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Annual Dillsboro fair to spotlight antiques, heritage
By Derek Hodges
The Dillsboro Merchants Association will sponsor it’s third annual Antiques Fair from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.
This year’s event will have several new features, including two heritage displays, two antique vehicle shows and live entertainment, said event coordinator Leslie Rojohn.
“I think it’s going to be great. We’re really growing it this year,” Rojohn said.
About 17 antiques dealers will line Front Street in Dillsboro for the town’s third annual Antiques Fair. The event, to be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, is sponsored by the Dillsboro Merchants Association. It will include antiques sales, food, live entertainment, heritage presentations, and vintage cars and tractors.
In addition, the antiques fair has taken on a new role. Coordinators have added a celebration of Dillsboro’s heritage into the event.
“It was important to us to incorporate the fascinating and rich historical role the town of Dillsboro played in the development of Jackson County,” Rojohn said.
That historical remembrance has typically been the domain of the Dillsboro Heritage Festival, held in June. This year, however, that festival became more of an arts festival, Rojohn said.
“Since that change was made, we thought, ‘What better way to incorporate history than with antiques?’” Rojohn said.
The festival will feature about 17 antiques dealers, set up on Front Street, who will sell furniture, glassware, quilts, art deco items, toys and games, tools, stained glass, and more.
In addition, George Frizzell, curator of special collections at Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library, will man a display detailing Dillsboro’s contribution to the early industry of Jackson County, Rojohn said.
Another booth will feature items found at the Monteith House in Dillsboro. The town recently bought the house with plans to potentially make it into a museum. Those plans will be on display, as will vintage clothing and some objects from the house. Some canning jars from the home will be on sale.
In addition to antiques sales, several food vendors will be on hand throughout the day.
Antique tractors from Jackson and Swain counties will be on display and a tractor parade that will take the old implements around the block will be held around noon, Rojohn said.
Vintage cars will also be exhibited.
“I think the tractors and cars will be a great addition to the fair. Kids and adults will enjoy seeing them,” Rojohn said.
Entertainers will perform all day on a stage on Church Street. Karen Barnes is coordinating the acts, which will include several local musicians.
“Dillsboro loves its entertainment, and we have this great, cozy location on Church Street,” Barnes said. “We are proud of our growing reputation for attracting lively local talent and being able to present it in a comfortable and safe atmosphere.”
The entertainment lineup will include:
10 a.m. Marshall Ballew, blues historian.
10:30 a.m. Henry Wong, folk minstrel.
11 a.m. Heritage Alive with the Ammons sisters, Amy Garza and Doreyl Cain.
11:45 a.m. Doug “Big Daddy” Mohr, musician.
12:30 p.m. String Fellows, jazz musicians.
1:30 p.m. Sugar Barnes and Friends, blues, swing and jazz musicians.
2:30 p.m. Common folk, bluegrass-inspired musicians.
3:30 p.m. Lee Pinkerson, blues musician and balladeer.
4 p.m. Open jam for all interested musicians.
The fair is scheduled on the first weekend in October to serve as a kick-off to the leaf-looking season that brings a multitude of tourists to the moutains each year, Mayor Jean Hartbarger said.
“The Antiques Fair marks the beginning of the leaf season the same way Luminaires mark the beginning of the Christmas season in Dillsboro,” Hartbarger said. “I think the festival is a great thing. It brings people from all over to see what a great little town we have here.”
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