Story produced in collaboration with Austin Page
Greening Up the Mountains, Sylva’s main festival of the year, kicks off the spring. Holding its 21st annual celebration of the changing of the seasons while bringing recognition to local vendors.
This year Greening up the mountains drew more people and vendors. Photo by Austin Page.
Spanning Main Street and the Bridge Park area, over 200 vendors kept the area busy, selling local artisanal goods from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 28.
Amid all the bustle, streets were filled with the sound of local music. The homegrown tunes of The Maggie Valley Band, Log Noggins, Modern Strangers, Darren and The Buttered Toast, Ol’ Dirty Bathtub, Colby Dietz, Bird in Hand, Ian Ridenhour, Lance and Lea, Troy Underwood and the Breedlove Brother were played across 2 different stages.
Since music can’t be enjoyed on an empty stomach, there was also a lot of food options. The crowd pleaser, a crawfish boil put on by Eric’s Fresh Fish Market and Lulu’s on Main, was featured in addition to the traditional festival favorites, ethnic cuisines, and southern barbeque.
Being a region known for its craft beer, grown-ups also enjoyed a beverage area that featured local brews from Balsam Falls Brewing Co. and Innovations Brewing Co. as well as wine from Bryson City’s Deep Creek Winery.
Other festivities included the Heritage Alive Mountain Youth Talent Contest and a 5k run, with race proceeds going to the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department.
To learn more about this year’s festival, watch the video below.
Video shot and edited by Austin Page, script and story by Elise Holbrook
Tourism is a big industry for Jackson County. In 2016 alone, tourism brought $188.2 million to the area, and while the festival celebrates the beauty and color of the Appalachian Mountains, it offers an opportunity to see the uniqueness of its people and the goods and services they have to offer, giving a spotlight to local businesses people may have never thought to visit, and benefitting the economy.
