The mountains are greening up and the festival celebrating it is back in Sylva.
The streets of downtown Sylva will be filled with music, foods and vendors on April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate spring and the new green growth of the mountains.
The Greening Up the Mountains Festival is a heritage arts festival that brings traditional and contemporary forms of Appalachian art, music, food, and beverage which honors the local community and artisans.
Assistant Director of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and festival emcee, Kelly Donaldson, says the Greening Up the Mountains Festival is the largest festival in Jackson County each year.
“It has all the right things going for it. It’s free, it’s family friendly, and it’s just lots of fun for all ages,” Donaldson wrote in an email to WCJ.
There will be around 80 vendors at the festival with 5 food vendors. Innovation Brewing and Balsam Falls Brewing Co. will also be at the festival.
The festival will also feature live music throughout the day by various bands.
The Jackson County Farmers Market and the Jackson Arts Market will be also be running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the day of the festival.
Normally the festival would attract around 12,000 attendees and 175 vendors but volunteer coordinator of the festival, Lisa McBride, says this year’s event will be smaller than normal because of COVID repercussions.
Transportation will be provided from the Roses’ lot and from the Justice Center. Rides cost $1 and masks are required on the bus.
Road Closures
Main Street will be closed with detours up Keener Street, Jackson Street and Evalina Street.
The Mill Street detour will go up Municipal from the fire department.
Any cars left overnight will be towed to the Pool Parking lot on Municipal.
GUTM 5K Run
Before the festival, attendees may participate in a 5K run that will take place in Mark Watson Park in downtown Sylva. Registration opens at 8 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m. The awards ceremony for the winners of the race will take place at 10 a.m.
Registration is $15 and can be completed online or by completing a paper form available at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee.
For additional information, please contact Jenifer Pressley at jeniferpressley@jacksonnc.org or call 293-3053, ext. 7.
If you need more fun, Innovation Brewing will be hosting its 2nd annual “YerkFest” from 5-11 p.m. on April 23, at the Innovation Station and Quirky Birds Tree House & Bistro in Dillsboro.
If you would like to volunteer for the festival, you can sign up here. Lisa McBride says they mainly need help from 3-6 p.m., but they could also use some help from 6-9 a.m.
A meeting will take place at 5pm on Friday, April 22 at the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce in Sylva for volunteers. GUTM T-shirts will be given out.
