Get Your Tickets For North Carolina’s ‘Autumn at Oz’ Festival
Beech Mountain’s “Land of Oz” theme park has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. The park itself has been around, physically, for more than 50 years atop Beech Mountain at an altitude of more than 5,000 feet. However, it’s been closed as a regular attraction for a long time. So, when you see pictures and video of the park’s 44,000-piece yellow brick road-deserted, it’s kinda creepy. I’ve lived here since 2006 and have always knows about Land of Oz, but have never been.
Despite being closed for regular attendance, “Land of Oz” DOES open several times a year for special events and festivals and the one coming this fall is a must-attend. The annual “Autumn at Oz Festival” is set for the weekends of Sept. 8-10, Sept. 15-17, and Sept. 22-24.
“Autumn at Oz” provides interaction with characters from “The Wizard of Oz” along with live performances and entertainment. Of course, with it being fall, you HAVE to have the fall festival usual suspects of onsite food and craft vendors.
Typically, “Autumn at Oz” sells out, so you’ll want to get your tickets in advance. They go on sale June 16 and cost $55 (plus taxes and processing fees). Children age 2 and younger are admitted for free. According to WSOC-TV, here are some other things you need to keep in mind:
- Event parking is at Beech Mountain Ski Resort at 1007 Beech Mountain Parkway. A free shuttle service will take you to the park.
- Tickets are usually sold for time-specific shuttle boarding. Plan to arrive at the parking lot before the scheduled time listed on your ticket. Guests may arrive up to 1 hour prior to their ticketed time but no later than 30 minutes after. (Example: If you have an 11 a.m. ticket, you may arrive as early as 10 a.m. or as late as 11:30 a.m.)
- Since the park was built in 1970 it has uneven paths and stairs and steep ramps and is not wheelchair or stroller friendly. (Small umbrella-type strollers are recommended for infants and toddlers.)
- Tickets to ride the ski lift to the park and access to the observation deck cost extra.
For more information on the “Autumn at Oz” festival, visit landofoznc.com.