Appalachian TrailFest Canceled for 2024

The Appalachian TrailFest in Hot Springs, North Carolina has been canceled for 2024.

The TrailFest is the second-largest trail festival after Appalachian Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia. Typically a multi-day event, it was scheduled to take place April 12-14; however, The Madison County Group Home made the decision not to organize it this year.

“The Madison County Group Home decided to let it go, and I was hoping to keep it going along with the Laughing Heart Hostel,” Hot Springs resident Sonya Smith Phillips said in a message to The News-Record & Sentinel. “However, there have been some circumstances that are going to make that impossible for 2024. There were many obstacles for this year, that I would prefer not be made public. I hope that we will be able to bring it back next year.”

Photo credit: Asheville Citizen Times

In a Facebook post, Hot Springs Tourism and Welcome Center noted, “This event is in transition, with plans to continue in 2025, in partnership with the Laughing Heart Hostel and Hot Springs community.”

Although the festival itself has been cancelled, Hot Springs still plans to celebrate the Appalachian Trail on Saturday, April 27 with the traditional duck race, which will be organized by Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department, and a free dinner and fashion show hosted by Laughing Heart Hostel. Proceeds from the events will go to both the fire department and the 2025 TrailFest.

Featured image: Jon