Editing Blowing Rock, North Carolina (section)

==Attractions==
[[Image:Blowing Rock-27527-1.jpg|thumb|right|The observation deck at the Blowing Rock]]
The town of Blowing Rock takes its name from an [[Blowing Rock (land feature)|unusual rock formation]] which juts over {{convert|1500|ft|m}} above the Johns River gorge. Due to the rock's shape and size, wind currents from the gorge often blow vertically, causing light objects to float upwards into the sky.
[[File:Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) - 2023.jpg|thumb|Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM)|right]]

Blowing Rock is the site of Glen Burney Falls and Glen Marie Falls.

The Blowing Rock area was once fought over by the [[Cherokee]] and [[Catawba (tribe)|Catawba]] Native American tribes. According to legend, two lovers - one from each tribe - were walking near the rocks when the man received a notice to report to his village and go into battle. When his lover urged him to stay with her, he became so distraught that he threw himself off the blowing rock into the gorge. The woman prayed to the Great Spirit to return her lover, and the Spirit complied by sending a gust of wind which blew the man back up the cliff and landed him safely on the blowing rock itself. This story of course is fictional but it was used as a draw for the attraction. In the 1980s, a billboard in [[Wilkesboro, North Carolina|Wilkesboro]] for Blowing Rock showed two Indians holding hands, one standing on the rock and one "floating". Today "The Blowing Rock" is a tourist attraction and is known for its superb views of the surrounding [[Blue Ridge Mountains]].

Another tourist attraction in Blowing Rock is the [[Tweetsie Railroad|Tweetsie Railroad theme park]], which is home to the only operational narrow-gauge railroad in North Carolina. Tweetsie Railroad operates a variety of narrow-gauge railroad equipment, including [[East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Locomotive No. 12]], a steam locomotive built for the original [[East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad|ET&WNC Railroad]] in 1915. Visitors to Tweetsie can ride the train for {{convert|3|mi|0}} and enjoy the mountain scenery; the park also contains traditional amusement-park rides and attractions. Other attractions in the Blowing Rock area include the elegant and historic Green Park Inn, Mystery Hill where visitors can experience optical illusions that make objects suspended in mid air appear to take more force to move one direction than the other - Mystery Hill is also home to the Moon and Irene Mullins Arrowhead Collection with over 52,000 arrowheads on display, the Blowing Rock Country Club, and the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum.

On the nearby [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] is Moses Cone Memorial Park, which offers scenic views of the surrounding mountains. The park contains the Moses Cone Manor and Estate, and features two large lakes surrounded by forests and trails. These trails wind for miles, and were once carriage trails for the Cone family. Adjacent to the park is the Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve, where visitors can board their horses convenient to the trails; there are {{convert|25|mi}} of riding and carriage trails in the park.

Annual festivals and events in Blowing Rock include the "Art in the Park" festival, a monthly summertime (May-Oct) event in downtown Blowing Rock where artists set up booths to sell their work to tourists; the Fourth of July festival and parade; Blowing Rock Winterfest in November; the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival in April; Christmas in the Park and Lighting of the Town festivities, including a Holiday Parade; the Symphony by the Lake at Chetola Resort; and the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show which has been a tradition for 84 years. It is the longest continuously run horse show in the United States. The show features some of the best horse riders in the Eastern United States.