Real Estate News, North Carolina

Waynesville NC Folkmoot - Top 20 Festival in North Carolina

Folkmoot USA Parade
Published on July 1, 2016

People, places and performances from around the world will be represented at this year’s Folkmoot Festival. It takes place July 21st-31st and will bigger and better than ever. Ten countries, including China, the Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, Japan, Peru, Poland, Romania and a special U.S./Mexico collaboration will perform and add some new features to this year’s event. This is one of the best things to do in Waynesville NC all year.

Folkmoot means “Meeting of the People” in old English and the mission includes providing opportunities for cultural exchange. In 1973, Dr. Clinton Border, a Waynesville surgeon, accompanied a local square dance team to a folk festival in Sidmouth, England. He was convinced that Western North Carolina mountain communities, which were already steeped in tradition and dedicated to the preservation of its own heritage, was the perfect location for an international folk festival in the United States. One of our favorite Waynesville NC real estate developments, Sunset Falls at Bald Creek, is not far from the annual event. 

The first festival was held in 1984, a date coinciding with North Carolina's 400th birthday celebration. The first Folkmoot USA festival featured folk groups representing nine countries, including England, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Turkey, Mexico, Puerto Rico and India. Now, 43 years later, more than 200 groups from 100 different countries have attended the festival. Named by USA Today as one of the Top Twenty Festivals in North Carolina, the focus of Folkmoot is the colorfully costumed traditional dancers and musicians performing at 14 different venues in 7 counties throughout North Carolina mountain communities. Audiences are invited to meet the performers before and after performances and during other festival events during the ten day event.  Highlights include:

  • On July 22nd, the festival kicks off with an Extravaganza Opening Matinee! The show is at the EagleNest Entertainment Center at 2701 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley, NC from 2pm-4pm.    
  • The grand opening happens on July 22nd. It will be held at Lake Junaluska’s Stuart Auditorium. There will be ten group performances with over 200 international dancers and musicians beside the Lake!  
  • The Folkmoot USA Parade happens July 22nd on Main Street. It is one of the biggest things to do in Waynesville NC. Dancers and musicians from around the world parade up Main Street from the Haywood County Courthouse, Friday at 1pm. 
  • On July 23rd, a brand new event debuts for Folkmoot 2016. The Many Cultures Carnival will run from noon to 4 p.m. in the field adjacent to the Folkmoot Friendship Center and will feature regional organizations and clubs hosting booths with varying cultural themes, including games and crafts.  Folkmoot’s international performers will teach cultural dances to children. Shows are held at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm.
  • Cultural Conversation & Dance Performance takes place at First United Methodist Church, Waynesville on July 24th from 12pm-4pm. There’s an afternoon lunch, cultural conversation & dance performance! Attendees can eat with dancers and musicians from 3 different countries, participate in cultural conversations and then enjoy the dance, music, and culture of a world class performance.
  • Also on Sunday, four groups perform at the Drendel Auditorium, formerly known as the SALT Block Auditorium. The first show is at 3pm, the last at 6pm. $10.00 for Adults/ $5.00 12 and under.
  • July 30, 2016: Folkmoot International Day, Where the World Meets Main Street, with the Haywood Arts Council, with performing groups and much more in downtown Waynesville! This event is free and runs from 10am-5pm. 

Folkmoot is designated North Carolina’s Official International Festival and has been “One of the Top Twenty Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society for 21 years. The festival is the annual highlight of things to do in Waynesville, NC. The area is about 25 miles from Asheville, NC and has a more quaint vibe. Along with the popular Mast General Store, there are about a dozen galleries and a variety of antique shops, home furnishing centers and gift shops. This part of Western North Carolina continues to be hailed as one of the best places to retire because of its scenic beauty and high quality of life. It is located in the valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains and nestled next to the Great Smoky Mountains.  

The area has a low crime rate, amazing lifelong learning opportunities and a wide range of housing options. A four-season temperate climate, with average snowfall of only 13 inches and cool summertime temperatures, makes year-round living easy. July is a great time to experience the Western North Carolina mountain communities and Waynesville NC real estate at Sunset Falls at Bald Creek.

There are so many things to do in Waynesville NC along with the festival, it can be exhausting. We're confident you won’t regret making the trip. Like many, one day you may end up calling Waynesville home.

Call Sunset Falls at Bald Creek direct at 828.545.8200 to schedule a tour.