The Festival is over ... enjoy the memories through the photo album!

Free Dance Kicks off Riverwalk Arts & Crafts Festival

Favorite local musician Dave Calvert performs with his Rox Trio next Friday, August 15, at a free dance to open the River Walk Arts and Crafts Festival in Newland.  The dance begins at 6:00 PM at the bandstand located at the Riverwalk Park, directly adjacent to the Lowes/Dollar General shopping center parking lot. More info... 

Organizers at the Avery Arts Council are gearing up for their annual high-summer celebration, The River Walk Arts and Crafts Festival, coming up in mid-August.  The old fashioned family event, a long standing Avery County tradition, kicks off with a free street dance on Friday, August 15, followed by the arts and crafts festival  from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday, August 16. 

More than 50 artists and craftspeople will be on hand to offer their handmade wares to shoppers.  Arts Council board president Freda Greene reports that the juried show will feature a varied array of items, “from jewelry made of glass beads, precious stones, and even antique buttons, to specialty items such as handmade books, lampshades crafted from handmade paper and pressed flowers, a great assortment of pottery and stoneware, plus wood crafts and basketry.”  Vendors are traveling from as far away as Virginia and Georgia, but Greene says that “the majority of our skilled craftspeople come from North Carolina, with a good representation from the mountains.”  Photo above: Mr. Claude Baldwin, Newland's own "cupbowlman". Photo left: artwork by Pamela Welty.

The emphasis stays on hand-made items throughout the festival, with hands-on fun activities for kids – topped off with hand-cranked ice cream and handmade strawberry shortcake available from one of the food vendors.   The Festival takes place at Newland’s Riverwalk Park, which makes parking for shoppers and vendors a snap.  Simply park in the lot adjacent to the Lowes Grocery store and stroll on over.

The Friday Night Dance features live music by The Rox Band Trio, and is free and open to the public August 15, 2008 from 6-10pm. The festival runs all day Saturday, August 16, from 10am-5pm. For more information, please contact the Avery Arts Council office at 828-898-4292.

Vendor Application (279 KB PDF file in color)

Vendor Application (239 KB PDF file in grayscale)