Wood Day at the Folk Art Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Southern Highland Craft Guild’s Wood Day Returns to the Folk Art Center
Saturday, August 9, 2025 • 10 AM – 4 PM • Free Admission
Experience 25+ master woodworkers, a live “carve-off,” and hands-on activities along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
ASHEVILLE, NC — On Saturday, August 9, 2025, the Southern Highland Craft Guild will transform the Folk Art Center into a bustling open-air workshop for the Guild’s annual Wood Day celebration. From 10 AM to 4 PM, visitors can watch the techniques that turn a simple log into heirloom art, from traditional hand-carving to contemporary turning on the lathe.
Featured Demonstrators
This year’s roster represents the depth and diversity of Appalachian woodworking:
Tom Gow • Valerie Berlage • Christine Smith • Ronnie McMahan • Ton Dills • WNC Woodworkers Club • John Dickens • Derek Hennigar • Joe Waldroup • Peter Werner • Carolyn Anderson • Davy Arch • Tom Godleski • John Hollifield • Lee Entrekin • Warren Carpenter • Thomas Riven • Carolina Mountain Woodturners • Lyle Wheeler • Sandra Rowland • Brian Wurst • Larry Green • Tyler Rogers • David Crandall • Angela Wynn • Fatie Atkinson
Event Highlights
- Live Demonstrations: Scroll-saw artistry, spoon-carving, bowl-turning, marquetry, instrument-making, rustic furniture, and more.
- Annual “Carve-Off” (1 PM – 3 PM): Watch carvers race to shape a wooden bird in record time—bragging rights (and plenty of wood shavings) included.
- Guild Exhibitions & Shop: Explore three galleries of contemporary craft, browse the Allanstand Craft Shop, and collect Parkway souvenirs at the NPS bookstore—all under one roof.
Wood has sheltered, served, and inspired Appalachian communities for millennia— from 2500 BC Egyptian furniture to the split-oak baskets and coopered barrels of early settlers. Wood Day honors that legacy while celebrating today’s makers who keep the tradition alive through innovation and skill.
Visitor Information
- Location: Folk Art Center, Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, NC 28801
- Hours & Admission: 10 AM – 4 PM • Free and open to the public
- Directions & Amenities: Easy access from US 70; ample parking; ADA-accessible. Galleries, restrooms, and a Parkway information desk are on-site.
Demonstrations:
About the Southern Highland Craft Guild
Founded in 1930, the Southern Highland Craft Guild is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to cultivating the craft traditions and makers of the Southern Highlands through shared resources, education, marketing, and conservation. The Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, operating the Folk Art Center at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
###
