The I-26 West NC Welcome Center will host the 22nd annual Tourism Day on Friday, May 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Returning this year to the I-26 Welcome Center are our friends from Reems Creek Pottery with hand building demonstrations, and Curtis Wright Outfitters with fly fishing equipment.
We are pleased to welcome back Chimney Rock State Park — they reopened after the Helene floods — as well as the Mountain Heritage Museum from Old Fort, who also sustained damage.
Representatives of local accommodations will be handing out goodies and talking to folks about their amenities. Nonprofit organizations Monarch Watch, NC Bluebird Society, and North Carolina Wildlife will also be on site with fun displays.
Plus, you’ll be energized by live music by acclaimed fiddler Roger Howell and his friends, as well as The Carolina Boxcars playing lively country and bluegrass.
Be sure to come inside the center for some snacks as a special thank you for traveling and let us know where you are from. Stop by or spend the day with us. The I-26 West NC Welcome Center is located at mile marker 6 on I-26 in Mars Hill, NC.
