skies and crisp autumn colors but this year with a new event, Michaelmas: An English Harvest Fair, from September 26 through October 26. The event combines the traditional feast day celebration in honor of St. Michael with the North Carolina mountain traditions of good food, music and autumnal celebration of a season of plenty.

During the nineteenth century, Michaelmas fairs were held in Celtic villages from Cornwall, England, to Brittany in France. The fairs offered a respite for Victorian families who had labored for weeks bringing in crops and livestock. During Michaelmas, participants would bring their agricultural bounty together, pay rent and settle debts. They would then celebrate a successful harvest, paying tribute to the valor and strength of St. Michael (synonymous with the triumph of good over adversity) with games, food, dancing, music and costume parades.

In 1997, each weekend from September 26 to October 26, Biltmore Estate’s first Michaelmas celebration will revitalize this almost forgotten tradition. Set in the Italian Garden, this authentic fair will include many festive elements of European celebrations from the past century - fair stalls , baked goods, musical and theatrical entertainment, and late nineteenth century games and traditions. Strolling minstrels will wander the grounds performing period music, while citizens of the Victorian Age will mount the soapbox proclaiming their opinions on important issues of the day. Guests will experience excerpts from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, capturing the madcap spirit of roving theatrical bands popular in the 1890s. Turn-of-the-century toys will be on display for the younger guests. Adults will also be invited to try a hand at Graces, Ring Toss, Clef Hanger, Hoop-La, Rolling Hoop and many other country fair games from Vanderbilt’s day.

"Biltmore Estate, since its creation at the turn of the century, has always been a working farm," explains William A. V. Cecil, grandson of Biltmore Estate’s creator George Vanderbilt and President and Chairman of The Biltmore Company. "We’ve always celebrated harvesting crops and livestock, the season of game and the hunt, the time of year when we look forward to bringing grapes in from the vineyards. The same celebrations have taken place in my father’s home country of Britain for centuries."

Mr. Cecil’s father, the Honorable John Cecil, was a descendent of Lord Burghley, the Chief High Treasurer under England’s Queen Elizabeth I.

A spectacular pageant, featuring the mythical St. George and the Dragon, will be the event’s highlight. This delightful re-enactment was a favorite at many English festivals, where the dragon symbolized sin. Slain by a saint or a hero, the fallen dragon represented the triumph of good over evil. At Biltmore Estate, volunteers from the audience, posing as dragon slayers, will distract the formidable fifteen-foot puppet dragon while St. George saves the day. Together they will rescue a fair maiden chosen from the crowd. To savor the taste of victory all the more, children and their families will enjoy fruit-filled pastry dragons. The dragon and St. George’s costumes will be displayed in the Stable Courtyard during the week.

Below the Italian Garden, guests can also enjoy the fall display of color in the four-acre English Walled Garden. Each autumn, these patterned beds are filled with thousands of chrysanthemums in russets, golds and pumpkin colors. The entire Estate will be ablaze with the brilliant foliage of fall color in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

At Biltmore Estate Winery, guests will see antique farming implements and demonstrations, and witness turn-of-the-century agriculture sat its best, from blacksmithing and apple bobbing to wool weaving and spinning. A hay fort will be available for adventurous climbers and guests can participate in the winery’s annual October Grape Stomp. In addition, Biltmore Estate Winery will host its annual October Jazz Harvest, featuring live jazz in he winery’s courtyard from 2:30-6 p.m. during Michaelmas weekends.

All guests with a general admission ticket to Biltmore Estate are welcome to attend Michaelmas festivities and jazz at the Biltmore Estate Winery at no additional cost.

Information: The Biltmore Company, One North Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801; (800) 543-2961 or (704) 274-6333; website: www.biltmore.com.

CHEROKEE, NC, WELCOMES HARRAH'S CASINO IN NOVEMBER

In and around the Great Smoky Mountains, gaming lovers are all talking about the mid-November opening of the new Harrah's Cherokee Casino.

The new casino is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and managed by Harrah's Entertainment, which operates casinos in Nevada, New Jersey, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, as well as in Colorado, Mississippi, Washington and other areas.

Cherokee Principal Chief Joyce C. Dugan welcomes the increased economic growth for the Cherokee people. "We are finally able to realize the potential of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act which Congress passed in 1988," she said.

"As provided in the federal legislation, tribes and their members are to be the beneficiary of Indian gaming," Chief Dugan continued. "The portion of net revenue which will be realized by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will be used to provide essential services, and address the areas of health, education and welfare as with any local or state government."

Cherokee’s $82 million casino complex encompasses 175,000 square feet - larger than three football fields - and is expected to create some 1,100 jobs. It includes a huge, 60,000-square-foot space with 50,000 square feet devoted to 1,800 video games such as video poker, video blackjack, video craps and video pulltabs.

There is also a Fresh Market Square Buffet, a steakhouse and a grill; a concert hall for 1,500; a 6,200 square foot child care facility; and retail space. The parking area will accommodate 1,800 vehicles.

Architecturally, the complex is a mixture of traditional craftsmanship and high technology Native stonework done by local Cherokee stonemasons forms the backdrop for neon lights. Inside the complex, large neon displays run throughout the interior. The exterior entryway of the facility - the size of a gymnasium - features massive stone columns and a waterfall.

Harrah's Cherokee Casino is expected to be the largest attraction in North Carolina, attracting more than three million visitors annually.

It is located at the intersection of Route 19 and Route 441 Business, in Cherokee. Information: (800) 427-7247.

THE SCOTS OF FRANKLIN, NC, BRING OUT THE BAGPIPES IN THE AUTUMN

In October when the mountains display their fall splendor, don’t be surprised to hear the skirl of the pipes as you come into Franklin, NC. October 6 begins the Ninth Annual Scottish Heritage Week, a celebration of the Scottish pioneer settlers of this area in North Carolina.

Begun in summer 1988 as an educational and historic festival, Scottish Heritage Week today attracts hundreds of people from the community and the region interested in their Scottish Heritage. It’s a great way to learn about the Scots’ role in Southern Appalachian culture.

The event is sponsored by the Scottish Tartans Museum, the U.S. based extension of the Scottish Tartans Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland, and the only museum in the United States recognized by the Crown Office of the United Kingdom.

The week’s activities begin on Monday, October 6 with an open house at the museum on Main Street. Tartan weaving demonstrations, Celtic harp music, Scottish ballad singing and guided tours will be featured throughout the day. Early trading with the Native Americans will be re-enacted on the museum grounds.

The Arts Council of Macon County hosts a 1997 Championship Shortbread Bake-Off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7, at the First Presbyterian Church. This event includes an instructive performance by the Highland Pipe and Drums.

On October 8, Dr. D. Gordon Teall of Teallach, Baron of Huntly from Pitlochry, Scotland, will speak in the conference room of the Museum. Other speakers include Matt Newsome, curator for Franklin’s Scottish Tartans Museum.

October 9 brings the popular and elegant High Tea, sponsored by the Friends of the Scottish Tartans Museum at the First Presbyterian Church.

On October 10, a free evening of Scottish entertainment on the grounds of the museum, includes a full program of Scottish country dancing, ballad singing and bagpiping.

The atmosphere of a Scottish fair pervades on Saturday as heritage food, entertainment, music and dancing fill the grounds of the Museum.

Information: Betty Merrill, Scottish Tartans Museum, 95 E. Main St., Franklin, NC 28734; (704) 524-7472.

ENJOY THE ART, CRAFT AND MUSIC OF HAYWOOD COUNTY, NC

If you’re wandering along the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop near Waynesville to enjoy the well-known Autumn Showcase, September 1 through October 31 at the Balsam Mountain Inn.

This year’s Autumn Showcase includes original works by well-known artists in watercolor, clay and porcelain, needle art, woodcarving, quilting, dolls, hand-woven rugs, jewelry and wearable art. The displays also include unusual antiques provided by local antique dealers. All antiques and art works are for sale.

The Showcase, which invites Haywood Country artists to participate based on the quality of their work, is directed and produced by Sheree Sorrells, a Waynesville hand-weaver. It is sponsored in part by the Haywood County Arts Council.

In addition to delighting the eye, the exhibit soothes the ear, too, as strains of Blue Ridge music performed by area musicians fill the air at 8:30 p.m. each Thursday night during the Showcase.

In recent years, the restored 90-year-old Balsam Mountain Inn has reclaimed its place as a gentle mountain retreat where good food, comfortable rooms, woodlands and friendly folks mingle easily in a recollection of times past. Visitors are welcome to drop by 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended for dining and spending the night.

The Balsam Mountain Inn is just off Highway 23-74 in Balsam, NC, between Waynesville and Sylva. To get there from the Blue Ridge Parkway, exit near milepost 443, turn toward Sylva, proceed a quarter mile, turn left into Balsam and follow the signs to the Inn.

Autumn Showcase information: (704) 452-4864.

JACKSON COUNTY, NC, OFFERS SPECTACULAR AUTUMN VIEWS

A kaleidoscope of color greets the autumn visitor to Jackson County, NC, as the foliage of many of the 131 tree species native to the southern Appalachians turn in spectacular fashion.

One of the best ways to appreciate the abundant beauty of this area is to view it from aboard the Great Smoky Mountains Railway. Between Dillsboro and Bryson City, at a maximum speed of 15 miles an hour, bucolic scenes glide past of farmland and deep forests, sheer stony rock faces and the rushing Tuckaseegee River. Passengers are momentarily enveloped in total darkness in the infamous, 836-foot Cowee Tunnel.

Other excursions offer trips over Fontana Lake to Nantahala Gorge.

En route, passengers experience first-hand the single most important civilizing influence in Jackson Country’s history. Before the railroad was completed through Jackson County in 1882, only one town, Webster, had been incorporated. Within the next 10 years, Balsam, Whittier, Dillsboro, Sylva and Cullowhee had been established. Passengers on the Great Smoky Mountains Railway hear a fascinating narrative about the history of the railroad and the trials and tribulations of the hapless convicts who built it.

While riding the rails, movie buffs may recognize some sites. The Great Smoky Mountains Railway was the site of the spectacular train crash in the movie, The Fugitive. The train wreckage from this piece of movie magic has been left on the side of the tracks, adding a bit of Hollywood to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Visitors still enjoy Jackson County’s earliest man-made site - the prehistoric Judaculla Rock. This huge soapstone boulder in the Caney Fork area bears symbols carved by aboriginal Cherokees. Their meaning has never been deciphered. Modern Cherokees and historians have protected it with an open-sided pavilion which is accessible during daylight hours.

The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee is a vast repository of artifacts of the area’s history. Fascinating exhibits explore the area’s culture roots and bring alive the past. A permanent exhibit traces the migration of the Scotch-Irish people from a authentically recreated Irish stone cottage of the 18th century to settlement in the Appalachians. Exhibits range from quilts to blacksmithing. The Mountain Heritage Center is open Monday through Friday, year-round, and admission is free.

Jackson County information: (800) 962-1911 or (704) 586-2155.

MOUNTAIN GLORY FESTIVAL SPARKS MCDOWELL COUNTY, NC

Come on down to Main Street in Marion, NC, for the Mountain Glory Festival on Saturday, October 11. You’ll find 130 booths filled with arts, craft and two stages that feature music and dance performances.

Just for the kids, a Creation Station offers exciting hands-on activities, physical challenges and exhibits. These include native North Carolina animals, habitat and conservation displays; face painting, magic and balloon sculpture, 4-H exhibits and activities, a Dress Your Pet contest, novelty games, Girl Scouts’ pot-holder weaving, Boy Scouts campsite, a moon-walk and radar speed baseball throw.

Another attraction at this fourteenth annual festival is carnival rides at a nearby municipal parking lot from 7-10 p.m. October 10 and until 11 p.m. October 11.

Special events include a quilt show, 5K and 10K foot races. the Mountain Glory metric Century bike ride, and musical performances of bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll favorites, brass quintet, gospel choir, high school chorus and Scottish pipes.

Festival hours are 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $1 per adult; kids are free. Marion is located 35 miles east of Asheville via I-40 exits 81, 85 and 86, or via the Blue Ridge Parkway mileposts 331 or 317.

Information: McDowell Chamber of Commerce, (704) 652-4240.

AUTUMN IN SYLVA, NC, BRINGS A FESTIVAL OF MANY COLORS

October! This is the month when the mountains of Western North Carolina are ablaze with the colors of autumn. Set against the bluest of skies, it is as if the mountains have been painted with an artist’s brush. It’s also the time when many small towns celebrate the harvest, gathering the best of their arts, crafts, foods, and talents to honor the past, celebrate the present and welcome the future.

In Sylva, NC, its Festival of Many Colors gives this working mountain town an opportunity to display its hospitality on Saturday, October 26, 10-5, for the fourth year. Here in the shadow of the most photographed courthouse in North Carolina, the Festival of Many Colors unfolds the heritage of Appalachian life through displays of old-time traditions and contests of cooking, canning, quilt-making, chainsawing and the talents of area children.

The Festival opens at 10 with a colorful parade of children dressed as cascading leaves. Dancing at the front of the parade will be an eight-foot-tall Tree of Many Colors, followed by floats, cloggers, musicians and costumed kids. A King and Queen of the Leaves will preside on their own float.

Later, stagecoach ridges and how to make your own home products, based on mountain people’s ways, will entertain and educate. A stage for mountain music and storytelling will spotlight the talents of local folks, some of whom grew up picking and singing the old music, folk and gospel, on their front porches. Storytellers will be from Scotch-Irish as well as Native American traditions.

This festival’s chainsaw contest is the first ever. A full day of competition is planned with cash prizes for winners.

Information: (704) 631-0414.