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Dillsboro festival on tap for Saturday
By Carey King
There’s people who love John Deere tractors, and then there’s people who love John Deere so much that they paint everything they own the brand’s signature yellow and green.
John Faulk, owner of the green-and-yellow B & Al’s Hot Dog Stand and Applegate Inn in Dillsboro, falls in the second category.
“Since I was a 5-year-old kid, I’ve loved John Deere,” Faulk said. “I’ve got two old John Deeres up here – one I grew up on in the 50s and 60s, and one I use for hayrides and to haul Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny on holidays.”
Faulk will spread his John Deere joy this Saturday (June 12) at Dillsboro’s 20th annual Heritage Festival. In addition to having antique tractors on display, Faulk plans to serve up John Deere lemonade (yellow drink with a green lime wedge), John Deere hot dogs (the sausage with yellow mustard and green ketchup on top), and soft-serve swirled green-and-yellow vanilla ice cream.
“We had old tractors out there before (at past festivals) and people said, ‘you need more,’” Faulk said.
This year, to follow demand, Faulk’s invited a Deere enthusiast from South Carolina to share his collection with visiting crowds.
“He’s bringing little John Deeres, big John Deeres, plus 20 pedal tractors for kids to race,” Faulk said.
There’ll also be “hit-and-miss engines” on display – single-cylinder piston engines that were in use at the turn of the 20th century.
“It hits one lick and then coasts about twenty,” Faulk said. “You’ll hear it all over town.”
The tractor events mark just another addition to the Dillsboro festival, which has been sponsored by the Dillsboro Merchants Association each June since 1984.
As in years past, both Front and Church streets will be closed to vehicle traffic, then lined with crafters, food vendors, and entertainment- and heritage-themed booths, said Karen Barnes, the festival’s entertainment coordinator.
“A lot of attention has been drawn to Appalachian heritage with the recent (Blue Ridge National Heritage Area) presidential designation, and our festival fits right into that,” Barnes said.
The Jackson County Historical Society, the Jackson County Greenways Commission and Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will all be on hand to share information about regional history and preservation efforts. A quilt-making demonstration is also planned at the Catch the Spirit booth in celebration of the organization’s 15th anniversary.
Folks should bring a folding chair to get an earful of Appalachian musicians and storytellers, Barnes said. The main stage will be set up on Church Street next to an “artists’ tent,” where visitors can stop by to meet performers and purchase CDs, books, videos and T-shirts.
In addition to acts announced last week, “Smokey Mountain Gypsy” Jerry Harmon has signed on to perform. He calls himself “the last authentic teller” of Southern Appalachia’s Jack tales.
The rest of the lineup at the Church Street stage includes:
• 10 a.m.: Contemporary Christian band Sonstruck.
• 11 a.m.: Author and storyteller Gary Carden.
• 11:30 a.m.: Folk minstrel Henry Wong.
• Noon: “Jack Tales” teller Jerry Harmon.
• 12:30 p.m.: Flat guitar picker Gary “Mr. Fantasy” Carter.
• 1:15 p.m.: String band The Darnell Family.
• 2:15 p.m.: Celtic harpist and piper Josh Bulla.
• 2:45 p.m.: Guitar and harmonica duo Wooden Wind.
• 3:15 p.m.: Old-time bluesman Frank Lee of the Freight Hoppers.
• 4 p.m.: Front-porch band Sawmill Creek.
• 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Christian rock group Zion Taxi.
The Zion Taxi performance will provide tunes for a festival first – a street dance set to begin once vendors’ booths have been removed.
Daytime activities will start at 9 a.m. In addition to the kiddie tractor races, activities for children will include face-painting by members of the Jackson County Arts Council and a “petting corral” hosted by Smoky Mountain Alpaca.
“I know money’s tight for a lot of people right now,” Faulk said. “This will be something fun for kids to do with their families.”
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