First Friday ART WALK: Murphy, held on the first Friday of each month from May through December. Free art, music, etc. --see Cherokee County Arts Council
Dec. 6, 2024: Murphy Christmas Tree Lighting along with ArtWalk; no admission; 6pm
Dec. 7, 2024: Christmas Parade, Murphy 6 pm from Valley Village Shopping Ctr to L & N Depot
https://www.townofmurphync.com/main-street-murphy/page/events
Note: The info we’ve provided is not comprehensive. Event dates will change from year to year, locations may change, businesses close or open, and of course, space limitations don’t allow us to mention every single business, attraction and event no matter how deserving they may be! However, we hope this info will help get your vacation started in the right direction!
Cherokee County Visitor Center (Murphy) : This is a good place to get more updated information about things to do in the area. The physical location is at : 20 Tennessee St. in Murphy. To contact by phone, (828)557-0602 or (828)557-2583 The website is : www.visitccnc.com
Hanging Dog Recreation Area – Located 5 miles n’west of downtown Murphy, Hanging Dog Rec Area gives access to Hiwassee Lake, a popular area for fishing, boating, kayaking, water skiing, mountain biking, hiking and swimming. There are two 1-mile hiking trails , and nearby Ramsey Bluff Mountain Biking trail system has 8 miles of trails. There is a boat launch, picnic pavilion and bathrooms but no developed swimming facility. Take SR 1326 out to the entrance of the rec area, than turn onto SR 1447 (Hanging Dog Campground Rd)
For more info, call the Tusquitee Ranger District at (828) 837-5152
Their website : www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc
Cherokee County Historical Museum - This educational and interesting museum is located in downtown Murphy at 87 Peachtree Street (Unicoi Turnpike), a few blocks from the Hiwassee River. It showcases over 2,000 Cherokee Indian artifacts and is an interpretive center for the Trail of Tears Historic Trail. The museum also features exhibits and artifacts of pioneer life in the area, as well as a replica cabin.
The area was a gathering point for thousands of Cherokee (and hundreds of Creek Indians) who were rounded up by U.S. government military and (in 1838) started out on the long, harsh “Trail of Tears” march west to Tennessee , and eventually to Indian Territory further west. Fort Butler, the U.S. military headquarters in the area, was situated not far across the river from where the museum is today. In camps around the fort many of the Cherokee and Creek were held until they were sent away from their mountain homeland, never to return.
The museum has for sale some books and local Native American-made items of jewelry, pottery, baskets, etc. There is also a great collection of hundreds of collectible and celebrity dolls to see there.
For information about the museum, call (828) 837-6792 or email them at cchistoricalmuseum@gmail.com As of this writing, hours are Mon-Fri : 9a.m.-5p.m, and Sat : 9-3.
Fields of the Wood: This 200 acre Biblical theme park is located west of Murphy on NC Hwy 294, about 40 minutes from Raccoon Ridge through som epretty areas. It has the world’s largest display of the Ten Commandments, the letters constructed from stones on the side of a steep grassy hill, which visitors can hike up on steps....a 300’ wide hillside display .There are many different displays of Bible verses, history and inspiration throughout the park. Owned by the Church of God of Prophecy, admission is free, and it’s open from dawn until dusk. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_of_the_Wood
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River resort casino: Located north of Murphy just off US129, it’s about a 20 minute drive from the cabin. There is a casino and several small restaurants located there, along with a hotel. It is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
SWIMMING, CAMPING & PICNICS: There is a wonderful public park 13 miles away: Clay County Park & Campground on Chatuge Lake, using Hwy 1140 (Myers Chapel Rd) on Hwy 69, south of Hayesville. Swimming beaches, picnic pavilions, playground, camping, and boat launches. There are also boat rental places.
Lake Chatuge water playground: Marina Station Water Park (706) 896-2262 during warmer months has a half days’ worth of water slides, bouncy areas, climbing walls, etc. that kids of all ages enjoy.
There is an outdoor Cherokee display in older downtown Hayesville, with the old jail there and courthouse, etc. It’s easy to walk around this area and to learn about some local history.
Brasstown Bald Visitors Center is about 40 minutes away and has a panoramic view from the highest peak in Georgia at 4,784’.
Nantahala Outdoor Center has exciting Class II – IV rapids for rafting or floating along with zip lining, mountain biking, kayaking and more at NOC.com or 828-785-5082.
JULY 4th: You can see fireworks from the back porch here, but they are distant. For a small town, low stress, tailgate party type celebration of the 4th with a darn good fireworks show, take a short drive to Andrews, usually at Pioneer Park with a great viewing spot in front of the Family Dollar store in the Andrews Town Center Shopping Center, maybe preceded by supper at Ronnie’s restaurant there or Granieri’s Italian Restaurant downtown.
Fairs and festivals:
The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in nearby Hiawassee is a venue that hosts many special events throughout the year. Some of the larger events in 2024, for future planning, were: Georgia Mountain Fair on August 16-24; Georgia Mountain Fall Festival Oct. 11-19; and the 2024 Mountain Country Christmas in Lights in Nov.28 – Dec.23. Also during 2024 was a PRCA pro rodeo (May 24-26), the Rhododendron Festival (April 12 – May 12), the New Years Eve fireworks show, and numerous band concerts in addition to art, cooking, wine, auto, brewery and other specialty shows and exhibitions.
The fairgrounds is located on US Hwy 76 in Hiawassee, Georgia, a 30 min. drive from Raccoon Ridge. For a complete schedule, go online to : https://georgiamountainfairgrounds.com/localevents
The 2024 Murphy Spring Festival was May 4 in downtown Murphy. There will be local musicians, artists and craftspeople showcasing their talents, as well as kids’ activities, numerous vendors and food trucks. For other events check online at the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce website: https://business.cherokeecountychamber.com/events/calendar/2024
There are numerous fairs and festivals in other towns in that area of North Carolina and Georgia.
Blairsville, GA has many events, such as the Spring Arts, Crafts and Music Festival (Memorial Day weekend); Memorial Day parade; the Scottish Festival and Highland Games (June 8-9); Butternut Creek Festival of arts and crafts (July); the Mountain Heritage Festival (Labor Day weekend); the Holiday on the Square and Christmas Parade (first Sat. in December), and many more. Blairsville is only a 38 minute drive from Racccoon Ridge. For events calendar, go to: https://www.visitblairsvillega.com
Helen, GA is well-known for the Octoberfest event that started with a parade on September 7 , 2024 and runs through October 27. Ran Thursday through Sundays until Sept. 26, and then daily from then until Oct.27. For more info, go to:
https://www.exploregeorgia.org/things-to-do/article/guide-to-helen-oktoberfest
MERCIER ORCHARDS, 8660 blue Ridge Dr., Blue Ridge, Ga.: Our friends visited in late 2024 and wrote: The Mercier Orchard was a large barn like building set on the hill side of an apple orchard. It was decorated with fall decor and had a small petting animal area for kids. Inside you can see them sorting and processing apples. You can buy bagged apples and all sorts of other products like jelly, sauces, apple butter and wine. There is a bakery where we bought apple fritters, and a wine room where we bought wine smoothies. All kinds of gifts and clothes and soaps, etc. -- there were a couple of food trucks outside selling sandwiches, ...caramel kettle corn from an outside vender.