Roan Mountain Rhododendron Bloom

Few plants signify "summer" in the mountains quite like the vivid pink Catawba rhododendron, and the NC High Country is center stage for the spectacular annual show. Low elevations start to show this beautiful pink flower in May, while higher elevations with the largest natural gardens will start to show color in mid-to-late June.

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 the third weekend of 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

After checking out the crafts, vendors, and live music, make you way to the top of Roan Mountain State Park to view the LARGEST NATURAL RHODODENDRON GARDEN IN THE WORLD. Have your camera ready and revel in the gorgeous scenery as you walk concrete and dirt paths which wind through the gardens.

Other Native Flowers Blooming

While the Catawba rhododendron is the leading act, the mountain laurel and flame azalea are also beginning to join the procession of shrubs blooming on in the High Country. Visitors also will be able to see the white to creamy-pink flowers of the rosebay rhododendron in late June and into July.