Annual Craft Fair Of The Southern Highlands

It’s that time again for the Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, Summer Edition running July 16-19 in Downtown Asheville’s Harrah’s Cherokee Center. Hours of the show are Thursday-Saturday from 10:00am-5:00pm

Tickets: $12, children under 12 can enter for free.

The Guild’s Craft Fair tradition started in 1948 in Gatlinburg, TN on the grounds of Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts. At this inaugural fair, the Guild connected visitors with the most talented craftsmen and showed the importance of handicrafts in the life of southern Appalachia.

Today, the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands is held twice every year (July & October) in downtown Asheville, North Carolina at Harrah’s Cherokee Center. It brings together hundreds of makers in what has become a key event for craft. These events are unique in that they offer attendees the opportunity to connect with the artists by purchasing directly from them. In an age of mass production and global imports, the connection to fine American craft and the individual maker is often lost but more significant than ever.

More than two hundred craftspeople fill two floors of the Civic Center twice each year. Local musicians play live on the arena stage; craft educators share their knowledge with adults and children alike through demonstrations and hands-on projects. Eleven thousand visitors from all over the country participate in festivities during the four days of the show. Over the course of the event, nearly a million dollars are invested in the purchase of crafts.

Visit https://www.southernhighlandguild.org or visit craftguild.org/craftfair