Community Calendar

Junior Naturalist Program activities throughout the day will be provided specifically for children ages 5-12, but all ages are welcome! Guests will also be able to meet some critters up close and personal around the Wilson Center! Included with admission.

This endurance-based run is designed for both seasoned trail runners and those new to the world of ultras, offering an inclusive space to push limits, build community, and experience the beauty of trail running - without the intimidation factor.
Participants will have up to eight hours to complete as many loops as they choose on a 5K trail course at Daniel Stowe Conservancy. Where someone wants to walk a single loop, test themselves for a few hours, or push into ultra territory, this event is about personal challenge and shared experiences rather than speed or competition.

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 hardy settlers who made these mountains home were resourceful and made what they needed from what was at hand, and what was at hand was wood. We will examine the types of things Appalachian people have made for themselves from the forests around them like chairs, bowls, spoons, tool handles and more. We will also observe the tools they used to make these items. After taking a walk through the forest which was the pioneer’s lumber yard, where we will identify trees and some of their uses, we will focus on a hands-on project – each participant will make an example of that ubiquitous piece of pioneer woodcraft, the hook. Made from a small, forked tree branch, often of rhododendron, these hooks were found in homes, barns and outbuildings to hang cloths, tools, horse harness and more on the wall in an organized fashion. Tickets for this event go on sale online on Grandfather Mountain’s website June 12 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 Naturalist Program version of Grandfather by Night includes an outdoor interpretive program about flora, fauna, folklore and other topics after sunset. This edition of the event series is accessible for those in a wheelchair or with limited mobility. 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.

Buddy Huffaker joined the Aldo Leopold Foundation in 1996 as a seasonal intern and has served as Executive Director since 1999.  During his tenure, the foundation has grown into a national conservation organization with international reach, realizing the potential of a Land Ethic. Dr. Stanley A. Temple is the Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For 32 years he held the academic position once occupied by Aldo Leopold, and during that time he won every teaching award for which he was eligible. He and his students have helped save many of the world’s endangered species and the habitats on which they depend. The Aug. 20 presentation is titled “Aldo Leopold’s Legacy: A conversation on land ethic and conservation.” Join a fireside chat with Huffaker, Temple (joining virtually) and Jesse Pope, president and CEO of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation on endangered species and the land ethic. Temple will share stories from his lifetime of work on conservation efforts to save endangered species across the world, including one right here at Grandfather Mountain. Huffaker and Pope will chat about Leopold’s Land Ethic today, why it continues to be important and what challenges are being faced at Grandfather. Tickets go on sale online for this event at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 19.

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.

Join Mattie Decker, a certified forest therapy guide, for a relaxing 2 to 2.5-hour stroll through the forest at Grandfather Mountain. Through a series of invitations, you will have the opportunity to focus on being present in the moment, deepening your connection with nature and community and enjoying the many gifts nature has to offer. Forest bathing walks invite guests to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for us, as well as our fraught ecosystems, and our community. Registration opens online on June 22 at 10 a.m.

Come join us as we bring family and friends together in an outdoor setting, enjoying a variety of great music and delicious food ALL FOR FREE. Be sure to bring your lawn chairs & dancing shoes
Rowan County and Town of Cleveland Presents " Dancing on Depot " 2026 Summer Concert Series. Celebrate With us Every 4th Saturday of the Month from April - September.
Music increases contact, coordination, cooperation with others, and connects our community. The town of Cleveland, in the western part of Rowan County has selected an array of bands to provide a mix of beach, blues, country, rock and roll and Mo-Town. Our concerts connects nearly 1k to 2 thousand people to the Town of Cleveland each month.
Join Us! Saturday April 25th to see the West Rowan Elementary School Ukulele Club & Extraordinaries

April 25: West Rowan Elementary School Ukulele Club & The Extraordinaries(Top 40)

May 23: Envision (Motown)

June 27: 20 Ride (Country)

July 25: Divided by Four ( Hometown Jam )

August 22: The British Invaders (’80s / Rock)

September 26: Dirty Grass Soul (Original / Folk)