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Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival is October 7th, 8th and 9th!
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By sdickson
September 26, 2011 at 08:27am
September 26, 2011 at 08:27am
Whether a visitor, leaf-looker, traveler, tourist, local or near-by resident, come give yourself, family, group or organization a treat at the Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival on October 7th, 8th and 9th. You’ll be glad you did!
Now in its third year, the Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival, produced by the Greater Cashiers Area Merchants Association (GCAMA), is acknowledged as the area’s premier fall festival. The three-day Festival features a profusion of entertainment by bands of all musical genres, artisan crafts, vendor and local merchant booths, delectable food offerings and kid-attracting activities. This matchless experience is all wrapped-up in a blaze of extraordinary fall color and refreshing mountain air.
The three Festival villages, Cashiers, Glenville and Sapphire, are in the heart of North Carolina’s mountain/lake region. Each village brings their own character to the festival while businesses and shops throughout the Cashiers Valley welcome festival-goers with fitting shop and roadside décor. Many shops compete in the “Scarecrow Contest” where judges will select the best scarecrow of all prior to the Festival…see if you agree!
At the Cashiers Village Green and Commons
Festival headquarters is located at the Cashiers Village Green and Commons at the Cashiers Crossroads. Here music and performance-lovers will enjoy all-day theatrics and diverse music entertainment on two separate stages. Entertainment kick-off is Friday evening with popular band Hurricane Creek performing at the Village Commons form 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm.
Booths showcase carefully selected juried artisans and a variety of vendors. The food court offers fare from local restaurants and a spot to relax and observe all the “going-ons”. As an add-on advantage for festival-goers, merchants throughout the Cashiers Village feature sales and specials all weekend in their shops.
Kids with excess energy, needing active time, can play at the state of the art permanent Village Green playground, and enjoy the expanded children’s section where the most popular children’s amusements from face painters to bounce houses and street entertainers will delight kids and adults alike.
At Glenville Village
Glenville Village, about five miles north of the Cashiers Village Green and Commons on the shores of pristine Lake Glenville, offers more folksy fare highlighting remarkably talented area crafters and artists ranging from potters to woodworkers. This is the spot to wet whistles and curb appetites with apples, cider and hot dogs with trimmin’s while listening to blue-grass, banjo and a bit of gospel entertainment. And, there’s even more to do at this eclectic village: pick-a-pumpkin from the VFW Pumpkin Patch, visit Tom Sawyer’s Christmas Tree Farm for a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, October 8th from 7 am to 11 am or take a farm tour; cruise Lake Glenville on a Signal Ridge Marina pontoon boat, 10 am and 2 pm Saturday and Sunday, to view Lake Glenville’s wooded shoreline, stunning waterfalls, and hear a bit of lake-lore. For the first time Arrowmont Stables offers hayrides twice a day on Friday and Saturday October 7 and 8that 2pm and 3 pm.
At Sapphire
Moving east from the Cashiers Crossroads on Highway 64, Sapphire shops and eateries join in the festivities. Sapphire is the home of the Festival’s “Red Bird’s Big Cup Golf Tournament” on October 8th. Prizes for “tournament” winners include beach resort stays and choices from many of the local merchants and restaurants.
Festival expands with new festival-wide attractions and booth special events
On Saturday October 8th vehicle buffs will be attracted to the Cashiers Concours where an eclectic mix of cars and conveyances from collectibles to ”interesting” models will be on display. Festival-goers will not want to miss this exhibit conveniently located adjacent to the main festival grounds..
If your sweet tooth kicks-in at festival events, then GCAMA’s Sweets and Snacks booth will satisfy that appetite. Popcorn, cold beverages and yummy confections will be right there at the Village Green in the Valley Café along with the best of Cashiers Valley restaurants serving everything from hot dogs to crab cakes.
In Glenville the Glenville History Project display of photos, story boards and artifacts will include an over 50 year old quilt presented to Viola Bryson, well loved and missed prominent Glenvillian. The quilt is dated and autographed in stitches with the names of community women living in Glenville in 1958. Jewelry designer Abby Vesely will demonstrate her jewelry making talents in the Glenville Community Development Club building while Bob Varkony paints watercolors in the artist’s tent. At the VFW the local Woodturners Club will show festival-goers how their wonderful carved wood items are made.
The Greater Cashiers Merchants Association has added a 50-50 raffle to their You Pick‘Em and Grand Prize raffles . The 50-50 winner takes home half of that raffle’s “pot” while lucky You Pick’Em winners choose from a prize selection ranging from restaurant gift certificates to designer-level decorative accessories donated by GCAMA merchants. The Festival Grand Prize Raffle winning tickets will select from several of the highest priced items at 4 pm on Sunday, October 9th.
Numerous booths at the Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival, October 7-9, will feature demonstrations, special guests and events throughout the Festival days.
At the Cashiers Village Green and Commons Festival grounds popular author Carolyn Sakowski will spend from 1 pm to 2:30 pm on Saturday, October 8th at the Chapter 2 booth signing her new book, Touring the Western North Carolina Backroads. The tours in the book take readers from the southwest corner of North Carolina, where Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina converge, to the northwest section of the mountains, where North Carolina meets Virginia.
Artist Shari Gifford will paint and sign her work at the Cruise Planners booth each day.
Look for Elf Magic’s Jingle and Jangle around the Tom Sawyer Christmas Tree Farm booth. The elves will have been brought in from the North Pole for this very special and rare appearance.
In Sapphire the new Sapphire Community Pro Shop and Amenities building will hold their Grand Opening on Festival Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. Hot Dogs with fixin’s and cold beverages will be served. By then the Sapphire group will have announced the winner of the Cashiers Valley Scarecrow Display Contest that is sponsored by the Sapphire Community Group and judged by the Crossroads Chronicle staff.
No community or charitable event in the scope of this Festival can exist without the generous support of sponsors and supporters. Committed sponsors to date are Golden Level: Hampton Inn and Suites, Cashiers Travel and Tourism Board, Crossroads Chronicle, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, Landmark Realty Group, The Laurel Magazine, The Rinker Family, Signal Ridge Marina; Silver Level: Avalon Cruises, Duke Energy, Jackson County Parks and Recreation, WHLC; Bronze Level: Cashiers Exxon and BP, Coca Cola Consolidated Bottlers, Freeman Gas, Ingles Markets, Macon Bank, Old Edwards Inn, The Preserve at Rock Creek, RBC Bank, Straight Eight, United Community Bank, Webb Insurance Agency, Smoky Mountain News, Trillium Links and Lake Club.
The Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival is a free admission family and community event. Accommodations at inns, cabins and hotels are plentiful and the Cashiers Valley is within easy driving distance for most in the Southeast. On Friday, October 7th hours are 11 am – 7:30 pm with the Hurricane Creek band concert from 5:30 to 7:30 on the Village Commons stage. Saturday and Sunday hours, October 8 & 9, are from 10am to 5 pm. For additional information about the festival call (828) 743-1630, email greatercashiersmerchantsassoc@yahoo.com or visit www.cashiersvalleyleaffest.com .
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October 21, 2011 at 12:32am