Join Us For The 2nd Annual Old Fort Trails and Trains Festival next Year (2025)!
June 6 & 7, 2025!
See you at the 3rd annual Trails & Trains Festival on June 6 & 7th, 2025! Mark your calendar and help us celebrate North Carolina as the Great Trails State by joining us in downtown Old Fort, North Carolina. Come celebrate with us the rich history of our Blue Ridge Mountain community by focusing on its pathways and connections through the town’s notable railroad and Pisgah National Forest history.
The US Forest Service celebrated the Catawba Falls with a public reopening celebration on May 31, 2024. Come rediscover Catawba Falls in Old Fort this summer! Shuttle Rides from downtown Old Fort to the Catawba Falls Trailhead will be available Friday and Saturday!
| Event | Location | Day/Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trail Shuttles to Catawba Falls | Downtown Old Fort | Fri. & Sat. 10 a.m. |
| Tour Fonta Flora Park | Fonta Flora Park | Fri. 10 a.m. |
| Block Party | Mountain Gateway Museum Amphitheater | Fri. 3:30 p.m. |
| Ridge to Rails Half & 10K | Old Fort Gateway Trailhead | Sat. 7 a.m. |
| Fonta Flora 5K | Old Fort Town Hall | Sat. 9 a.m. |
| Book Mobile | Old Fort Library | Sat. 10 a.m. |
| Tour MTCC Trail School | McDowell Tech | Sat. 10 a.m. |
| Adventure Writing & Story Walk | Old Fort Library | Sat. 1 p.m. |
| Story Hour: Railroad Convicts | Mountain Gateway Museum Amphitheater | Sat. 2 p.m. |
| Naturalist Hike & Plant Identification | Gateway Meadow Loop Trail | Sat. 2 p.m. |
| Mill Creek Duck Race | Mill Creek | Sat. 3 p.m. |
| Fly Fishing Film Tour | Euda Wine | Sat. 6 p.m. |
| Waffle Breakfast | Davis Country Store | Sun. 8 a.m. |
| The Gateway Express Youth MTB Race | Old Fort Gateway Trails | Sun. 8 a.m. |
The McDowell Trails Association will host guided hikes, the G5 Trail Collective is hosting a youth mountain bike race on site at the new, Old Fort Gateway Trail System, the Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail is hosted a 5k run/walk with registration proceeds benefiting this non-profit and their work to create trail across three Western North Carolina counties.
No street festival would complete without an awesome lineup of vendors. Located in downtown Old Fort, discover a variety of food trucks, vendors, and live demonstrations designed to teach new skills with your outdoor adventure equipment
Reflecting the rich rail history in Old Fort, we will have exhibitors and speakers sharing the growth, expansion and development of railroads in the region. Take part in a self guided tour of the Old Fort Train Depot at 25 West Main Street in downtown Old Fort.
© 2023 McDowell County Tourism Development Authority. — Privacy Policy — Terms of Service — Accessibility
