Smoky Mountains 75th

The North Carolina

Visitor Center

Church Street Art & Craft Show

Official event of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75^th anniversary

Saturday, October 10, 2009 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Main Street in Downtown Waynesville, N.C.

Held during the height of the color season in the heart of the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, the Church Street Art & Craft Show attracts more than 20,000 visitors. Over 120 artists, crafters and food vendors from throughout the southeast will line Waynesville’s Main Street to help celebrate the festival.

What began as a small gathering of artists and crafters on Church Street, the event has grown into one of the finest one day shows in Western North Carolina. A juried show, the 26th annual Church Street Art and Craft Show will showcase 2 and 3 dimensional art. All items must be designed and created by the artist. It is a reflection of the arts and crafts found in our mountains. Art includes colored-pencil, oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels; porcelain; sculpture, pottery, woodworking, weaving, basketry, quilting, handmade jewelry and wearable art. There will be art and craft demonstrations.

Also featured: a variety of professional music, dance and international & local foods.

Whitewater Bluegrass Band, Hominy Valley Boys, Montreat Pipes and Drums, Southern Appalachian Cloggers, Dixie Darlings, Green Valley Cloggers, Fines Creek Flatfooters, Ashegrove Garland Dancers, The Living Statue, Mr. Tom’s Balloon Twisting

Sorry, No animals allowed during downtown events.

Founded by artist Teresa Pennington and property owner, Richard Miller, the show is now sponsored by Downtown Waynesville Association. Band sponsors include Mast General Store. Funded in part by Haywood Co. TDA.

For more information contact:

Buffy Phillips Messer

Executive Director

Downtown Waynesville Association

828- 456-3517

downtownwaynesville@charter.net

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Events Slated to Celebrate Great Smoky Mountains National Park's 75th Anniversary

Local Businesses, Organizations Partner to Present

10 Days of ‘Play in the Park’

Enjoy 10 days filled with fun and educational events, titled “Play in the Park”, to commemorate and celebrate the 75th anniversary of the most-visited national park in America.

From Friday, August 28, to Monday, September 7, visitors and locals alike can choose from a wide array of events, festivals and activities in Downtown Waynesville and surrounding areas in Haywood County to participate in this momentous occasion for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its surrounding communities. From guided hikes in the park to a Rockin’ Block Party, Art after Dark, from elk viewing to a golf tournament and folk music festival, there's something for everyone.

Many of the events are free to attend; those that do require a fee will donate a portion of the proceeds to Friends of the Smokies, the primary source of charitable funding for the national park.

Among the many highlights, including the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival and the 75th Masters Golf Tournament, Downtown Waynesville will come alive for a Rockin’ Block Party on the night of Saturday, September 5. From 7 to 10 p.m., Main Street will be the place to be, with live music and dancing, a variety of eats and treats available, a classic car show, and open restaurants, galleries and shops.

“In the interest of protecting and preserving the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we are proud to join in the 75th anniversary celebration with activities in downtown Waynesville, featuring The Hominy Valley Boys, a well-know bluegrass band, accompanied by the Fines Creek Flat Footers clogging group,” said Buffy Phillips Messer, executive director of the Downtown Waynesville Association. “We invite everyone to join in the fun at this free mountain hoe down.”

We hope that this event will remind everyone on its 75th anniversay of the national treasure that is right in our backyard, and that Western North Carolina will begin to take a much more active place in the stewardship of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

www.downtownwaynesville.com