Autumn at Oz festival canceled for 2025 at Land of Oz in North Carolina
Autumn at Oz, an annual festival on the site of the former Land of Oz theme park in North Carolina, is canceled for the 2025 season.
Personnel from Land of Oz announced the news on March 14, citing the aftermath of fall 2024’s Hurricane Helene as prompting “a comprehensive assessment of the event and the park itself.”
Staff intends Autumn at Oz to return in some capacity next year, stating, “Our goal is to reopen in 2026, but before moving forward, we must thoroughly evaluate key aspects of Autumn at Oz, including guest experience, operations, infrastructure, and overall event sustainability.” The full statement from the park is at the end of this article.
With the Blue Ridge Parkway as its backdrop, Land of Oz — a former “Wizard of Oz” theme park in Beech Mountain, N.C. — typically reopens each year for just three weekends to host a festival called Autumn at Oz. While there are no rides at Land of Oz, the Autumn at Oz experience is peppered with live entertainment moments, character greetings, special effects, and tributes to the past.
Guests literally follow in Dorothy Gale’s footsteps, experiencing the events of “The Wizard of Oz” in sequence: beginning in Kansas and following the Yellow Brick Road, ultimately arriving in Emerald City.
Another nearby attraction in the North Carolina Mountains, Tweetsie Railroad, canceled most of its Ghost Train 2024 season following Hurricane Helene, but reopened in time for its Christmas 2024 event.
The following is the full statement about Autumn at Oz being canceled for 2025:
Dear Land of Oz Community,
Over the past few years, Autumn at Oz has grown tremendously, with increasing attendance and expanded programming. This success has been exciting and a testament to the dedication of everyone involved. However, as our event has evolved, we face new challenges in maintaining the high standard of experience that our guests expect.
Following Hurricane Helene’s impact on North Carolina, we’ve been reminded of the critical importance of long-term sustainability and preparedness. With that in mind, we’ve made the difficult decision to place Autumn at Oz on pause for 2025 in order to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the event and the park itself.
Our goal is to reopen in 2026, but before moving forward, we must thoroughly evaluate key aspects of Autumn at Oz, including guest experience, operations, infrastructure, and overall event sustainability. This pause will allow us to make thoughtful decisions that protect the magic of the event.
We understand this is disappointing news, but it is a necessary step for the continued success of Autumn at Oz and The Land of Oz. We deeply appreciate your dedication and contributions to making this event so special. During this evaluation period, we will keep you informed with updates about our plans for 2026 and beyond.
The Land of Oz remains a treasured part of our region’s history, and we are actively exploring ways to share it with visitors in new and meaningful ways.
Thank you for your continued support.
The Land of Oz Team
In lieu of a 2025 season, a look back at this video from a previous year of Autumn at Oz in North Carolina:
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