Cherokee stickball demonstrated during Mountain Heritage Day. Photo by Phil Jackson
The Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Center will be hosting its 45th annual Mountain Heritage Day on Saturday, Sept. 28, starting at 10:00 a.m. at WCU’s intramural field.
The festival is one of the most popular in the Western NC region, celebrating the history of the mountains and Appalachian culture.
Educational specialist of the WCU Mountain Heritage Center, Peter Koch, is one of the key organizers of the event. Koch describes the annual event as “Western’s gift to the region.”
According to Koch, musical components play a large role in Mountain Heritage Day.
“We invite different people from different bands to come together and perform songs… You’ve got a bluegrass fiddler, you get an old time banjo player, and someone playing the mandolin, that certain mix creates its own kind of magic,” Koch said.
Music is only one of the many things offered. Mountain Heritage Day has more events from chainsaw contests, woodworking, traditional Cherokee Stickball games, food and sweets galore. Click here for full schedule.
While Mountain Heritage Day festival is free, there are costs for the annual concert and 5k run, which are located on the Mountain Heritage Center website.
