Festival on the Square

Description

From Saturday, July 9th to Sunday, the 10th, the Historic Courthouse Square in downtown Hayesville will host an array of crafters, artists and food for the 41st Annual Festival on the Square. One July weekend a year, the Festival has become a town tradition that brings free entertainment and arts to the lawns of the Courthouse, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

This year’s Festival kicks off Friday night, July 8th, with free live music starting around 7:00pm. On the corner in front of Chinquapin, the streets will close a couple of hours before the dance and fresh-cooked food and cold drinks will be sold.??? Plan to bring a chair and relax or take to your feet to dance along as Bob Dalsemer and PB&J play traditional tunes for contra and round dancing.

Festival Entertainment 2022

From 10-5 on Saturday, July 9th, and 10-4 on Sunday, July 10, more than 70 crafters and artists from several states will display their wares around the courthouse, which is on the National Register for Historic Places. Items like pottery, photography, paintings, bath salts and soaps, gourds, yard decor and wood carvings will be for sale. Others include fabric art, knitting, candles, and jewelry. Many artists will be doing demonstrations, as well. The Brasstown Folk School will have a booth with information and demonstrating artists as well. The Square now has Internet which will allow more vendors to accept credit cards.

While viewing the art booths, stop to enjoy the shows that continue all weekend with various soloists, bands, dance groups, and some standard Appalachian entertainment in the gazebo. The entertainment schedule is posted here for your convenience. A children’s tent will let the little ones have their own fun with face-painting and crafts.

Fresh, festival BBQ will be sold (and hot dogs and brats) hot off the grill. Pulled pork dinners, hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches, chips, beans, and slaw will be for sale from 11-3 on Saturday and Sunday to eat on-site or to take home. A bake sale, ice cream, fresh-squeezed lemonade, iced tea, sodas and water sold both days as long as they last.

Sponsored by the Clay County Historical and Arts Council, admission to the Festival and all entertainment is free, but the barbeque benefits CCHAC, which supports the Old Jail Museum and various art and history events for the schools and the community. CCHAC receives support from the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowments of the Arts.

Festival t-shirts and hats will be sold at a discount to benefit the group, too. Stop by the booth to find out how to help CCHAC with next year’s Festival and other events.

http://clayhistoryarts.org/2022/02/festivalonthesquare/