![]() ![]() The ride is capped at 200 entrants.Ĭompleting the trifecta of extreme physical challenges is the 42nd running of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon on Saturday, July 10. Entrants are encouraged to pre-register but registration on the day of the event will be available. This year a 30-mile ride is being added to the weekend’s athletic challenges.The 30-mile ride is a shorter version of the Grizzly without the Beech Mountain climb but a beautiful and challenging route that includes the Blue Ridge Parkway. The ride begins at Grandfather Mountain with cyclists traveling throughout Avery County, including a two-mile dirt road up the backside of Beech Mountain. Returning this year on Friday, July 9 is the Grizzly Bike Ride, a challenging route with 7,000 feet of climbing completed over 65 miles. Prior to the torchlight ceremony, 800 runners will participate in a 5-mile footrace called “The Bear” that climbs 1,568 feet in elevation from the town of Linville to the summit of Grandfather Mountain. This “raising of the clans” proclaims that they have once again come together to celebrate their heritage. The opening ceremonies begin at dusk with a torchlight ceremony where representatives of each of the 115 clans announce their family’s participation in the gathering. Many people choose to bring a picnic dinner or buy concessions at the Meadows to enjoy during the evening events. The Highland Games begin Thursday afternoon, July 8, with a sheep herding exhibition, Celtic entertainment, the running of “The Bear,” and the opening ceremonies. The color is augmented by thousands of Scots luxuriously costumed in tartan plaids, and the energy is amplified by the sounds of bagpipes and kettledrums echoing across the moor. The deep blue peaks of 6,000-foot Grandfather Mountain tower above a grassy green meadow ringed by 167 red, blue, yellow and green striped tents. ![]() The Grandfather Games are considered America’s grandest Games because of the spectacular mountain setting that is so reminiscent of Scotland. ![]() GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, NC – The 55th Annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans brings the color of hundreds of tartan plaids and the clamor of half a dozen bagpipe bands to the North Carolina Highlands Thursday through Sunday, July 8-11. ![]()
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