40th Annual Fall Festival at the John C Campbell Folk School

October 5-6   John C Campbell Folk School Fall Festival   Celebrate the rich heritage of Appalachia at the 40th annual Folk School Fall Festival, featuring over 200 juried and non-juried craftspeople. Handcrafted items for sale include jewelry, woodturning, pottery, weaving, ironwork, photography, rugs, woodcarvings, furniture, paintings, baskets, and much more. 

Enjoy live music and dance on two stages, great food, craft demonstrations, and kids' activities - just a few more reasons why the John C. Campbell Folk School Fall Festival is one of the most popular events in the region.

John C Campbell Folk School is located at 1 Folk School Road in Brasstown NC. For links to local visitor information visit the Hayesville NC Guide or the Murphy NC Guide.

Brushy Mountain Apple Jam in North Wilkesboro

October 5   Brushy Mountain Apple Jam   This event is one of the largest one-day arts and crafts festivals in the Southeast and features a large variety of arts and crafts, food and entertainment. Events begin at 8 AM and continue until 5 PM. There will be live entertainment at the corner of 10th and Main Streets. Open jam. Sponsored annually by the Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club and held on the 1st Saturday of October since 1978.

Get links for local visitor information on the North Wilkesboro NC Guide. 

Black Mountain Hosts Annual Sourwood Festival

August 9 - 11   36th Annual Sourwood Festival   Great music and lots of fun for all ages fills downtown Black Mountain NC. Held each year in August, it's a time for good food, good fun and good friends. Music, dancing, arts & crafts, super food, kid's rides and games, face painting and more in a no alcohol environment make it a perfect event for the entire family.

Get a link for the Sourwood Festival and complete local visitor information on the Black Mountain NC Guide. 
 

Father's Day Weekend Event: Bluff Mountain Music Festival in Hot Springs

June 15   18th Annual Bluff Mountain Festival    Enjoy music all day featuring some of the region’s best Traditional Old-Time and Bluegrass Music, ballad singing and clogging followed by an evening Square Dance until dark.

Bring the family and the lawn chairs to enjoy a day full of music under the shade trees. Food will be available from vendors and the event includes a local arts and craft silent auction.

Get a link for details about the Annual Bluff Mountain festival and other local attractions and events on the Hot Springs NC Visitor Guide.

Father's Day Weekend Event: Blue Ridge Barbeque and Music Festival in Tryon NC

June 14 - 15    19th Annual Blue Ridge Barbeque and Music Festival   The Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival is one of the area's biggest annual events with fantastic Barbecue, phenomenal music and incredible arts and crafts. Bring the kids, friends, family and more. No pets, no coolers. Held at at Harmon Field.

The Festival is FREE on Friday - come and stay all day. The 2013 Festival delivers phenomenal lineups on two stages in a gorgeous venue for a low $8 admission fee. The collection of entertainers will provide two full days of outstanding music.  More than 20 performers and groups will be on stage at the Festival.

Also enjoy the Foothills Arts and Crafts Festival, held simultaneously with the BBQ Festival. The Crafts Festival is a juried fine arts and crafts show that has enjoyed a reputation for the range and quality of items for sale. With nothing manufactured or imported, this show is proud to offer festival-goers a best of the best art and craft shopping experience

Mountain High BBQ Festival includes Live Music and Car Show

August 10 - 11 Mountain High BBQ & Music Festival  - A weekend full of BBQ, Music and a classic Car Show. This two-day event features authentic, mouth-watering BBQ, live entertainment ,a car show, cornhole tournament, crafters and tastin’ tent. This 4th annual event  is an official North Carolina State BBQ Championship with $11,000 in cash and awards. 

Find local information on the Franklin NC Visitor Guide

Sourwood Festival this Weekend in Black Mountain

August 11 - 12    35th Annual Sourwood Festival  Great music and lots of fun for all ages fills downtown Black Mountain. Held each year in August, it's a time for good food, good fun and good friends. Music, dancing, arts and crafts, super food, kid's rides and games, face painting and more in a no alcohol environment - fun for the entire family.

56th Annual Mount Mitchell Craft Fair this weekend in Burnsville

August 3- 4    Mount Mitchell Craft Fair  Hundreds of art and craft exhibitors and thousands of visitors will participate in the 56th Annual Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair. The event takes place on the Town Square and surrounding streets. Handcrafters from all over the United States come to sell their wares including baskets, candles, kettle corn, pottery, stained glass, and so much more. 

In addition to the variety of exhibitors, the Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair includes live entertainment and a food court showcasing such Southern staples as barbecue and homemade ice cream.

The event is free to the public with entertainment throughout the day. Get a link for the Mount Mitchell Craft Fair, Burnsville cabins and other local information on the Burnsville NC Visitor Guide

Blue Ridge Mountain Fair in Sparta

July 27-28  Blue Ridge Mountain Fair   Discover the handiwork of local artisans at this arts and crafts fair, held in the heart of Sparta NC at Crouse Park. The event features local artisans, entertainment and food vendors.

Fairgoers also have a chance to visit the Alleghany Quilter’s Guild Show at the Black Exhibition Building at the Alleghany County Fairgrounds on US 21, 1.5 miles north of Sparta.See the creativity of local quilters and vote on your favorite for the People’s Choice Award. There will bea variety of  demonstrations each day including hand appliqué, hand quilting, felting, hairpin lace, etc

A free shuttle bus will be available between the Quilt Show, the Blue Ridge Crafts Show, and the Vintage Car Show.

Get a link for the Blue Ridge Mountain Fair, vacation rentals and other Sparta events on the Sparta NC Visitor Guide

Bele Chere Festival - a Weekend of Arts, Music and Food in Asheville

July 27-29   Bele Chere Festival   This lively Asheville weekend event is the largest free outdoor street festival in the Southeast. The three-day festival on the streets of Downtown Asheville features live, original music all day and night for 200,000 festival-goers.

Bele Chere means "beautiful living" and comes from an ancient Scottish dialect. Bele Chere offers the unique opportunity to see, taste and hear some of the region's finest art, cuisine and music.

Visual arts at the festival are displayed at the Art Park as well as throughout the Festival grounds.  The Arts Park features some of the best artists of Bele Chere, exhibiting jewelry, photography, pottery, woodwork, paintings, and metalwork. All items sold in the Arts Park are handmade. Visit the selected artists in the Drhumor and Asheville Savings Bank lots on Patton Avenue between Church Street and Lexington Avenue.

This year's musical line-up includes Antique Firearms, an indie rock band;  ArtOfficial, eschewing the simple magic of beat machines and samples for the irreplaceable warmth of organic instrumentation, and a meticulous care for crafting music with soul;  Baby Rattlesnakes, equal parts soulful jazz, appalachian folk, and catchy pop;  Balsalm Range, a blend of jazz - bluegrass - country and gospel;  and dozens of other original and renowned musicians.

Food and Beverages at the Festival go WAY beyond the usual over-warmed wieners. Experience Foodtopia at the Taste of Asheville in Pack Square. The Taste of Asheville features local restaurants, showcasing a sampling of some of the best cuisine in Asheville, from The Corner Kitchen and the Lobster Trap to Ultimate Ice Cream and Glam Ham Pork Rinds. Pritchard Park Food Court Vendors offer both traditional festival fare along with taste treats from the Amish Baking Co., Party in a Pita, Sherri's Crab Cakes, Steak Boys Inc., Tropical Delights and dozens more.  Beverage booths are located throughout the festival for a pause to refresh with water, soft drinks, beer and wine as well as microbrews from most of Asheville's acclaimed craft brewers.

Additional Bele Chere Festival activities include: The Purina Air Dogs;  The Kids area with a a mix of crafts, rides, and performances;  Easel Rider - Asheville’s Mobile Art Lab;  Nonprofit Booths such as Hats for Humanity;  KISS Country Karaoke to sing your favorite country song; The 33rd Bele Chere 5K hosted by the Asheville Track Club;  Asheville's Urban Trail and Public Art.