John C. Campbell Folk School
OHeld each year on a remote but cheerful campus in Brasstown, NC, John C. Campbell Folk School’s annual Fall Festival brings the community together to celebrate Appalachian craft and culture.
“At its heart, our annual Fall Festival is simply a joyous community event,” says Director Jerry Jackson. “Each year, we welcome over 200 dedicated volunteers, and our nonprofit food vendors use their proceeds as a fundraising vehicle. The festival also provides our talented local and regional artists with a platform to generate a major source of income.”
Photos courtesy of the John C. Campbell Folk School
As festivalgoers spread out across the grounds, they can explore several wooded paths, visit with more than 250 regional artisans, and, inside the Folk School’s studios, watch as instructors demonstrate dozens of master-level handmade crafts. The event will also showcase the school’s Quilting Exhibition — comprised of dozens of elaborately patterned quilts hung along the Pitman Fiber Arts Building’s walls: These pieces suggest the Folk School’s everlasting embrace of tradition. (It was founded in 1925.)
Auxiliary events include live bluegrass and Celtic music, among other roots bands, and Old English folk dance. Valley River Humane Society will host a pet-adoption exhibit, and the Cherokee County Arts Council will sponsor a kids’ art-making tent.
“When planning each year’s event, we always look for ways to broaden our connection to our Folk School community. This year, [for] our 45th anniversary, we’re excited to offer several new elements we think everyone will enjoy,” says Jackson.
Folk School’s 45th Annual Fall Festival will take place at John C. Campbell Folk School on Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6, from 10am-5pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for ages 12-17, and free for children under 12. For details, visit folkschool.org or call 1-800-365-5724. John C. Campbell Folk School,1 Folk School Road, Brasstown. www.folkschool.org. 800-365-5724, (800-FOLK.SCH).
