For the 32nd time, the Friends of the Nature Center hosts Hey Day, its popular fall family festival, on Saturday, October 11th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road in east Asheville. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children, and FREE to Members of Friends of the Nature Center. Scrumptious food will be available at the Classroom Café onsite, so families can spend the whole day! Sponsors for the event are Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, WNC Parent magazine, WOXL-FM and Mountain Xpress.
The fun never stops with bluegrass and hammered dulcimer music on the main stage, as well as clogging, balloon sculpting and storytelling. Children's activities and educational programs abound with pony rides, the Pee Wee Mine, cake walks, face painting, pumpkin painting, children's art and crafts, children's games, and a wild hay jump. Llamas from the Llama Rescue Center will join the Nature Center just for the occasion and there will be miniature ponies to pet as well. Visitors can make use of the day to visit Cody and Shalimar, the Nature Center's new wolves.  Animal education presentations will occur throughout the day.

Other demonstrators include a felter, a spinner, a weaver, a butter maker, a woodcarver, Quality Forward and the Asheville Fire Department. Parking has been improved due to overwhelming demand in previous years. Celebrate the Fall with Hey Day, fun for the entire family from little to big! All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Nature Center. The Friends' mission is to support the programs, facilities and the residents of the Western North Carolina Nature Center. The WNC Nature Center is an educational facility, located in East Asheville, which showcases the fauna and flora of the southern Appalachian region.