Wilkes NC Tourism

Wilkes NC Tourism Wilkes County, N.C. Home of the NASCAR, MerleFest, FaithFest and More!

05/29/2026

This family-owned Hamptonville farm offers more than cute animal photos – it gives you a warm, hands-on look at life on a real North Carolina farm.

05/28/2026

1 month down, 11 months to go until Merlefest is back 🪕

05/27/2026

Big news… Wilkes Coffee Company is officially mobile!

We’re excited to start bringing the coffee out into the community. Now we want to know — where would YOU love to see the Wilkes Coffee Company trailer pop up next?

05/27/2026

By Jennifer Primrose | If you’ve stepped into a small NC church or civic building and felt the walls watching, you’ve likely encountered a haunting Benjamin Long

Who loves live music and warm weather? ☀️ The summer concert series is back in North Wilkesboro. Time to mark your calen...
05/14/2026

Who loves live music and warm weather? ☀️ The summer concert series is back in North Wilkesboro. Time to mark your calendars. 📆

05/12/2026

Race weekends start at check-in. 🏡🏁

Welcome Airbnb, the Official Lodging Partner of North Wilkesboro Speedway!

LEARN MORE 👉 bit.ly/NWSAIRBNB

05/12/2026

Nothing to do here? Think again! Check out the Northwest NC Visitor Center at 2121 US HWY-421 🗺️

04/20/2026

Visit David Haynes paintings on display at the Northwest NC Visitor Center through April 29th
📍 2121 E HWY 421 (Wilkes County)

Our tourism director, Thomas Salley will be leaving Wilkes TDA. He'll still be in tourism; his next job will involve wor...
04/15/2026

Our tourism director, Thomas Salley will be leaving Wilkes TDA. He'll still be in tourism; his next job will involve working as an account executive for a national tourism marketing firm. We are grateful to Thomas for so many great moments, events, and milestones across his seven years of leadership. 👏

Here are a few:
- Nurturing the Wilkes County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) into existence, and structuring an organization focused on serving the county's tourism partners, including restaurants, wineries, lodging, independent shops, farms, and outdoor businesses. 👨‍🌾
- Thomas partnered with agencies to develop the new TDA's website, strategic plan, and destination branding.
Placing Wilkes County in the news: From Fox Business during North Wilkesboro Speedway All-Star Races to Wine Enthusiast, Washington Post, Our State, Business North Carolina, WNC Magazine, and many more. 🍷🎶
- Promoting our county at countless media events, conferences and workshops, from NYC to Louisiana to right here at home.
- Manning visitor info tents at MerleFest, the All-Star Races, and numerous festivals and events. 🪕
- Partnering with Wilkes Youth Life Development (WYLD) to volunteer and fundraise in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Thomas and the students collected 20 trailer loads of supplies and raised thousands of dollars in contributions. He worked with North Wilkesboro Speedway to organize car haulers for transporting supplies to WNC. With the innovative use of water totes from local wineries, he provided more than 3,800 gallons of clean drinking water to those in need. His efforts earned Wilkes County statewide recognition by VisitNC. 🗺️🥾
- Serving as a charter member of the Wilkes Outdoor Economy Action Team, the team developed a 15-year strategic plan (www.wilkesoutdooractionplan.com) to develop and market our outdoor recreation assets to attract jobs and businesses to Wilkes County. Wilkes County was an inaugural participant in the VisitNC Outdoor Trail Town program via Thomas' collaboration with state tourism leaders. 📸🌎

His last day with us is today, April 15, 2026. We wish Thomas and his family all the best. Thank you, Thomas, for your gift of leadership and your hard work for the last seven years. ❤️

Address

Wilkesboro, NC

Telephone

+13368383951

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wilkes NC Tourism posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share