Mountain Heritage Days

For more than 50 years, Mountain Heritage Days has celebrated the music, crafts, and living traditions of Southern Appalachia — a weeklong tradition found nowhere else in North Carolina. Born in 1974 from a chancellor's installation celebration of music and barbecue, it has since served as Jackson County's de facto county fair, drawing families back year after year from across North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The week builds toward Saturday's grand finale, but there's plenty to experience along the way: an opening reception at WCU's Mountain Heritage Center, traditional Appalachian craft demonstrations by regional artisans, the Rooted in the Mountains symposium exploring the region's history and culture, and Friday night's Pickin' in the Park — free bluegrass under the stars at Bridge Park in nearby Sylva.

Then comes the Mountain Heritage Days Festival, a free, all-day celebration that draws 10,000–15,000 visitors. Wander among blacksmiths, coppersmiths, basket weavers, and flint knappers. Watch a moonshine still in operation, hear shape note singing and an old-fashioned pickin' circle, catch clogging and Cherokee stickball, and browse handmade pottery, jewelry, soaps, and knives from artisan vendors. Kids can enjoy old-fashioned games, crafts, and a hay ride, while a classic car show and chainsaw demonstrations round out the day. Entry, parking, shuttle, and entertainment are all free.

Set against the Blue Ridge Mountains in Cullowhee — minutes from Sylva, Cashiers and the Great Smoky Mountains — Mountain Heritage Days makes the perfect anchor for a fall getaway to Jackson County.