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Annual Dillsboro arts, music festival on tap for Saturday
By Justin Goble
One of Jackson County’s longest-running festivals is on tap for this Saturday.
The 24th annual Dillsboro Arts and Music Festival is set for June 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free festival, which is sponsored by the Dillsboro Merchants Association, combines arts and crafts exhibitors with live music in historic downtown Dillsboro. The daylong event is considered by many to be the kickoff for Dillsboro’s summer tourist season.
Artists and crafters from five states will exhibit a variety of pottery, paintings, photography, pewter, wrought iron, wood carvings, handmade jewelry, handmade soaps, scented oils and other hand-crafted items along Front Street throughout the day.
“There’s something for everyone who likes handmade crafts,” festival organizer Todd Sessoms said. “We’ve got a large variety of artists and their goods lined up for this year’s festival, and I think a lot of people will be impressed.”
The annual festival is a juried show, meaning everyone that applies for vendor’s space must be approved by a panel of local artists. Sessoms said that’s one of the reasons’ the festival has gained a reputation for featuring some of the highest quality crafts in the Southeast.
“One of the biggest things the panel did was weed out people who were selling things that weren’t at least 75-percent handmade,” he said. “Some people who sent in applications only had something that was store bought and they had painted it or something like that. There’s nothing wrong with those pieces, but it’s not what we’re looking for here. So the panel had to weed through quite a few applications. But it makes sure the crafts people have on display are of the highest quality.”
That commitment to quality has caused a lot of people – both artists and visitors – to return to the festival year after year.
“We have a lot of repeat artists,” Sessoms said. “They really like the fact that we keep the quality so high. In a way, it sells itself to the people who want to display their crafts here. It’s a great festival, and it keeps getting better every year.
“People make it a point to visit town for the festival too because they know we’ll have a lot of good stuff,” he said. “We keep it small, which a lot of people like. The panel has sifted through all of the applications to find things that are unique. I think a lot of people come here because of that – a lot of this stuff you can’t find at other craft shows.”
Food vendors will also be along Front Street, offering everything from kettle corn to barbecue. Sessoms said that most of the restaurants downtown will also be open.
Along with the craft and food vendors, there will be live music all day on Church Street. The lineup for this year includes local blues singer Karen “Sugar” Barnes and blues guitarist Marshall Ballew.
“We’re expecting to have a total of seven acts playing throughout the day,” Sessoms said. “Right now, we’re trying to get everything nailed down.”
Even without a festival, Dillsboro is a tourist draw, Sessoms said. It’s small-town atmosphere makes it a perfect host for such a festival, he said.
“We’re one of the few towns that has kept that small-town feel,” he said. “People can walk around here and let their kids play and not have to worry about them. You can go up and talk to everyone on the street. The people who live here are all genuinely nice and friendly. It’s a good down-home feeling that fits perfectly with the festival. All of the artists we feature hand make their goods. A lot of things look like something your great-grandfather would pass down to you.”
Free parking will be available at the Monteith Farmstead, with paid parking also offered throughout town.
For more information, call Sessoms at 631-0156 or the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 586-2155.
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