AN ACT DESIGNATING the WOOLLY WORM FESTIVAL IN BANNER ELK AS THE STATE'S OFFICIAL WOOLLY WORM FESTIVAL.

Whereas, since 1978, an annual Woolly Worm Festival has been held in the Town of Banner Elk, which is located in Avery County; and
Whereas, each year the Woolly Worm Festival welcomes 20,000 people to the community to make family memories; and
Whereas, in 2007, the Woolly Worm Festival was named one of the top 10 fall festivals in North America by the Society of American Travel Writers; and
Whereas, in the 40 years of the Woolly Worm Festival, more than $1,400,000 has been raised to make life better for the children of Avery County; and
Whereas, the winning woolly worm will predict the upcoming winter weather. The 13 segments of the woolly worm are the best predictors of the weather for the 13 weeks of winter; and
Whereas, establishing the Official Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk will serve as a great marketing and promotional tool for Banner Elk and Avery County; Now, therefore,

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Chapter 145 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 145‑50.  State Woolly Worm Festival.
The Woolly Worm Festival, held the third weekend of October of every year in the Town of Banner Elk in Avery County, is adopted as the official Woolly Worm Festival of the State of North Carolina."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 15th day of June, 2018.

	s/	 Philip E. Berger
	 President Pro Tempore of the Senate

	s/	 Tim Moore
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Roy Cooper
	 Governor

Approved 10:50 a.m. this 25th day of June, 2018