Come to Eastern America’s highest town, with an elevation of 5,500 ft, resting upon 150 acres boasting of views of the Blue Ridge Mountains; free yourself! We’ve heard it from so many different groups of people, Gnarnia is calling their name. The Blue Ridge Parkway peacefully and pleasantly guides you to Beech Mountain where you’ll find home at Gnarnia the Festival. If you haven’t gotten out deep into nature’s inner beauty, here it is in it’s purest form. It features gorgeous views, hikes, waterfalls, overlooks, and other attractions along the Blue Ridge Montains and Appalachian Trail. You can catch it all on your way to or from Gnarnia. “As the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and one of the great destinations in the South, Grandfather Mountain stands head and shoulders above the surrounding region.” You may even want to take your own detour and take the time to explore the ridges and valleys,  the native wildlife habitat,  the Mile-High Swinging Bridge; an experience of a lifetime. If you want to wander off to picnic and fish, there are a bunch of beautiful trails that lead to 60-85 ft. falls with trout to catch (ie: Crabtree Falls, The Cascades, Laurel Creek Falls). Or here’s a full attraction guide.

When you’re ready, head to Gnarnia the Festival from August 9th to August 11th. This year has a complete Yoga Schedule so bring your mat and proper gear and ‘prepare to align your chakras’.

Here’s the schedule:

THURSDAY:  Evening yoga 4-5 PM

FRIDAY:  Morning Yoga 9-10 AM; Evening Yoga 4-5 PM

SATURDAY:  Morning Yoga 9-10 AM; Evening Yoga 4-5 PM

SUNDAY:  Morning Yoga 9-10 AM

We were attracted to Gnarnia from the start. They have covered all apects of a proper festival and provide live music, health & wellness, dance, community, nature, poetry, fashion, and more. As a part of the dance involvement, Gnarnia does hip-hop. BattleHolex Carolinas and DJ Brett Rock along with B-Boy Frantic (Universal Zulu Nation/ BattleHolex) present a 1 on 1 B-Boy (break-dance) battle and South East B-Boy Championships 2012 Qualifier event. “This is not the typical festival performance art showcase where people observe from a distance and clap politely for some novelty they don’t quite understand. This is an actual battle featuring B-Boys from across the South East. The format will be a single elimination, tournament-style battle judged by a panel of three, top regional B-Boys. This a chance to witness actual Hip Hop first hand, so join us at Gnarnia, learn something new, support B-Boy culture and get involved!”  Other activities include a poetry showcase featuring Solstiz, NovaKane, Griffin Paynes and others, the land of Oz, a costume ball, and bicycle jousting.

Did we mention the lineup is a crafted masterpiece? We present our ‘SoA artist spotlight‘, the top ten you must see at Gnarnia the Festival:

1) ESKMO

2) HeRobust 

3) Starkey

4) NastyNasty

5) Futexture

6) Tipper

7) Minnesota

8) VibeSquaD

9) Bookworm

10) Elfkowitz

Also featuring Beats Antique, Toubab Krewe, Easy Star All-Stars, Mindelixir, Skytree, Paper Diamond, Eliot Lipp, Heyoka, Conspirator, Break Science, and lots more!

Join us at Gnarnia, we’d love to see you all!

Stay tuned for an SoA ticket giveaway! Like Streets of Atlantis on facebook for a chance to win!