Just 80 miles north of Charlotte, Wilkes offers proximity to a bustling Southern metropolis balanced by the gentle pace of wholesome, hospitable hometowns such as Wilkesboro, the county seat, and North Wilkesboro, the county's most populous. Wilkes enjoys a delightful year-round climate which undergoes subtle changes with the advent of each season. In the spring, tens of thousands of country music and bluegrass enthusiasts flock to Wilkes Community College for MerleFest, a two-day music festival on eight different stages. The John A. Walker Community Center has hosted symphony orchestras, touring Broadway companies, popular music artists and entertainers and The Wilkes Playmakers. During the summer months, visitors, vacationers and residents alike can enjoy a wide array of outdoor recreational pursuits.
Brushy Mountain apples.
Balloons over the Blue Ridge is a weekend hot air balloon rally that adds an airborne spectrum to nature's own kaleidescope of fall foliage. Other fall festivals include the Wilkes Agricultural Fair, the New Car Show and the Appalachian Legacy Craft Show. Wilkes is accessible by car via U.S. Highways 421 and 21 and by the four state highways that intersect the county. Wilkes County Airport is home to some 30 corporate aircraft, and is the state's 10th busiest for non-commercial flights.