The Woolly Worms, Merriweather and Mistiweather, have been blown away by the storm and ended up in different parts of the state! Join the adventure to help us find them with our Woolly Worm Scavenger Hunt.

• On Saturday, October 19th, participants in the Charlotte and Raleigh areas can take part in a fun, real-time scavenger hunt to track down Merriweather and Mistiweather!
• Purchase a Scavenger Hunt Ticket and tune into clues via our Facebook and Instagram pages starting at 10:00 AM. Clues will be sent every 30 minutes, getting more specific as the day goes on. The first person to find each woolly worm wins $500 and more! *Proof of ticket purchase must be provided to win*
• Plus, you’ll meet some fun faces at the hunt’s base locations, with a Woolly Worm presence at each site—complete with costumed woolly worms, and booths selling festival merchandise. All proceeds from ticket sales will support the Woolly Worm Festival and its community grants.

Sign up by Friday, October 18th to join the fun!

Even though we can’t gather in person, you can still make an impact by purchasing a “No Show” Ticket to support the Woolly Worm Festival. Funds raised from these tickets will go directly to local youth organizations that rely on the grants provided by the Kiwanis Club, which normally receives a portion of the festival’s proceeds. While we may not raise the full $50,000 this year, every contribution brings us closer to continuing these vital community programs.

The No-Show Support Ticket sales begin on Monday, October 14th!

Support local businesses from the comfort of your home! Our Online Vendor Marketplace brings the best of Woolly Worm Festival vendors to you, offering handmade crafts, unique gifts, local art, and more. You’ll also be able to purchase official 2024 Woolly Worm merchandise, including this year’s festival t-shirt. Shopping online helps our vendors recover and thrive after this year’s challenges.

Be sure to check out gift cards from local food and beverage vendors, too!

Join the WNC Local Kids Coloring Contest as part of this year’s Woolly Worm Webfest! You can participate by downloading one of our woolly worm coloring sheets or drawing your own design—coloring sheets and crayons are available at Mountain Grounds Coffee in Sugar Mountain and the Avery Chamber of Commerce Office at Tynecastle, or you can download and print sheets at home. Submit your finished artwork at either location by Monday, October 21st for a chance to win: 1st place receives $250, 2nd place gets $125, and 3rd place wins $75, with a panel of local business owners voting on the top designs. We can’t wait to see your creativity shine!

Join us on Sunday, October 20th at 1 PM for a special Live Stream Woolly Worm Race on our Facebook page! While we can’t gather in person, we’re excited to bring the thrill of the Woolly Worm races right to your screen, with the winning worm predicting the 2024/2025 winter weather. This year’s race is dedicated to honoring the incredible first responders, linemen, and recovery personnel who have worked tirelessly to help Western North Carolina recover after Hurricane Helene. Be sure to watch live and join the excitement from home!