Celebrating Spring Festivals in the High Country
As spring temperatures warm and mountain trails reopen, locals and visitors alike are enjoying all that makes the High Country unique. Hiking to waterfalls, sampling local cuisine or learning about folk art culture – there is an event suitable for every interest within its borders.
Get ready to experience spring festivals in the High Country this spring by equipping yourself with your digital planner, stylish market bag and stretchy pants.
1. Blue Ridge Parkway
The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway combines scenic road and national park, providing visitors with an abundance of experiences. Unlike many national parks where the landscape is completely defined by their borders, the Blue Ridge Parkway takes inspiration for its signature scenic views from nearby countryside – an exercise in cultural heritage preservation with its design meant to allow people to appreciate natural and historical objects from its environs.
The Blue Ridge Parkway’s inception came about due to various sources, such as the need to generate jobs during the Great Depression. Engineers and architects who had trained themselves were unemployed while thousands of mountain families lived in poverty. Simultaneously, other eastern national parks began drawing visitors that stimulated local economies – something expected to continue with automobile technology becoming available.
Construction was temporarily put on pause due to World War II and its workforce’s mobilization; however, the Parkway never truly stopped moving forward. A New York landscape architect was hired as its visionary; he carefully planned each overlook by selecting which trees to keep to frame each view and where rhododendron and other flowering plants should be added in. Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina presented one of its biggest challenges; eventually it was conquered with Linn Cove Viaduct completed in 1987.
The Parkway remains an icon of American heritage and culture both regionally and nationally, providing people a way to connect with nature while building connections among themselves and nature. Witnessing local cultural performances at App State or other venues as well as music concerts is part of visiting the High Country; other ways are shopping at locally owned shops/restaurants/tasting rooms/breweries/wineries and distilleries or spending time in tasting rooms at area breweries/wineries/distilleries are great ways of getting acquainted with our region!
2. Waterfalls
Hikers who enjoy hiking will find spring an ideal season to discover the High Country’s breathtaking mountain waterfalls. Though some remain snow-covered during winter months, once temperatures begin rising they make for spectacular sights that delight both visitors and locals alike.
Alternatively, driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway and admiring its spectacular sights might be more your cup of tea. Springtime weather makes for an enjoyable journey while its picturesque vistas will help restore and revitalize you.
Springtime is also an ideal time for exploring the region’s hidden waterfalls and serene rivers, such as Linville Falls or Elk River Falls. Pack a picnic and spend a day discovering one of these exquisite spots – be sure to bring along an umbrella!
Experience an exhilarating outdoor adventure this spring at Tennessee State Parks’ many exciting festivals and events! From overnight canoe floats to wildflower hikes, there is something fun for everyone at these outdoor adventure spring festivals.
Greening Up the Mountains, an annual heritage arts festival held in downtown Sylva in April, provides another venue to honor nature and sustainability. Over 150 artisans showcase their handiwork such as pottery, woodcrafts, jewelry and handmade soaps at this free event.
If music is your passion, visit the Great Smoky Mountains Bluegrass Festival in Cherokee, North Carolina to experience live bluegrass performances from some of the region’s finest artists. Over two days there will be arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, pie eating contests, U-Pick strawberries as well as live bluegrass performances by some of their finest musicians.
3. Farmers’ Markets
Local produce and handmade goods are at the core of many High Country festivals, drawing consumers together with producers in an educational yet enjoyable atmosphere. Markets provide consumers and producers with an opportunity to come together, learning something new while enjoying music and food; these events form an essential part of community life.
Farmers’ markets are an annual celebration of nature’s abundance, from sweet strawberries in springtime to succulent tomatoes in summer. From these vibrant marketplaces emerge the fruits of nature – from delicious strawberries in spring to tangy tomatoes in summer – as they showcase nature’s best gifts. Each market tells its own tale, from its climate and climate change effects, down to who tends the land nourished by hand-pickers to consumers learning how their food is produced, turning commodity food production into personal interaction between land and makers.
Markets foster culinary creativity as well. Their diverse offerings make markets ideal settings for home chefs looking to experiment with new recipes or spice up classic ones with innovative touches. Local ingredients tend to have less of an environmental footprint than supermarket produce, while farmers’ markets foster healthy lifestyles while honoring rich cultural traditions found within foodways celebrated there.
Markets also serve as a platform to support small-scale farmers, who may struggle with pricing strategies from larger agricultural corporations. A recent study concluded that direct sales at farmers’ markets constituted a substantial part of small farm income and provided space for cultural exchange – enriching culinary landscapes while giving immigrants opportunities to connect with their heritage while making new connections within communities.
4. Music
Music festivals are an integral component of celebrating spring festivals, often featuring talented musicians and bands from local communities and businesses. People come together to dance and have fun while supporting local businesses and communities – not to mention creating an enjoyable emotional experience and sense of well-being! Music festivals also help local economies by drawing out-of-town visitors who spend money at hotels, restaurants, gas stations, shops etc; these extra dollars can make an enormous impactful statement about them as communities navigate digital technologies more efficiently than ever before!
These mountain music festivals offer something for every musical taste imaginable, from classic rock to Celtic jigs and everything in between. Highlands offers the new Bear Shadow Music Festival which takes advantage of the cool climate and gorgeous surroundings with national acts like Black Pumas, Futurebirds and Grace Bowers as headlining acts – not forgetting donating some proceeds back into environmental conservation and preservation in Highlands Plateau area organizations!
At Linville’s Grandfather Mountain Highland Games – just a short drive from Boone – Scotland comes alive through traditional Scottish games, bagpipe competitions, Celtic music performances and Highland dancing performances. This annual celebration marks an ideal way to welcome summer.
Angels Camp hosts an annual Jumping Frog Jubilee that pays homage to Mark Twain’s epic tale of a frog-jumping contest inspired by this event, known as a Jumping Frog Jubilee. This family-friendly event includes classic fair activities such as carnival rides, rodeo, livestock competitions and an exciting frog-jumping competition; additional attractions include Scottish dancers and bagpipe players from local vendors as well as foods and crafts for sale from local vendors!
5. Art
No wonder, in such a country with such an incredible history and culture, folk arts play such a central role in Spring Festival traditions. Ranging from hand-cut paper cuttings to the depictions of Menshen door gods or Chinese New Year paintings – folk arts remind people of ideals they value in pursuit of beauty.
The New Year brings with it both renewal and new beginnings, but also provides us with an opportunity to look back over our past year and plan ahead for what lies ahead. Writing New Year’s couplets, steaming flower-shaped buns, attending temple fairs, and creating lanterns are just a few ways in which we welcome this year with joy.
As we emerge from winter’s grip, Appalachian music festivals blossom into life. From Black Stone Cherry in Wilkesboro to Aaron Tippin with Whey Jennings at Sylva, there’s much to appreciate about the musical legacy of this region.
North Carolina’s High Country festivals make an effort to celebrate spring festivals through music and the arts – from heritage arts fests to beer gardens – giving residents ample chances to appreciate local creativity.
Greening Up the Mountains, held annually in historic downtown Sylva, is a free heritage arts festival. This annual event showcases both traditional and contemporary Appalachian arts such as paintings, pottery, jewelry, stained glass windows, soaps and candles as well as local food offerings and live musical entertainment.