Annual Events

Calendar of Events 2012

There is always something happening in Jackson County, NC! Click HERE for the monthly happenings  Listed below are some of the larger annual events.

· Concerts on the Creek – Free summer music series offered every Friday night from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day. Find us on Facebook or call 800-962-1911, www.mountainlovers.com

· Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Event Center – www.harrahscherokee.com

· Western Carolina University Fine & Performing Arts Center –

 www.wcu.edu/fapac

April

April 7 - Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade/Dillsboro, www.visitdillsboro.org

Begins at 10 a.m. Make a hat - or bring your own. Registration starts at 11 am. Parade starts from Dillsboro Town Hall at 2:00 pm. Calling all ladies, gentlemen, children and dogs. Grab your hat and join in the fun during Dillsboro’s delightfully unpretentious annual Easter Hat Parade! Enter the ugliest hat, biggest or best hat contest. There will be plenty of prizes. Antique cars lead the parade. Meet the Easter Bunny.

April 28 - Greening up the Mountains Festival/Sylva, 828-586-1577, www.downtownsylva.org

 Greening Up the Mountains is a day-long street festival Saturday April 28 in Sylva. 10:00 am - 4:00 pm on Main Street and in the Bridge Park in downtown Sylva.

June

TBA -Patchwork and Folk Festival/Cullowhee, 828-631-4587, www.spiritofappalachia.com

 The 6th Annual Patchwork Folk and Fabric Festival is TBA.. at the Jackson County Recreation Center. The Festival showcases unique mountain heritage in the Arts and Crafts with vendors, displays, bed turnings, demonstrations and books by local authors.

June 9 - Dillsboro Art & Music Festival/Dillsboro, 828-586-5700 Celebrate traditional mountain crafts and enjoy lively regional musicians, dancers and storytellers at historic Dillsboro’s Annual Arts & Music Festival! In addition to Dillsboro’s unique shops and studios, Front Street is lined with tents featuring all kinds of art and fine crafts including basketry, pottery, weaving, quilting, woodworking, jewelry, stained glass, painting, photography and more.

July

June 30- July 1 - Mountain Artisans Arts & Craft Show/Cullowhee, 828-524-3405, www.mountainartisans.net

Mountain Artisans presents the Summertime Art and Craft Show on June 30 - July1, 2012 at the Western Carolina University Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, NC. :Authentic Crafts from the hands of 100 Regional Artisans. $3.00 admission; children under 12 free. Free parking!

September

September 29 – Mountain Heritage Day/Cullowhee, Western Carolina University, 828-227-3193.  Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day is a combination old-fashioned mountain fair and showcase for authentic Southern Appalachian folk arts.

October

October 6 - Colorfest (Catch the Spirit of Appalachia)/Sylva, 828-631-4587, www.spiritofappalachia.com

Colorfest, Art of the Blue Ridge, will be held on October 6, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in downtown Dillsboro. Over 40 local and regional fine artists will demonstrate their art form in this third annual street Art Fair.

November

November 3 -WNC Pottery Festival/Dillsboro, 828-631-5100, www.wncpotteryfestival.com

The WNC Pottery Festival will be held in Dillsboro on November 3 beginning at 10:00 a.m. and continuing until 4:00 pm. The event will showcase the work of more than 40 highly skilled potters from 13 states. A variety of clay art styles will be presented. Works by festival organizers and Dillsboro potters Joe Frank McKee & Travis Berning of Tree House Pottery, and Brant Barnes of Riverwood Pottery who has been featured on HGTV will be highlighted. The event is juried and the lineup of potters is impressive.

November 23 -24 - Hard Candy Christmas Arts & Crafts Show/Cullowhee, 828-524-3405, www.mountainartisans.net

Mountain Artisans presents the 24th Hard Candy Christmas Art and Craft Show on November 23-24, 2011 at the Western Carolina University Ramsey Center in Cullowhee. This Mountain Christmas Tradition features original arts and crafts at great prices. This Mountain Christmas Tradition features original arts and crafts at great prices.

December

December 7 & 8, December 14 & 15:

Lights & Luminaries, Dillsboro, www.visitdillsboro.org

Journey back to the days of yesteryear as Dillsboro presents its annual Festival of Lights and Luminaries. Experience the magic as the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song! 2500 luminaries light your way to shops and studios. Horse and buggy rides available each night from 5-8 pm Shopkeepers provide live music and serve holiday treats with hot cider and cocoa. Carolers sing and children visit with Santa at Town Hall.

Other entertainment venues near Jackson County:

· Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts: www.greatmountainmusic.com

· Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center: www.stecoahvalleycenter.com