Saturday we went to the John C Campbell Folk School, they were having their 39th annual festival. It is a school which is dedicated to teaching and preserving the old traditions of the Appalachian mountain people. The school has classes through out the year and teaches many crafts like, pottery, painting, music, instrument making, dance, blacksmith, broom making, basket weaving, quilting, rug making and the list goes on.
The school is in a farm community in the south part of North Carolina in Brasstown.I'm guessing there was between 4,000 and 5,000 present. there was stages set up around the grounds with music and dance as well as booths selling mountain crafts and demonstrations of all kinds.
 |
| Folk Music |
 |
| Blacksmith forge |
 |
| Love this old Chevy truck |
 |
| 3D art |
 |
| Canoe made from strips of wood. These are functional canoes. |
 |
| Turning a bowl on a lathe. |
 |
| Blacksmith forging a cut nail. |
 |
| Heating metal in forge, hand blower behind shield. |
 |
| Group playing mountain music |
 |
| Woman carving a walking stick |
 |
| This was interesting, a chicken being cooked using only blacksmith forged implements |
 |
| Folk dancers ready to preform. |
 |
| Folk band |
 |
| Dancers |
 |
| Homemade deserts and drinks. |
 |
| Another folk band. |
It is good to see people trying to keep old traditions alive. I would enjoy something like this. Good post and pics.
ReplyDeleteJohn, it is refreshing to take a step back in time.
DeleteI love old traditional festivals like this, I always come back learning something new. Everything is handmade, not commerically produced; my type of living.
ReplyDeleteThere is one thing I wouldn't mind commerially produced, that the truck in the picture above.
Sandy, I agree. I didn't see anything made in China.
DeleteWhat John and Sandy said. The old-time Crafts Festival at Silver Dollar City outside Branson, Missouri has this every October - one of the very few things I miss about living in the Midwest.
ReplyDeleteRev Paul, I would like to attend more of these. Maybe I will get a chance to. Thanks.
DeleteThat all looks like a whole lot of fun. Where did you stay?
ReplyDeleteDFW, it was a lot of fun. We rented a cabin in Hiawassee, Ga it is about 30 miles from the folk school.
DeleteIm ready to move there brother. Lets talk when you get back.
ReplyDeleteWill do, heading back today.
DeleteLooks like y'all had a blast!
ReplyDeleteOld NFO, it was a lot of fun. Thanks.
Deletedear Duke - i would love to attend that school! oh how i wish we had something like that around here! thank goodness we still have a lot of old timers that can teach us some things but man i want to attend that school!!! i am glad that you had a nice vacation.
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
Kymber, I would love to take some classes, I am really into old school ways and crafts.
DeleteAll handy skills to have come the day...
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely my friend, my thoughts exactly.
Delete