On Saturday, August 19, the 17th Annual Franklin Area Folk Festival will bring smiles to faces of all ages. The free event will be held at Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center, located in Cowee West’s Mill Historic District. Built in 1943. The school itself is a historic site in Western North Carolina. This historic building served as a school until 2012 and efforts are currently underway to preserve and reuse the historic school. Today, you find several artisans, crafters and other practitioners of the arts working from the heritage center.
The Franklin Area Folk Festival focuses on showcasing the everyday skills, crafts, and music of our Appalachian ancestors. The event will feature live heritage demonstrations, Appalachian crafts, and performances of mountain music, gospel, and bluegrass tunes by various groups. Festival-goers are even encouraged to bring their own instruments and join the “Jammin’ Sessions”.
Inside Festival Activities
Inside the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center, artisans will be teaching about pottery, textiles, painting, woodcarving, weaving and spinning, and many other heritage skills. Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities as they learn about these historic arts and crafts, as well as local history. Handmade artisan crafts will also be available for sale, so take home the perfect souvenir to go with the memories you are sure to make with family and friends.
Outside Festival Activities
Experience a recreated Civil War Encampment set up to educate about the life of a soldier. Local history buffs, the Southeastern Civilian Living Historians, will also take time to share their stories and skills. Some activities geared for kids include egg races, milking cows, homemade craft projects, Border Collie demonstrations, and much more.
This free, family-friendly event is only a 10-minute drive from the peace and serenity of Sanctuary Village in downtown Franklin. This event is one of the many wonderful festivals you can experience in the small town of Franklin. For more information about starting your new life in this mountain oasis, please email us at ContactUs@SanctuaryVillage.com
For more details about this event, you can visit their Event page on Facebook.