The Highlands Motoring Festival Experience

"One Lap of the Mountains" is a driving event with tour routes designed to take advantage of the area’s twisty back roads that are less traveled. The route’s designers are fellow enthusiasts who want to share hidden secret roads. The run groups are limited in size to allow each group to stay together and enhance fellowship among enthusiasts.

The festival stages a Parade right down Main Street to the delight of hundreds of spectators. 

The "Classics in the Park" invitational car show boasts some of the finest collector cars in America. There is no charge for the public.

The Horsepower Gala is held on Saturday night to support the HMF Charities. Each year there is a renowned guest speaker. 2025's Grand Marshall, Corky Coker, will share stores of his lifelong fascination with classic and collector cars. 

Sunday’s "High Octane in the Mountains" is intended to be a low key gathering of interesting cars and their owners who will want to share their stories of a great weekend.

At 4118 feet, Highlands NC is surrounded by national forests and wonderful mountain roads. Western NC has become increasingly popular with car enthusiasts as the place where driver, vehicle, and road can be put to the test.

The team that stages the Highlands Motoring Festival has created this "driver’s experience" to take advantage of the wonderful roads and beautiful scenery in the mountains of western NC. Each day has a different drive route. The One Lap of the Mountains- 'Grande' is a longer route while the 'Speciale' is a shorter route. 

At an altitude over 4,000 feet, the June weather in Highlands is ideal. 

Come drive the mountains, share your interest in cars with others, and help us support our local charities: The Literacy and Learning Center, REACH of Macon County, Community Care Clinic.

Highlands Motoring Festival is planned and staged by an all-volunteer team of classic car enthusiasts.