HERITAGE WEEKEND COVER IMAGE

45th Annual Heritage Weekend

Dates & Times:

  • Saturday, September 20, 2025 – 10 AM to 4 PM

  • Sunday, September 21, 2025 – 10 AM to 4 PM

Location:
Folk Art Center, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 382, East Asheville, NC
Free parking and admission

Event Highlights

  • Celebration of Southern Appalachian culture

    • Two days of live craft demonstrations, music, and family activities

  • World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition

    • Saturday, Sept 20 at 2 PM

    • Toy made from rhododendron sticks and spinning propeller

    • Contestants compete for trophies and moon pies

    • Categories: child, adult, professional

    • Fun challenges: switch hands, behind-the-back play

Craft Demonstrations

  • Woodworking with traditional tools

  • Weaving, spinning, and natural dyeing

  • Broom-making and blacksmithing

  • Stone carving and printmaking

  • Soap-making and more

  • Interactive craft activity table for guests

Live Music

Bluegrass and gospel music performances on an outdoor stage

Saturday, September 20

10:00  Blue Eyed Girl
11:00  Giddens Family Band
12:00  Buncombe Turnpike
1:00    Jonah Riddle and Carolina Express
2:00    45th Annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition
3:00    Split Rail

Sunday, September 21

10:00   Ashton Woody- Jack Tales
11:00   Davy Arch- Cherokee Stories
12:00   Michael and Donna Fox
1:00     Carol Rifkin
2:00     Nobody's Darlin
3:00     Janet Wiseman and Eternal Appalachia

The Venue: Folk Art Center

  • Exhibitions, a craft shop, museum, and library

  • Grassy picnic area

  • Family-friendly atmosphere

  • Mountains to Sea Trail

More Information

About the Southern Highland Craft Guild

Founded in 1930, the Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to promoting the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands through education, marketing, and preservation. The Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

wood carving demo - tom godleski
Whimmy Diddle competition
Mary Nichols Spinning Demo
Live Music
Heidi Bleacher felting demo
Davy Arch woodcarving demo
Live Music

45th Annual Heritage Weekend at the Folk Art Center
September 20–21, 2025 | 10 AM–4 PM | East Asheville, NC

Asheville, NC — The Southern Highland Craft Guild is proud to host the 45th Annual Heritage Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, September 20–21, from 10 AM to 4 PM each day at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway in East Asheville. This free event celebrates the rich traditions of Southern Appalachian culture with a full weekend of craft demonstrations, music, and family-friendly fun.

A centerpiece of the weekend is the ever-popular World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition, held at 2 PM on Saturday, September 20th. The Whimmy Diddle is a whimsical mountain toy made from two carved sticks of rhododendron—one with notches and a spinning propeller. By rubbing one stick against the other, the propeller spins either right ("gee") or left ("haw"). Contestants will compete for trophies (and moon pies!) in child, adult, and professional categories, with extra challenges like switching hands or performing behind the back.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can enjoy live craft demonstrations including:

  • Woodworking with traditional tools
  • Weaving, spinning, and natural dyeing
  • Broom-making and blacksmithing
  • Stone carving and printmaking
  • Soap-making and more

An interactive activity table will also give guests a chance to try their hand at select crafts.

A music stage will feature live performances of bluegrass and gospel throughout the event. The full band schedule is available online at www.craftguild.org.

The Folk Art Center, located at 382 Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 382) in East Asheville, offers free parking, indoor galleries, and a grassy picnic area, making it the perfect spot to spend a crisp early autumn day. Explore Appalachian heritage, meet local craftspeople, and enjoy the beauty of Western North Carolina.

For more information, including a list of participating artists and performers, please visit www.craftguild.org or call 828-298-7928.

About the Southern Highland Craft Guild
Established in 1930, the Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit, educational organization that supports and promotes the crafts and makers of the Southern Highlands through education, marketing, and preservation. The Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.