Brushy Mountain Apple Festival in North Wilkesboro Among the Largest One-Day Festivals in the Southeast

 

October  3, 2015     Brushy Mountain Apple Festival   This Annual Festival is one of the largest one-day arts and crafts festivals in the Southeast. The streets of downtown North Wilkesboro NC are filled with over 425 arts and crafts vendors and 100 food concessions. Four different music stages consisting of Blue Grass, Country, Folk, Gospel, and Appalachian Heritage provide live music all day long. 

photos courtesy Apple Festival

Cloggers, folk dancers, rope skippers, and square dancers offer additional entertainment venues for festival goers. Appalachian Heritage crafts are highlighted such as woodcarving, chair making, soap making, pottery throwing, and quilting. 

The Brushy Mountain Ruritan Club owns, operates, and organizes this annual fundraising event, supporting over 100 civic, church and other non-profit organizations. 


The  Brushy Mountain Apple Jam is held this year on October 2. This top-tapping musical event takes place at the corner of 10th and Main in downtown North Wilkesboro, the Friday evening preceding the Apple Festival. This year Taylor Hope Miller joins the Apple Jam for special performances.

Chimney Rock State Park Holds Photography Contest

October 1 - 31, 2015    Fall Photography Contest: What's Your View?  Submit photos from your visit to the Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park for the 2015 Fall Photography contest. The theme is “Chimney Rock: What’s Your View?” and it’s up to you to determine how your photo fits into the theme. 

The amazing 75 mile view atop the Chimney is one of the most photographed wonders in all of Western North Carolina. Whether you photo includes that view or the tumbling waters of 404 foot Hickory Nut Falls or any of the Park's wildlife and flora, all are welcome submissions for the contest.

Have fun exploring your own personal view of Chimney Rock and get creative with it. The contest launched September 7 and the deadline to submit is  November 27, 2015. 

Stories of Mountain Folk for this Week 9-19-15

Stories of Mountain Folk is a weekly podcast produced by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia and archived at Western Carolina University.

Podcast September 19, 2015:

Storytelling: Amy gives you another episode of her early married life with “My Greatest Fear.”  Music: Background Music: “Edelweiss” Jo Northup and Richard Birt)

Creative Corner:   Doreyl interviews Connie Hogan from Dillsboro. The two discuss the festivals offered in Dillsboro.  Music:  “Hey Good Looking’”  The Whitewater Bluegrass Co.

Barbara Sears McRae

Stories of Mountain Folk: Amy spends time Barbara Sears McRae from Franklin. Retired editor; presently (freelance) columnist and feature writer, photography; nature and local history, Barbara talks about some of the work she does in Macon County.  Music:“Shady Grove”  Clover.

This is my Home:  Joe interviews Ruth Truett,, a weaver at John C. Campbell School. They talk about the “Shaker” weekend at the school. Note:  upcoming Shaker Weekend at the John C. Campbell School:   Sunday, Nov 8 - Saturday, Nov 14, 2015.  Music: “Smith’s Reel” by the McDowell Family.

Down Another Road:  Judy tells a “Jack Tale”—“How Jack Outsmarted the Devil”.  Music: “Cotton'eyed Joe/ Breakin' Up Christmas” Lois Hornbostel.

Closing Song:  “Beautiful Home” by Cherokee National Children’s Choir. 

Listen to this week's Stories of Mountain Folk HERE 

Blue Ridge Mountain Bandits Book Signing at the Historic Rickman Store

September 26, 2015 - Join Roy Owenby at the historic Rickman Store at 11 AM this Saturday for a signing of his book, Blue Ridge Bandits. The book tells the fascinating story of five orphaned raccoons and how they grew.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Rickman Store. Blue Ridge Bandits was published by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, a non profit dedicated to preserving mountain heritage. 

The Rickman Store is located at 259 Cowee Creek Road in Franklin NC. Parking will be available at the Macon County Heritage Center and the Old Cowee School. The Store is a part of the 370 acre Cowee/West's Mill National Register Historic District and was acquired by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee in August of 2007. Since then the community has been active with fundraising, making the purchase, preservation and maintenance a reality.