The log-sawing competition is just one of the many events at the Foxfire Mountaineer Festival.

Yes, it is upon us! The 2017 Foxfire Mountaineer Festival is mere days away and the office is buzzing with anxiety excitement! As this is my first Mountaineer Festival as Foxfire’s executive director, I must say that I am awed by the amount of hours that go into planning this event.

For months now, our Foxfire Community Board and staff have been working diligently to get everything ready for this Saturday’s festival. They have secured permits, arranged for temporary power on the site, organized musicians, solicited vendors, and collaborated with demonstrators to make sure there will be plenty to see and do on festival day. In addition to all of that, they have collected donations for all manner of items, gift certificates, sporting event tickets, and the like for our raffle and auction.

It’s been a tremendous thing to watch as folks have worked together to prepare for one of the largest festivals of the year here in Rabun County. I’ve also appreciated the work put in by the City of Clayton and Rabun County governments to prepare the festival sites. It’s really amazing what can happen when a community pulls together.

Now, all we need is YOU! Can’t have a festival without people laughing and smiling and enjoying the day. This is an important event every year for Foxfire and the region. Historically, proceeds from this event go to support our many onsite and offsite programs, including our student-led Foxfire Magazine, improvements to our museum and heritage center, and the various ways we reach the public to preserve and share Southern Appalachian Heritage.

Kids taking part in the corn shucking event at last year’s Mountaineer Festival.

You can check out our Festival program and map here (feel free to print) and there’s an option to purchase advanced tickets using the link in the first paragraph. As an added bonus, we will be offering free admission to the museum and heritage center on the day of the festival to those with a festival wristband. So, come on this Saturday and spend some time with us at the festival and then head up the road and check out the museum. It’s just our way of saying thanks. We can’t wait to see our old friends and make some new ones!

~ T.J. Smith