August 17, 2019
10:00 am
Venue
Historic Cowee School – Arts & Heritage Center
51 Cowee School Drive, Franklin, NC 28734
828-349-1945
15th Annual Franklin Area Folk Festival
“A Celebration of Appalachian Heritage” in Franklin, NC
Saturday, August 17, 2019
About the Franklin Area Folk Festival
Come to the mountains of Western North Carolina and discover the Franklin Area Folk Festival! Our mission is to preserve and educate about the rich heritage of Franklin, NC and Macon County. The festival will take place on Saturday, August 17, 2019.
2018 Event Overview
The Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center will come alive with sights and sounds of our Appalachian heritage during the 14th Annual Franklin Area Folk Festival. Come learn about the culture and folkways of our mountains by engaging in one of the many living history experiences and heritage demonstrations, a trademark of this FREE festival.
Here are reminders of opportunities that get you involved and more information on the free shuttle being offered from the downtown Antique Car Show out to Cowee School.
MUSICIANS: If you enjoy picking with others, be sure to bring your instruments and join in either the SEBA (SouthEast Bluegrass Association) Jammin’ Tent or the Old-time music group jam. Jammin’ will occur throughout the day and for the novice picker, a special beginners slow jam session will be held at 3:15 on the Outdoor Stage.
ANTIQUE CAR SHOW / FREE SHUTTLE / Downtown: Calling all cars – bring your antique car to display from 10 am – 2 pm at the lower level parking lot of Town Hall. Contact John Waldroop (828) 342-2506 for more details about the show. Make a day of it – come stroll the streets downtown, peruse the old cars and hop on the free shuttle nearby that will transport you to and from the festival being held at Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center.
ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES: Don’t miss these fun kid areas at the festival: Grandpa’s Woodshop, Scavenger Hunt with the Blacksmith, Smoky Mtn. Quilters Guild Make It/Take It project, play with clay (pottery/raku), FFA “Mock Wooden Cow”, Library activities, old fashioned games, Toy Museum, dulcimer lessons on the Back Porch, loom for kids to try weaving and more.
Some of the new exhibits and booths this year include: Aunt Doc’s native plants for healing; the Coon Hunting Club display; crafters with cornhusk art, stringed musical instruments, weaving long leaf pine needle baskets, etc.; and the Mountain Heritage Center’s Plott Hound Exhibit and Walton War Exhibit will be on display.
Featured entertainment on Inside and Outside Stages include: Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys, Frogtown, Joe Dietz Family Band with Ella (storytelling and yodeling), Limited Distance, Nikwaski Dulcimers, Phil and John (dulcimers), Susan Pepper, other local musicians and Kornbread Kreek whose performance is being sponsored by the Arts Council of Macon County.
Many of our favorite activities will return: Civil War Re-enactors/Camp, Border Collie Demonstrations, textiles and quilting groups (the Original World’s Largest Quilt, Cabarrus Quilt, Celebrate America Quilt), dedicated Farmer’s Market area, Cowee Valley Bus Tours, numerous heritage demonstrations, Appalachian crafters and more.
Food and snack options located in the cafeteria and on the grounds will offer BBQ, hamburgers, hotdogs, tomato biscuits, roasted corn, ice cream, milk shakes, floats, snow cones, cobbler, baked goods, lemonade, sodas, and bottled water.
The Folk Heritage Association of Macon County and the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center board jointly sponsor the Franklin Area Folk Festival with support from the Cowee Community Development Organization, Rickman’s Store, Macon County Historical Museum, Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, Blue Ridge Heritage Music Trail/SEBA, the Arts Council of Macon County and others.
The festival is made possible by grant funding from the Franklin/Nantahala TDC and the Franklin TDA along with donations from local businesses and individuals. For more information call
(828) 524-6564.