Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Sept. 2 edition.
The Appalachian Women’s Museum will host its seventh annual Music on the Porch festival from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Monteith Farmstead Park in Dillsboro.
The annual event celebrates Appalachia’s musical culture. live performances, local food and artisans will bring the community together for a day of music and activities while helping the museum continue sharing the historical perspectives of Appalachian women.
Local music and performances
This year’s musical guests include a variety of Appalachian-based music, including folk, bluegrass and banjo performances, as well as a local Native choir.
This year’s performers include:
- 2 p.m. — Susan Pepper
- 3 p.m. — Cherokee Language Repertory Choir
- 4 p.m. — Lee Knight
- 5 p.m. — Savannah Page
- 6-7:30 p.m. — Julie Odell
Local artisans and crafts
The kid-friendly event will feature local artisans demonstrating their crafts and hosting free activities for visitors.
Activities and vendors include AWM tours, the AWM Flower and Vintage Booth, Morrow Leatherworks, quilt weaving with Susan Leveille, cornhusk doll making with Anna Marie, paper-plate banjo making, tarot card readings by Mary and kids games on the back lawn.
WATR will also host a nature activity at the hillside building facing the park to demonstrate water quality and macroinvertebrates.
BBQ competition
For the first time, AWM will also host the Dillsboro Smokeshow BBQ Competition. Visitors will be able to sample different varieties of smoked meats and fixin’s.
Visitors will have the chance to vote for the People’s Choice winners in categories including smoked pork, wildcards, fixin’s and desserts.
For those interested in the “High on the Hog” VIP experience, tasting tickets start at $50. The ticket includes unlimited samples, 30 minutes of advance tasting and the opportunity to be among the first to taste and judge the wildcard fixin’s category.
Starting at $25, visitors can receive 12 sampling tickets. Individual sampling and voting tickets start at $3.
Innovation Brewing will also host a beer tent during the event.
The event is free to attend, thanks to community business sponsors supporting the festival. A donation booth will be set up for those who want to support the AWM.
Funds raised through this year’s event will help AWM upgrade its exterior spaces to make them more accessible and include stories highlighting Appalachian roots and their connection to the land.
“Music on the Porch, at its core, is a celebration of musical traditions and a time to bring the community together to experience and enjoy a shared history while making new memories,” said Danielle Duffy, AWM’s operations manager. More information is available through the Appalachian Women’s Museum website. .
