After trying to get everything LIVE on Friday and Saturday, we actually now have the Hwy 184 camera updating with an almost streaming view of the festivities on Sunday!
We were at the festival on Saturday and took some photos, etc and noticed that MTN TV was also attempting to get the festival running LIVE from the grounds. Their remote video didn’t quite work out as live images were only spordadically sent so that viewers could witness the event from around the world. Our own efforts were unsuccessful as well – although we were at least able to broadcast an updated view every 1-2 seconds.
As of late on Saturday evening, one of our staff, Paul Huffman (who has devoted all of his time with us to date on the webcams) was able to make some tweaks and we NOW have the Banner Elk Hwy 184 camera broadcasting a large format image for those that wish to see more image and less refresh (about every second or so) AND we also have a nearly LIVE STREAMING view for those that want to see things a lot more LIVE. The streaming image captures the event AS things are happening and the static, updating cam does so every few seconds, but lags behind the activities by about 3-4 minutes!
We hope to accomplish this same technique with most ALL of our cameras next week!
All of you old Hwy 184 Webcam fans are going to LOVE this announcement! For several years we had a web camera located over on Hwy 184 as you enter into Banner Elk, near Louisiana Purchase. The old Paramount Realty location closed down and we lost our location to host that camera.
We allowed the Town of Banner Elk to relocate that camera over to the Town Park area to show the concert series but the camera location just has not been the big hit that the Highway 184 camera location was. Additionally, due to the place it was mounted we could get a good view of the concert building – but an angled view of the park which resulted in a lot of emails from you guys, most of whom asked us to get the camera relocated back on the main road.
Obviously the Highway 184 location gives viewers an instant bit of insight as to just what the road conditions are like around Sugar and heading up to Ski Beech.
BANNER ELK CAFE IS MAKING IT HAPPEN!!
Our great friends Les and Cindy Broussard who own the Banner Elk Cafe have long been our first choice to host the new camera location because their vantage point will offer not only the best location to pan up and down the road and show road conditions, but they also have one of the best spots to view the Christmas lights and the Woolly Worm Festival grounds which are right across the street.
My family eats at Banner Elk Cafe about once a week and Les has always told me that he was willing to host the camera location, but according to Les, Cindy is more of the IT person in the family. Admittedly, I have simply been busy and had not made the effort to get with Cindy and make it happen.
Three phone calls and about 15 minutes later, The Banner Elk Cafe will be the host location for this great camera. So if you’re over there this weekend or in the near future be sure to tell them "THANKS" for allowing us to relocate this popular camera.
Our team is over there right now, working to relocate and configure the camera in time for us to be able to share a LIVE stream (depending on how fast the broadband is) of the Woolly Worm Festival! Regardless of speed we should be able to bring you guys a fast enough image to allow you to see smoke rising from the food vendors, and people watching galore!
The Woolly Worm Festival will be ongoing all day Saturday and Sunday, so be sure to click over to www.HighCountryWebCams.com and watch the fun (if you can’t be there in person!)!
HighCountryWebCams.com is a property of AppNet.com, parent company of SkiSoutheast.com and SkiNC.com.
Banner Elk Cafe is owned by Les and Cindy Broussard and is known by locals and visitors as “the place to BE in Banner Elk.” With its diverse menu and family-friendly atmosphere, the restaurant appeals to locals, students and travelers alike! Les is an avid soccer coach and heads up several Sugar Mountain Adult Race League (SMARL) ski teams in the winter.
Banner Elk Cafe has enjoyed huge growth over the last several years and now offers two distinct restaurants (The Lodge is the other) and a climate-controlled patio that connects the two restaurants.
The Banner Elk Café and Lodge is located on Highway 184 in Banner Elk and is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven days a week, and the ice cream shop is open seven days a week in the summer. Live entertainment is provided on The Banner Elk Café and Lodge patio on Fridays and Saturdays in the summer and inside on Saturdays in the winter. For more information, call the café at 828-898-4040, the Lodge at 828-898-3444 and the Lodge’s pizzeria at 828-898-4242.
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