Community Calendar

All ages are invited to join us for an exciting evening with the often overlooked and misunderstood moth!

Did you know North America is home to more than 12,000 species of moths? Compare that to our 800 or so species of butterflies. Not only are moths important pollinators, they are also critical to the food web, especially in their caterpillar state.

Featuring:
* Moth sheeting! Check out moths up close after dark, using special equipment under the guidance of a conservation biologist
* Entomologist talk! Learn how you can help reverse the challenges faced by moths (and all insects)
* Visit with community organizations working to support insects and our ecosystem
* Purchase native plants to support moths and other insects at your home

No registration required, but if you would like to be notified of changes due to inclement weather, register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1992369592083

Suggested donation: $5 per person. All proceeds will benefit the Gardens, a 501(c)(3) organization

Thank you to the community partners that will be joining us:
DarkSky NC
Xerces Society
Bug Lovers Native Plants

Enjoy Yoga on the beautiful rooftop/rooftop floor of the Gantt!
It's always a great time for Yoga on the Rooftop. Join us Sundays at 12:30 pm for Yoga with SJ. Sajeedah Jones will lead you through a creative vinyasa flow – a sequence of poses linked to your breath – featuring hands-on assists and upbeat music. Bring a mat or beach towel. The class is designed for students of all levels, all shapes, all sizes, and all ages and will leave you energized, inspired, and ready to take on your week.

Enjoy the one-hour workout and mindfulness practice and then treat yourself to a self-guided tour of our galleries.

On Animal Enrichment Day, guests see firsthand how Grandfather Mountain cares for its resident animals. An enrichment is a special treat, new toy or even an unfamiliar scent given to the animals to break up their routines and help keep them active and intellectually stimulated. Watch enrichment demonstrations, talk directly with keepers and participate in family-oriented games and crafts. Activities kick off at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and adjacent Wildlife Habitats. Included with admission.

Join us for our free, family-friendly Roots in the Garden concert series celebrating live music and community in the heart of Boone!
Mt. Airy’s DaShawn Hickman is one of today’s foremost practitioners of Sacred Steel, a blues-gospel pedal steel tradition rooted in the Pentecostal-Holiness churches of the 1930s. Inducted into the Sacred Steel Hall of Fame in 2023, Hickman performed in Cirque du Soleil’s Song Blazers in 2024 and was the pedal steel player in Steve Ray Ladson’s band, which reached the finals of America’s Got Talent in 2025. He performs alongside his wife, vocalist Wendy Hickman.

* Beer, wine, and food available for purchase. Picnics welcome
* Please note, no dogs or glass containers in the Gardens
* Guests are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for seating

Presented by The Mustard Seed Market & Home
The annual concert series also features visual artists, with their work auctioned off at the end of the evening. The final concert will be Aug. 20.

Admission is a $5 suggested donation. All proceeds will support the Gardens’ mission to promote the benefits of native plants and healthy ecosystems, and provide a community green space in the heart of the High Country.

This workshop is open to individuals studying for the NC Environmental Education Certification or those needing CE Credits to maintain their certification and will focus on bears in North Carolina. Hosted by Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation’s own Interpretation and Education staff, this workshop will teach participants about the life history and management of black bears, as well as how to incorporate activities about bears into the N.C. Curriculum. Participants will also get to meet the black bears who call Grandfather Mountain home and what it takes to keep them healthy and happy. N.C. EE Certification Credit: Criteria II or III and CEU credit are available upon completion of workshop. Tickets for this event go online on Grandfather Mountain’s website May 29 at 10 a.m.

Back by popular demand, Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is offering a sunrise experience in 2026. This special event will provide guests with the rare opportunity to be in the park outside of regular operating hours and to hopefully experience a lovely sunrise from the bridge’s lofty vantage point. Tickets for this event go on sale online on Grandfather Mountain’s website June 2 at 10 a.m. Advance registration required.

Join us for an in-depth exploration of the natural community types found on Grandfather Mountain. In this class, you’ll learn to recognize distinct habitats by studying their characteristic flora, fauna and environmental conditions. Guided by ecological principles and scientific tools, we’ll examine how factors such as elevation, topography, soil composition and microclimates shape these unique ecosystems and provide habitats for some of the rare and endangered species that we’ll see during our exploration. This workshop will enhance your ability to classify habitats and deepen your understanding of the complex interplay between species and their environments. Tickets for this event go on sale online on Grandfather Mountain’s website June 1 at 10 a.m. Advance registration required.

Enjoy Yoga on the beautiful rooftop/rooftop floor of the Gantt!
It's always a great time for Yoga on the Rooftop. Join us Sundays at 12:30 pm for Yoga with SJ. Sajeedah Jones will lead you through a creative vinyasa flow – a sequence of poses linked to your breath – featuring hands-on assists and upbeat music. Bring a mat or beach towel. The class is designed for students of all levels, all shapes, all sizes, and all ages and will leave you energized, inspired, and ready to take on your week.

Enjoy the one-hour workout and mindfulness practice and then treat yourself to a self-guided tour of our galleries.

The southern Appalachians are world-renowned for different types of fungi, from mushrooms to lichens, and are home to more than 2,000 species. Here’s a chance to learn about the lifestyle and habitats of fungi, as well as observe many kinds of fungal fruiting bodies, including mushrooms growing at higher elevations. Participants will learn how to identify them by size, shape and color. You will also inoculate a log with shiitake mushroom mycelium to take home with you. After an interactive introduction to the fungi kingdom, which includes inoculating the logs, we’ll take a short slow stroll in search of mushrooms growing on the mountain to collect representatives of different fungal families to study back in the classroom. Through this workshop and field exploration, you’ll learn about fungal habitats, toxicology and the important roles fungi play in the forest ecosystem. The workshop is designed for beginners, but veteran foragers will also glean new insights. Tickets for this event go on sale online on Grandfather Mountain’s website June 8 at 10 a.m. Advance registration required.

Explore the mountain after hours with your own personal guides during our Grandfather by Night series! You’ll discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, watch a stunning sunset (weather permitting) and experience the mountain as never before! The Twilight Hike version will include a hike after sunset to discuss and look for the creatures that are more active after the sun goes down. The group will explore a unique forest ecosystem from top to bottom in search of salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, fireflies and any other creatures they might come across. The Twilight Hike program is not accessible to guests with limited mobility. Participants signed up for this version will need to participate in the hike, as staying behind while the rest of the group hikes is not possible. Advance registration required.