Welcome to the Great Smokies Blog
Stories From The Smokies highlights interesting, out-of-the-ordinary aspects of life in the North Carolina mountains. We offer insider tips on things to do, places to go, and ways to make your Bryson City visit all the more memorable.
Spooky Smoky Mountain Happenings
Frightful storytelling by the bonfire. Shadowy figures rustling through a haunted cornfield. A bloodthirsty Count transforming into a bat. These are the terrifying experiences awaiting you at Bryson City / Cherokee’s Haunted October. The Cherokee Bonfire Hear amazing...
Drive-Thru Christmas Light Show Spectacular
Smoky Mountain Christmas Light Spectacular NOTE: We will not have the drive-thru show in 2023. Please check back for 2024. The Smoky Mountain Christmas Light Spectacular in Bryson City! The Great Smoky Mountains Event Park sparkles with giant, LED displays of the 12...
Guide to Five Scenic Roads to View Fall Foliage in the Smokies
Autumn view from Newfound Gap one of the highest peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina Fall colors appear first at the Smokies' highest elevations (like Clingmans Dome) and work their way down to the foothills and then lower elevations over a 5-6 week...
Keeping Heritage Arts Alive in the Smoky Mountains
Jeff Marley’s enthusiasm for the programs at the Nantahala School for the Arts (NSA) is contagious as he leads a tour through the 1943 Almond Elementary School building just west of Bryson City, NC in the Smoky Mountains. As Heritage Arts Department Chair,...
A Full Year of Bryson City Festivals and Special Events
Sack race at Swain County's annual Heritage FestivalCelebrating the Seasons Throughout the year, Bryson City offers family-friendly festivals and events sure to please. Beginning in late spring, we celebrate the fresh fruits and vegetables grown here with events at...
Want a Lasting Reminder of Your Time In The Smokies? Consider an Original Painting By One of These Bryson City Artists.
Whether you are purchasing a painting for your home or for a gift, it means more when you've met the artist and understand the inspiration – and passion – for their art. These three local artists love the opportunity to discuss their work. (photo: Elizabeth Ellison...
Antiquing in Bryson City. There’s No Telling What You’ll Find.
For many shoppers, antiquing inspires creativity in your home or cabin; for others, it’s a trip down memory lane. Yet according to one shop owner, "it's not just nostalgia when young kids spend hours looking for 'cool stuff' – trains, comic books, and marbles." Bryson...
NOC – Making a 50-Year Splash in Bryson City
In September 2013, NOC was the center of the paddling universe when it hosted the ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships. 200 athletes from 30 different countries competed for the title of Freestyle World Champion.Bryson City’s phenomenal growth as an outdoor...
Exploring Swain County Quilt by Quilt
On just about any drive through the North Carolina countryside, you may see a colorful painted quilt block pattern adorning a barn, public building, shop or private home. Such encounters are always a pleasant and unexpected surprise. They're all part of grassroots...
A Remnant of Bryson City’s Historic ‘Road to Somewhere’
Years before Bryson City had its well-known 'Road to Nowhere', there was another road that really did go somewhere. In the 1930s, NC 288 was the only road connecting Bryson City to Proctor, a lumber town in the western end of Swain County, and beyond. The road...
Annual Christmas Parade in Bryson City NC
49th Annual Bryson City Christmas Parade December 2, 2023, 2 pm “The Biggest Little Christmas Parade in the Smokies” is always held on the first Saturday in December at 2 pm in downtown Bryson City. It's a true community effort with local businesses, churches, and...
How a Tenacious Elk Cow Helped Assure the Smokies Herd’s Future
By 2010, ten years after Elk had been reintroduced to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, park officials were concerned that the herd population might never grow in size. Calves were being born but two out of three were not surviving the first year, mostly the...
Bryson City - Swain County
Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 509
Bryson City, NC 28713
Karen Proctor
Executive Director
828-488-3681
Order a free Visitor Guide featuring Bryson City and the North Carolina Smokies
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