Welcome to The Mountain Ledger, a weekly email newsletter highlighting things to do and news to know in Blowing Rock, Boone and the High Country. If you like this newsletter and find it useful, tell a friend! And feel free to drop us a line. Find out more about The Mountain Ledger here.
If someone forwarded you this newsletter, you can sign up here:
—
5 mountain wineries worth visiting near Boone and Blowing Rock
Banner Elk Winery is one of several wineries in the area that offer the prospect of a pleasant afternoon with views, music and relaxation. (Photo: Tony Mecia/The Mountain Ledger)
by Tony Mecia
Nobody is going to confuse the Boone and Blowing Rock area with the Napa Valley, Tuscany or Burgundy.
But you can still have a pleasant time at the area’s growing list of wineries, with a flight of wine, a band playing nearby and mountains rolling out in front of you.
The wineries within 30-45 minutes of Boone and Blowing Rock have a lot of things in common. They typically bring in local musicians, sell some basic snacks or have food trucks and serve up many varieties of perfectly drinkable wine. The views vary, and the vibes differ, but all offer a laid-back afternoon.
Several are in active expansion mode, and are in the process or have recently added seating and amenities as more people discover that "let's go to a winery" is a legitimate and fun way to spend a few hours.
Here are the five closest to Blowing Rock and Boone:
Grandfather Vineyard & Winery
The biggest and busiest of the bunch, especially since Hurricane Helene washed out their bridge in 2024 and they rebuilt bigger. There's a massive parking lot now, covered cabana seating you can reserve, and QR codes on the tables so staff can bring wine to you. Its events calendar shows live music every afternoon, including weekdays, from mid-May to mid-September.
On a temperate weekend afternoon, it can feel like a popular Charlotte brewery — live music, food trucks, kids in the creek, lots of people just relaxing alongside a pretty stream with vineyards in the background. Best for groups or a full social afternoon out.
➡️ Read our review.
More laid-back than Grandfather, with a nice lake, scattered outdoor tables, and a front porch good for sitting and listening to weekend music. The indoor space is comfortable — fireplace, homey feel. Menu covers reds, whites, rosé, and the unexpected surprise is several varieties of sangria, including watermelon jalepeno and ginger peach mint. There’s plenty of room for kids to run around.
They're expanding — more bathrooms, more seating, a second bar — so it's only going to get bigger.
➡️ Read our review.
Mill Camp Wines & Ciders
Mill Camp opened in the fall of 2025, and although it is smaller than the others, it is one worth knowing about. You wind through some rural backroads north of Boone to get there, which is part of the charm. Once you arrive: a modern building, a deck with mountain and pasture views, a stone fireplace inside, and a solid lineup of small-batch wines and ciders ranging from dry to sweet, with fruit variations like peach and cherry.
The cider lineup alone makes it worth a trip. Family- and dog-friendly, with occasional live music and food trucks on weekends.
➡️ Read our review.
Linville Falls Winery
The most traditional winery experience of the group — a 40-acre working farm with its own vineyards, a Tuscan-style tasting room, and a hand-laid stone patio at the foot of the vineyards with views. You drive through stretches of Christmas tree farms and mountain roads near the Blue Ridge Parkway to get there. As the name suggests, it’s also a popular stop for people exploring nearby Linville Falls. More info.
Eagles Nest Winery
There’s a slightly curated, mountain-modern feel to Eagles Nest Winery that sets it apart from the more rustic winery scene in the area. Located above Banner Elk at the luxury Eagles Nest development, it feels less like a roadside vineyard and more like a mountaintop social club built for sunsets, live music and lingering over a glass in Adirondack chairs around fire pits. Eagles Nest offers a day pass ($25), which includes a tasting, and unlike other wineries, no kids under 16 are allowed. Its food menu includes salads and pizzas. More info.
—
A few practical notes: These places fill up fast on summer and fall weekends, especially when live music is scheduled. A midweek visit tends to be more relaxed.
THINGS TO DO
Farmers markets, Appalachian storytelling, full moon paddle, music options, nab summer concert tickets
THURSDAY
"Thursday Market," noon to 4 p.m. at Blowing Rock Chamber Grounds, 132 Park Ave, Downtown Blowing Rock. Fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, honey, flowers, plants, and meats from local farmers. Free.
SATURDAY
"Watauga County Farmers Market," 8 a.m to noon at Horn in the West, Horn Ave, Boone. Local farmers market with produce, meats, and flowers. Live music and kids’ activities on site. Free.
"Storytelling with Orville Hicks & Tall Tale Contest," noon to 3 p.m. at Hickory Ridge History Museum, 591 Horn in the W Dr, Boone. Appalachian storytelling with Orville Hicks followed by a tall tale contest open to all. $10.
"Full Moon Paddle," 8 p.m., Price Lake Boat Rentals, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 297, Blowing Rock. Paddle around Price Lake under the full moon in a canoe or kayak. Life jackets, paddles, and headlamps provided. No dogs. Registration required. Canoe $55. Single Kayak $45. Double Kayak $55.
🎵 Live music this weekend
THURSDAY
"Roots in the Garden Concert," 5:30 p.m., Daniel Boone Native Gardens, 651 Horn in the W Dr, Boone. Free outdoor concert featuring Kyle Horton and The Adam Church Band, beer, wine, and food trucks on site and picnics are welcome. No dogs or glass containers. Free.
FRIDAY
"Music on the Lawn," 5:30-8:30 p.m., The Inn at Ragged Gardens, 203 Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock. Free outdoor concert series featuring If Birds Could Fly this week. Cash bar and lawn menu available. Bring a lawn chair and arrive early. No pets, coolers, or outside food and drinks. Free.
“Mason Jar Confessions,” 7-9 p.m., Boonshine Brewing Co., 465 Industrial Park Drive, Boone. Mason Jar Confessions plays a mixed bag of Americana, rock, folk and bluegrass.
"Breaking Point Band," 9 p.m. at Town Tavern, 1182 Main St., Blowing Rock. Live music inside. Free.
SUNDAY
"Kevin Smith," 4-7 p.m. at Town Tavern, 1182 Main St., Blowing Rock. Live music on the outdoor patio. Free.
“Redbud Bluegrass,” 2-5 p.m. at Blowing Rock Ale House, 152 Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock.
📆 Planning ahead
Tickets are on sale to performances that are part of the upcoming Appalachian Summer Festival in Boone, which runs June 27-Aug. 1. The lineup includes:
Gladys Knight (July 8)
Rick Springfield (July 23)
Darren Criss (July 18)
Punch Brothers (June 27)
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (July 1)
Ticket prices vary. More info here.
THINGS TO DO
The deadline is tonight (Thursday) to enter Grandfather Mountain’s firefly lottery — here’s how to enter
One of the coolest natural events in the High Country happens for just a few nights each summer. Grandfather Mountain opens after dark so visitors can watch thousands of fireflies light up the forest in a bioluminescent display.
If you want to see them, you’ll have to enter a lottery, and the deadline is Thursday.
The event has been running since 2022 and features synchronous fireflies, blue ghost fireflies and glowworms in the mountain's old hardwood forests. This year's dates are June 16, 18, and 20, each running from 7 to 11 p.m., with rain dates the following evenings.
Each evening starts with a talk from park naturalists, then guests move up to the viewing area to watch the show.
➡️ To enter, visit grandfatherglows.com before Thursday, May 28, at 11:59 p.m.
Entering the lottery costs $5, and only one entry per email is allowed. If you win the chance to buy, adult tickets are $50 and children ages 3 to 12 are $40. Kids under 3 are free. —Matthew Mecia
REAL ESTATE WATCH
What $700,000 can buy in the Blowing Rock and Boone area
If you could afford to buy a $700,000 house, what kind of house could you get? Today, we’re taking a look at a few possibilities:
173 Chipmunk Lane, Blowing Rock
Asking price: $699,000
This 1,550-square-foot Blowing Rock mountain home has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sits on a half-acre near Appalachian Ski Mountain. Built in 1986, it features long-range mountain views, a fireplace, hot tub, spacious deck, game room and 2-car garage. The property also has rental history.
762 George Eggers Rd, Banner Elk
Asking price: $725,000
This 1,624-square-foot Banner Elk mountain home has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and sits on 3.4 acres with views of rolling meadows and Grandfather Mountain. Built in 1986, it includes exposed beams, a stone fireplace, large windows, a 2-car garage and extensive outdoor space.
214 Indian Paintbrush Dr Unit RC1, Banner Elk
Asking price: $725,000
This 2,088-square-foot condo has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and is located in the Echota community off N.C. 105 west of Boone. Built in 2005, it features panoramic mountain views, a covered deck, hardwood floors, stone gas fireplace, updated stainless appliances and community amenities such as pools, fitness centers and fishing ponds.
3 QUESTIONS WITH…
Alvin Carlisle
Bookstore worker, musician, and berry farmer, age 25. We talked to him at Huzzah Books in Boone.
Q. You’ve been in Boone for about eight years now. What keeps you here?
Nature is a big part of it all. I tour, and I’m in and out of town a lot. I play mostly electric bass, and have been on and off different tours and doing my own project.
And then I’m really a farmer: I work at a berry farm down in Wilkes County, called Hatco Farming — blackberries, raspberries, blueberries.
Alvin Carlisle
Q. If you were to recommend something to someone who hadn't been up in this area, what would you recommend to do?
I’d say go straight to the hiking. Yeah, that’s my go-to. My favorite sections are Moses Cone, Price Lake and the Green Knob Trail.
Q. Anything in Boone?
There are lots of good restaurants in town. The environment of The Cardinal is pretty cool — mostly comfort food, like burgers. For upscale, you have Pasta Joint that just opened on King Street and Vidalia on King Street.
The bars are really fun. They do more hardcore music down there, like Boone Saloon on King Street.
LOCAL NEWS OF NOTE
Local town populations hold steady + new historical marker
New local Census figures: New Census Bureau estimates show Boone and Blowing Rock populations have remained largely flat since 2020, while Banner Elk posted the region’s strongest growth, even as officials expect long-term population increases across Watauga County. (Mountain Ledger)
Civil War historical marker: Boone has unveiled a new roadside historical marker commemorating Union Gen. George Stoneman’s 1865 Civil War raid through Western North Carolina, highlighting the region’s divided loyalties and the brief but violent clash in downtown Boone near the war’s end. (Watauga Democrat)
We also have a growing list of things to do on our website:
…and more to come!
Thanks for reading The Mountain Ledger newsletter!
Let us know what you think! Or tell us what we should write about next. Or share your questions. Drop us a line at [email protected].