For the 31st time, the Friends of the Nature Center hosts Hey Day, its popular fall family festival, on Saturday, October 13th, 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 First Citizens Bank and Preferred Properties. Media sponsors are Mountain Xpress and WNC Parent and WOXL Radio.

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. A returning favorite activity of the little ones is getting to sit on Big Dan, the Draft Horse. Llamas from the Llama Rescue Center will join the Nature Center just for the occasion and visitors can make use of the day to visit Cody and Shalimar, the Nature Center's new wolf pups between 11 a.m. to Noon.  Animal education presentations will occur throughout the day. Another newcomer who will be making the rounds is Nibbles, the Nature Center's new groundhog, who will be actively working with the Educational Department this coming year.  

Other exhibitors include a ferrier, 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.