The SPARC Foundation empowers marginalized people with individualized support; increasing self-sufficiency, family health and community safety. Our mission is to keep residents of Western North Carolina out of institutional care. SPARC’s programs focus on: – keeping adults out of prisons and mental health facilities – keeping children out of foster care or group homes – re-educating domestic abusers; teaching them new methods of interacting with intimate partners and family members – supervising and facilitating DSS court-ordered family visits and coaching parents as they learn new parenting skills – ensuring access to nutritious, free food for low income residents living in designated “food desserts” – offering Family Centered Treatment; in-home therapy designed to support reuniting families – assisting former inmates with employment, education and housing opportunities to increase their chances of success upon re-entering society and decrease recidivism www.thesparcfoundation.org
Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Saturday, September
21, 2019
Memorymoog Plus Synthesizer Raffle Bob Moog Foundation
New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat
YMI Cultural Center’s Goombay Festival, Sept 20 – Sept. 22
ends on September 23, 2019 at 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first.
Bob Moog Foundation announces its fall raffle featuring a coveted, fully restored vintage Memorymoog Plus synthesizer, formerly owned, played, and signed by Dr. Fink of The Revolution. The Memorymoog was part of The Revolution’s touring rig on the Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, and Parade tours.
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, currently inspiring over 3,000 elementary school students per year through the science of sound. The raffle will also help support the Foundation’s newest project, the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility that brings Bob Moog’s legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The newly opened Moogseum is located in downtown Asheville, NC.
New Belgium Brewing’s annual Tour de Fat is back for 2019, offering a day packed full of free festivities celebrating beer, bikes, and bemusement. This year’s tour kicks off on August 31 in Fort Collins, CO, heads to Asheville, NC, on Sept. 21, and wraps up in Tempe, AZ on October 5.
Each festival gets underway with a wildly popular costumed group bicycle ride roaming public streets in human-powered, two-wheeled euphoria. Immediately following each bike parade, revelers amass at a transformed outdoor space for an afternoon of unforgettable FREE entertainment from a touring ensemble of comedians, cirque performers, general mayhemists, top-notch live musicians and world-class New Belgium beer.
“Our love for bikes runs deep at New Belgium – we like to say our brewery was born on a bicycle seat – so every year we spread that love around the country by coming into towns and hosting the best way to spend a Saturday,” said Tour de Fat Brand Manager, John Yeast. “Big thanks in advance to everyone who will celebrate with us as we attempt to eclipse the $6 million mark of funds raised and donated to nonprofit organizations.”
This year marks the 20th season for Tour de Fat, which has raised nearly $6 million for local non-profits since it all began. The daylong festivities are free, but proceeds from beer and merchandise sales, along with parade donations, go to local non-profits. New in 2019 is a pedal-powered parade participant contest parade contest where winners will be selected based on the creativity, flair and uniqueness of their pedal-powered parade “vehicle” and rewarded with a prize pack that includes up to $500 worth of fixings to throw one heck of a party.
“A typical Tour de Fat parade draws thousands of costumed revelers together who share our mission to amaze and entertain,” Yeast explained. “To further stoke those creative fires, this year we’re offering a super sweet prize package to those people, businesses, civic groups, and the like who wow the crowd by rolling around in unmatched one-of-a-kind style.”
In typical New Belgium style, the brewery tries to leave as little of an environmental imprint as possible. Tour de Fat hosts green vendors, has compost and recycle stations and consciously works diligently to practice sustainable festivization.
“Bicycles basically run on fat and save you money, so they fit perfectly with our commitment to sustainability. Riding improves physical wellness and mental health, reduces CO2 emissions and provides a responsible form of transportation after a beer. Or two,” Yeast said.
Enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of the African-Caribbean. Goombay brings a variety of entertainment including dancing and the beating of West African drums ringing with the harmonic live music featuring gospel, reggae, funk and soul.
Visit contact web site for details. https://www.eventyas.com/US/Asheville/1468195370123474/Asheville-Goombay-Festival
Goombay Hours
Friday: 6-10 PM
Saturday: 11 AM-10 PM
Sunday: 12-6 PM
Sunday, September
22, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
Asheville Van Life Rally
Memorymoog Plus Synthesizer Raffle Bob Moog Foundation
August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville
A weekend of camping, community, connection, and celebration with van dwellers, weekend warriors, roadtrippers, overlanding geeks, and all sorts of adventure mobile lovers. There will be 400 vehicles camping and 3,000 daytime visitors on a beautiful 65-acre property just 20 minutes from downtown Asheville.
Join us for the weekend, or as a visitor Saturday during our general admission hours (10am-10pm). More information on our ticketing site.
This is a family-friendly event where all are welcome!
ends on September 23, 2019 at 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first.
Bob Moog Foundation announces its fall raffle featuring a coveted, fully restored vintage Memorymoog Plus synthesizer, formerly owned, played, and signed by Dr. Fink of The Revolution. The Memorymoog was part of The Revolution’s touring rig on the Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, and Parade tours.
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, currently inspiring over 3,000 elementary school students per year through the science of sound. The raffle will also help support the Foundation’s newest project, the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility that brings Bob Moog’s legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The newly opened Moogseum is located in downtown Asheville, NC.
Monday, September
23, 2019
Memorymoog Plus Synthesizer Raffle Bob Moog Foundation
ends on September 23, 2019 at 11:59pm ET, or when all 4,500 tickets sell out, whichever comes first.
Bob Moog Foundation announces its fall raffle featuring a coveted, fully restored vintage Memorymoog Plus synthesizer, formerly owned, played, and signed by Dr. Fink of The Revolution. The Memorymoog was part of The Revolution’s touring rig on the Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, and Parade tours.
Funds raised from the raffle will be used to expand the Foundation’s hallmark educational project, Dr. Bob’s SoundSchool, currently inspiring over 3,000 elementary school students per year through the science of sound. The raffle will also help support the Foundation’s newest project, the Moogseum, an immersive, experiential facility that brings Bob Moog’s legacy and the science of sound and synthesis alive for people of all ages. The newly opened Moogseum is located in downtown Asheville, NC.
Thursday, September
26, 2019
Young Farmers BBQ Mixer
City Dance
Hickory Nut Gap Farm and the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) have joined together to celebrate all those interested in pursuing a career in agriculture.
On Thursday, September 26th from 5pm to 9pm, all new and future farmers are invited to spend the evening enjoying a buffet of farm-raised bbq, drinks, and fellowship. To start the evening, attendees will enjoy a guided square dancing icebreaker, followed by live music by Bull Moose Party and finally an update from the NYFC on their tireless efforts on capitol hill lobbying for young farmers.
“With the average age of farm owners in the U.S. approaching 60 and all of the food-related challenges ahead of us in the coming decades it can often feel hopeless and daunting to be involved with agriculture in the 21st century. But the truth is, there is hope, there are more and more young and beginning farmers joining our food system every day; but with such a decentralized form of production, these young farmers often don’t have many options to connect with each other, network, and feel encouraged,” says Hickory Nut Gap farm director, Asher Wright. “Here at HNG we have a great event space and kitchen with the capacity to host an event, and so we are very excited to welcome the next generation of producers to our farm to connect with each other and be assured that nobody is alone in this industry.”
5p-6pm: Mingle and Official Welcome
6pm-9pm: Complimentary dinner, drinks, live music
Dinner: BBQ, farm-to-fork sides, fresh breads all prepared by our culinary team at Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Drinks: Each attendee will receive two (2) complimentary drink tickets that can be used for beer, wine, or specialty soft drinks. Water and tea are unlimited. Additional beverages available to purchase.
Beginner’s workshop lesson at 7:30 P.M., then 8-11 P.M. Contra Dance with Country Waltzing at the break and the final dance. This is a partner dance but it’s not necessary to come with a partner. We have different live bands and callers.
Friday, September
27, 2019
Asheville Greek Festival
25th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival Feature Film: “Fever Dreams”
“Fever Dreams”
Director: Rob Underhill (Carrboro, NC)
2nd Prize Feature film winner of the 25th annual Twin Rivers Media Festival
Four creepytales guaranteed to give you Fever Dreams…The Agent: an alcoholic screenplay middleman becomes trapped in acting out a nightmare scripted especially for him. The Entertainer: our host reveals on national television a tragic love story… and the contents of his coffee table. This is followed by a concise vignette on the importance of Timed Romance. The Cameraman: a wannabee movie-maker’s documentary turns into a real life horror story! Filmmakers, Director and Actors will attend the screening and be available for questions.
Doors open at 7:30 / Film begins at 8:00. Open donation.
Saturday, September
28, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
Time Traveling Gala
2019 Blue Ridge Pride Festival
Asheville Greek Festival
Hendersonville Oktoberfest
August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville
Leave your passports at home and visit Europe in Asheville!
The party kicks off at a steel foundry turned luxury hotel and then travels from the heart of Asheville to England, Italy and France, with food and cocktails inspired by each location.
The homes we are visiting are historic and guests should be prepared for stairs and uneven surfaces.
Blue Ridge Pride is back and better than ever! The festivities begin on Friday evening with Friday in the Park, an opportunity for youth performers to showcase their talents on the stage at Pack Square Park!
A procession from Scandals Nightclub on Grove St. kicks off Saturday’s event at 10:00 a.m., come out and show your pride all the way from Scandals to Pack Square Park!
Finally, the festival begins at Pack Square Park at 11:00 a.m. The family-friendly environment features exciting vendors of all kinds, food, music at two different stages, dancing, performances, an inflatable bounce house, educational and community resources, and more!
Celebrate Oktoberfest in Hendersonville with games, food, music, and of course great beer! Things to do for all ages. Small entrance fee at gate. You don’t want to miss this event!
Sunday, September
29, 2019
Asheville Greek Festival
Wednesday, October
2, 2019
Catch the Wave Celebration
Join us for a night of celebration and fun October 2nd for our second annual Catch the Wave event hosted by RiverLink! We’ll have live music provided by The Barsters, awesome raffles, food, refreshments, and informational sessions providing updates on the project.
All proceeds from the event will help build the Greenway & Blueway so grab your friends and get ready for a good time!
For more information and tickets please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/woodfin-greenway-blueway-2nd-annual-catch-the-wave-celebration-tickets-69998580639
Special thanks to our amazing co-hosts: Asheville GreenWorks, MountainTrue, Connect Buncombe, and French Broad River Academy
RiverLink is the proud fundraising partner of the Town of Woodfin and Buncombe County Greenways.
__________________________________________________________________
AWESOME RAFFLE PRIZES
Grand Prize Items:
Homeslice Whitewater Kayak from Liquidlogic Kayaks
Raft, Zipline, Yurt Package from Wildwater Ltd.
Bike from Motion Makers Bicycle Shop
Jackson Cruise FlexDrive Fishing Kayak from Southern Raft Supply
Alloy Rim Wheelset and stem by Industry Nine
There will also be a dozen additional runner-up prizes
There will be a separate drawings for each. Raffle participants will put their ticket(s) toward whichever item(s) they wish.
**** YOU NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN**** For those unable to attend the event, tickets for the raffle may be purchased online, and we’ll enter them for you. Winners will be notified by email.
__________________________________________________________________
*Children 12 and under may attend at no charge.
Learn more about the project at https://riverlink.org/
Thursday, October
3, 2019
SPARC After Dark
Catapult at Tryon Fine Arts Center
Nobuntu
Let your little light shine for The SPARC Foundation as we sparkle and glow (feel free to wear your boldest and brightest) along the French Broad River! Hosted by Asheville Affiliates, SPARC After Dark will light up the night to raise funds for programs working to keep people out of institutional care. Modern Strangers will fill the autumn air with high-energy music… and the event will overflow with tasty local food and drinks from Urban Orchard, Roots Hummus, Catabaw Brewing, Mellow Mushroom, and more. Expect spectacular raffle packages and local prizes.
The SPARC Foundation
Catapult is, technically, a shadow dance company. What it really is: a theatrical art form that is an amazingly imaginative combination of dance, story-telling, and sculpture. Founded in 2009, by Adam Battlestein (choreographer, Creative Director and Master Teaching Artist for Pilobolus Dance Theatre for 19 years), Catapult catapulted to fame on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent, earning their way to the finals of the NBC-TV hit show.
Catapult is all about the human body and its ability to transform. The talented Catapult dancers work behind a screen to create seemingly impossible dancing shadow silhouettes of shapes from the world around us. You won’t believe your eyes as you watch these incredible dancers become a mountain, a full size elephant, a helicopter, a house with a window and people inside the window. You will never figure out how they do it, and you won’t know what they will make next – you will be surprised and delighted again and again. Audiences of all ages love what appear to be effortless transformations and applaud over and over as more and more unbelievable images appear.
Catapult’s “Magic Shadows” show is packed with hundreds of shape transformations, and it is full of humor, emotion, and engaging stories. There are 8 fully realized stories told through music and shadows and 6 short shadow dance videos which play between the live dances – brief moments of poetry or humor which perfectly cleanse the palate and prepare the audience for their next shadow journey. Audiences leave this show dazed and happy, and they will never look at their own shadow the same way again!
Nobuntu — Thursday, October 3, 2019, 8 p.m. The five voices of Nobuntu echo with power and intensity, emanating pure joy while embodying the spirit of the artists’ Zimbabwe home. An all-female a cappella vocal quintet, Nobuntu draws international acclaim for its inventive performances that are accompanied by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments and organic, authentic dance movements
Friday, October
4, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
An Evening with Cornflower
NC Dance Festival
Asheville
$5 at the door
August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville
? ASHEVILLE CONCERT THIS FRIDAY!
I am STOKED to bring this transformational music and movement concert experience to the Asheville Community at Violet Owl Wellness in Downtown Asheville!
Asheville was an oasis for me growing up in East Tennessee. I could just drive over the most beautiful mountains to find myself in a fresh new perspective on life. I saw some of the best concerts in Asheville while in high school and it is full circle for me to now bring my music to this beautiful city.
RSVP now @ Cornflower at Asheville NC and tag (or invite) your Asheville friends in the comments below!
See you on the Dance Floor!
ALL LOVE, Cornflower
Experience the energy and talent of professional dance artists from across NC with the 29th Season of the NC Dance Festival. The Festival aims to support the creation of new choreography and the presentation of high-quality repertory, build and strengthen relationships between dance artists within the state, and provide access to and education about modern and contemporary dance to audiences and students.
Vania Claiborne (Greensboro) presents (Bro)tha/Brother, a duet for two men that celebrates and explores black male joy, friendship, and humanity.
In Studio C Projects (Durham) atmospheric Two, three dancers follow two sets of movement instructions that test the accuracy of memory in response to a shifting environment.
MARO Movement (Southern Pines) explores the sometimes taboo topic of mortality and vulnerability with Impact, inspired by choreographer Matthew Rocks late grandmother.
The multigenerational dancers of Durhams Big Red Dance Project, ranging in age from 38-78 and directed by Gerri Houlihan, reveal the melodic and rhythmic complexities of J.S. Bachs Violin Concerto in A Minor in Dances for the Time Being.
Wilmington’s Alyona Amato presents Its All About Me, an ensemble dance that combines video and movement to capture the sense of competition and self-centeredness that can characterize our modern culture.
Local Asheville company Stewart/Owen presents an excerpt of a new theatrical work that broadly speaks to power, control, vulnerability, and how human beings manifest each of those qualities and surrender to them.
Asheville
Intergenerational Modern Dance
Come join 2019 NCDF Artist Gerri Houlihan as she teaches this intergenerational modern dance class at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville!
$5 at the door
October 5 @ 10-11:30 a.m.
Click to register
Henry Labrun Studio in the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, Asheville, NC
Saturday, October
5, 2019
52nd Bascom Lamar Lundsford “Minstrel Of Appalachia” Festival
John C. Campell Folk School Fall Festival 2019
Asheville Oktoberfest
NC Dance Festival
Asheville
$5 at the door
The Lunsford Festival is an all-day festival celebrating regional music and dance traditions. The event is the second oldest folk festival in Western North Carolina and was named in honor of cofounder Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Lunsford was a musician and folklorist who dedicated his life to collecting and promoting the music of the Southern Appalachians. Through his work he became known as the “Minstrel of the Appalachians.” The festival, which is now in its 52nd year, brings out the region’s finest musicians and dancers. It happens on the same day as the Madison Heritage Arts Festival, so downtown will be abuzz. Join us in honoring the rich cultural traditions of the Southern Appalachians!
10:00-5:00: Concert on the Upper Quad
11:00: Presentation of the Lunsford Award
12:00-1:00: Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Dulcimer, Shaped Note Workshops
1:15-2:00: Open jam (Sunken Garden)
1:30-3:30: Ballad Swap (Blackwell Hall)
5:30-7:30: Community Dance (Chambers Gym)
Folk School Fall Festival 2019
Golden fall sunlight and brightly colored leaves provide a scenic backdrop for the John C. Campbell Folk School‘s Fall Festival. This treasured annual celebration of Appalachian culture, held on the Folk School’s Brasstown, North Carolina campus, heralds its 45th anniversary in October.
The Folk School’s enduring commitment to the arts is evident in a vibrant exhibition showcasing the School’s Quilting and Surface Design Program. The Pitman Fiber Arts Building will feature a display of dozens of striking quilts made by the school’s instructors.
A slideshow of Painting and Photography Instructor art will run throughout the festival in the Keith House Community Room.
Visit over 200 fine craft exhibitors tucked along the school’s winding wooded paths. Watch more than 30 artisans demonstrate traditional and contemporary crafts. Fill your ears with bluegrass, gospel, folk, and Celtic music on both days. Tap your toes to clogging, Morris, and Garland dance performances throughout the weekend.
Children can visit the Kids Cove area where they’ll enjoy pony rides, petting the alpacas, and visiting Valley River Humane Society’s pet adoption booth. The Cove Theatre will offer children an opportunity to participate in creative play with dress-up costumes and musical instruments. Face painting and arts and crafts activities will be offered by the Cherokee County Arts Council.
Hungry festivalgoers can satisfy their appetites with a tasty lunch, dessert, or snack. Vendors’ concession proceeds benefit several non-profit and community organizations.
The Folk School’s renowned Craft Shop, containing fine crafts from over 600 juried regional artists, will draw visitors throughout the weekend and be offering a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the Craft Shop.
Fall Festival Survival Guide
No pets allowed
Bring your camera
Wear comfortable shoes and a sun hat
Visit water stations as needed to stay hydrated
Two ATMS will be available, however we encourage you to bring cash to pay for tickets, food, and purchases from vendors who do not accept cards
Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for ages 12-17, and free for children under 12
Music & Dance Schedule
Saturday
FESTIVAL BARN STAGE
10:00 Butternut Creek and Friends
10:40 Campbell Folk School Cloggers
11:20 The Curtis & Geoff Show
12:00 Folk School Junior Appalachian Music Students
12:40 Julie Helms & the Bluegrass Partners
1:20 Jones Brothers
2:00 Heidi Holton
2:40 Brasstown Morris Dancers & Band
3:20 Kudzu Kicker Cloggers
4:00 Dave Peters and the Last Responders
CRAFT SHOP STAGE
10:00 Jones Brothers
10:40 Greg Biltz
11:20 Faith Willin’
12:00 Heidi Holton
12:40 Crane Creek Cliff Dwellers
1:20 Beansidhe
2:00 Black Mash Hollow
2:40 Mike Davis
3:20 Redwine Jam
4:00 Sea Notes
Sunday
FESTIVAL BARN STAGE
10:00 Sunday Morning String Band
10:40 The Pressley Girls
11:20 Faith Willin’
12:00 Just Us Gals
12:40 Liz Nance & Friends
1:20 Campbell Folk School Cloggers
2:00 Granny’s Mason Jar
2:40 Little Brasstown Baptist Church Choir
3:20 Brasstown Morris Dancers & Band
4:00 Gnarly Fingers
CRAFT SHOP STAGE
10:00 Folk School Junior Appalachian Music Students
10:40 Kilmer and Cooley
11:20 Bona Fide
12:00 Greg Biltz
12:40 Kudzu Kicker Cloggers
1:20 Mountain Area Storytellers
2:00 Liz Nance & Friends
2:40 The Pressley Girls
3:20 Scott Low
4:00 Anne & Rob Lough
with craft beverage sampling, games and activities, live music.
Experience the energy and talent of professional dance artists from across NC with the 29th Season of the NC Dance Festival. The Festival aims to support the creation of new choreography and the presentation of high-quality repertory, build and strengthen relationships between dance artists within the state, and provide access to and education about modern and contemporary dance to audiences and students.
Vania Claiborne (Greensboro) presents (Bro)tha/Brother, a duet for two men that celebrates and explores black male joy, friendship, and humanity.
In Studio C Projects (Durham) atmospheric Two, three dancers follow two sets of movement instructions that test the accuracy of memory in response to a shifting environment.
MARO Movement (Southern Pines) explores the sometimes taboo topic of mortality and vulnerability with Impact, inspired by choreographer Matthew Rocks late grandmother.
The multigenerational dancers of Durhams Big Red Dance Project, ranging in age from 38-78 and directed by Gerri Houlihan, reveal the melodic and rhythmic complexities of J.S. Bachs Violin Concerto in A Minor in Dances for the Time Being.
Wilmington’s Alyona Amato presents Its All About Me, an ensemble dance that combines video and movement to capture the sense of competition and self-centeredness that can characterize our modern culture.
Local Asheville company Stewart/Owen presents an excerpt of a new theatrical work that broadly speaks to power, control, vulnerability, and how human beings manifest each of those qualities and surrender to them.
Asheville
Intergenerational Modern Dance
Come join 2019 NCDF Artist Gerri Houlihan as she teaches this intergenerational modern dance class at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville!
$5 at the door
October 5 @ 10-11:30 a.m.
Click to register
Henry Labrun Studio in the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, Asheville, NC
Sunday, October
6, 2019
‘Mountain Top Polka Band’ Oktoberfest Tour Dates
John C. Campell Folk School Fall Festival 2019
August 23, Appalachian Ridge Hard Cidery in Hendersonville
August 24, HiWire Brewing Company at the Big Top
Sept. 22, UpCountry Brewing on Haywood Road
Sept. 28, Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville
Oct. 4, Garden Deli in Burnsville
Oct. 6, Emmanuel Lutheran Church and School in West Asheville
Oct. 10, Highland Brewing Company and
Oct. 20, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard in Hendersonville
Folk School Fall Festival 2019
Golden fall sunlight and brightly colored leaves provide a scenic backdrop for the John C. Campbell Folk School‘s Fall Festival. This treasured annual celebration of Appalachian culture, held on the Folk School’s Brasstown, North Carolina campus, heralds its 45th anniversary in October.
The Folk School’s enduring commitment to the arts is evident in a vibrant exhibition showcasing the School’s Quilting and Surface Design Program. The Pitman Fiber Arts Building will feature a display of dozens of striking quilts made by the school’s instructors.
A slideshow of Painting and Photography Instructor art will run throughout the festival in the Keith House Community Room.
Visit over 200 fine craft exhibitors tucked along the school’s winding wooded paths. Watch more than 30 artisans demonstrate traditional and contemporary crafts. Fill your ears with bluegrass, gospel, folk, and Celtic music on both days. Tap your toes to clogging, Morris, and Garland dance performances throughout the weekend.
Children can visit the Kids Cove area where they’ll enjoy pony rides, petting the alpacas, and visiting Valley River Humane Society’s pet adoption booth. The Cove Theatre will offer children an opportunity to participate in creative play with dress-up costumes and musical instruments. Face painting and arts and crafts activities will be offered by the Cherokee County Arts Council.
Hungry festivalgoers can satisfy their appetites with a tasty lunch, dessert, or snack. Vendors’ concession proceeds benefit several non-profit and community organizations.
The Folk School’s renowned Craft Shop, containing fine crafts from over 600 juried regional artists, will draw visitors throughout the weekend and be offering a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the Craft Shop.
Fall Festival Survival Guide
No pets allowed
Bring your camera
Wear comfortable shoes and a sun hat
Visit water stations as needed to stay hydrated
Two ATMS will be available, however we encourage you to bring cash to pay for tickets, food, and purchases from vendors who do not accept cards
Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for ages 12-17, and free for children under 12
Music & Dance Schedule
Saturday
FESTIVAL BARN STAGE
10:00 Butternut Creek and Friends
10:40 Campbell Folk School Cloggers
11:20 The Curtis & Geoff Show
12:00 Folk School Junior Appalachian Music Students
12:40 Julie Helms & the Bluegrass Partners
1:20 Jones Brothers
2:00 Heidi Holton
2:40 Brasstown Morris Dancers & Band
3:20 Kudzu Kicker Cloggers
4:00 Dave Peters and the Last Responders
CRAFT SHOP STAGE
10:00 Jones Brothers
10:40 Greg Biltz
11:20 Faith Willin’
12:00 Heidi Holton
12:40 Crane Creek Cliff Dwellers
1:20 Beansidhe
2:00 Black Mash Hollow
2:40 Mike Davis
3:20 Redwine Jam
4:00 Sea Notes
Sunday
FESTIVAL BARN STAGE
10:00 Sunday Morning String Band
10:40 The Pressley Girls
11:20 Faith Willin’
12:00 Just Us Gals
12:40 Liz Nance & Friends
1:20 Campbell Folk School Cloggers
2:00 Granny’s Mason Jar
2:40 Little Brasstown Baptist Church Choir
3:20 Brasstown Morris Dancers & Band
4:00 Gnarly Fingers
CRAFT SHOP STAGE
10:00 Folk School Junior Appalachian Music Students
10:40 Kilmer and Cooley
11:20 Bona Fide
12:00 Greg Biltz
12:40 Kudzu Kicker Cloggers
1:20 Mountain Area Storytellers
2:00 Liz Nance & Friends
2:40 The Pressley Girls
3:20 Scott Low
4:00 Anne & Rob Lough