Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival

June 1947 saw the first of the Rhododendron Festivals, conceived and carried out by the Roan Mountain Citizens Club as a two-day celebration to memorialize and perpetuate the most gorgeous display of natural beauty on the North American continent. This festival has continued uninterrupted for over sixty years. The festival is held annually in June. Originally the festival was held at the top of Roan Mountain. In recent years the festival is held in Roan Mountain State Park, located at the foot of Roan Mountain and features handmade crafts, food, and a variety of traditional music, plus an array of old-time folkway demonstrations. Location: Roan Mountain State Park, Hwy 143, Roan Mountain, Tennessee (Between Asheville, NC, and Johnson City, TN on US HWY 19-E, and only 40 miles from Boone/Blowing Rock, NC, and 20 miles from Banner Elk/Beech Mountain/Linville, NC) Also, the Appalachian T...