Summer in North Carolina has meant the arrival of the Annual North Carolina Rhododendron Festival for that last 74 years, as folks from all over the Southeast gather in Bakersville to celebrate the rhododendron, a woodsy flowering plant that comes in 1,024 species and is found in many parts of the world, including the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains.

Which is precisely where you'll find Roan Mountain on the North Carolina and Tennessee border, and the largest naturally occuring stand of rhododendrons in the country. Hundreds of acres of them grow on Roan Mountain and in the early summer (June, mostly) when they are at their peak, it's a gorgeous sight!
Google Maps/Jane Eustice
Enter the North Carolina Rhododendron Festival which takes place a mere 12 miles from the top of Roan Mountain, in Bakersville.
NC Rhododendron Festival
In 2021, the festival takes place on Friday, June 18th and Saturday, June 19th.
NC Rhododendron Festival

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The two-day event is geared up with all sorts of fun activities, including an art and craft fair with food vendors, an antique car show, live music, and nightly street dances.
NC Rhododendron Festival
It's set to be the kind of fun the whole family can appreciate. There's even a pageant for the crowning of the Queen of the NC Rhododendron Festival. The first round takes place on Friday, with the final round taking place on Saturday.
Facebook/NC Rhododendron Festival
Whatever you do, though, be sure to carve out enough time to scoot up the mountain to see the fantastic display of rhododendrons up on top of Roan Mountain. You've never seen so many in one place!
Google Maps/Amber Jones
The 74th Annual Rhododendron Festival is set for June 18-19, 2021 in Bakersville, North Carolina. Admission is free.
Google Maps

Roan Mountain, and the country’s largest stand of rhododendrons is located about 12 miles from downtown Bakersville. Learn more about the festival from the event’s website, here.

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