Above photo by Ron Johnson - from the video clip
Banner Elk Magazine
Monday, October 21, 2013
Volume II Issue 300



Photo by Ron Johnson 
Jim Morton, the originator of the Woolly Worm Festival

Fuzz, the winning woolly worm that earned the right to forecast the upcoming winter, is perhaps the brownest woolly worm to capture
first place in the history of The Festival, according to Mr. Morton.

Photo by Ron Johnson 
Michelle Griffin of Ansonville, NC, is pictured here with 
her $1,000 and Fuzz, the little critter displaying brown, 
brown and brown which means a mild winter in the  
Ski Capital of the South.

Photo by Ron Johnson

Tommy Burleson (the tall one) Grand Marshall of the festival and the
predictor of the winter weather took extra time studying "Fuzz" before
he made his prediction ... because he couldn't find black on the worm,
a first in Woolly Worm Festival history. That's Roy Krege at left while
Sun Freeman gives a hug to the winner, Michelle Griffin.


Photo by Ron Johnson
Mr. Woolly Worm and Tommy Burleson have sort of grim
faces on as "Fuzz" crawls up the string to victory.
Did they have a feeling about this worm?
Photo by Ron Johnson
Jim Wooten who has been around these parts for decades couldn't
believe the news when he heard that "Fuzz" was all brown.

Photo by Ron Johnson
In the meantime, this year was the biggest in the 36-year history
of the Woolly Worm Festival with more racers, heats and 24,000 people.
 
Banner Elk Magazine