Festival on the Square

Another event-filled weekend

on tap in Hayesville

  • Lorrie Ross • Clay County Progress The cloggers from the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C. are crowd favorites when they take the stage every year at the Festival on the Square. The traditional Appalachian dancers range from young children to dancers with many decades of experience. They will start their performance in the gazebo at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 9.
    Lorrie Ross • Clay County Progress The cloggers from the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C. are crowd favorites when they take the stage every year at the Festival on the Square. The traditional Appalachian dancers range from young children to dancers with many decades of experience. They will start their performance in the gazebo at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 9.

    By Lorrie Ross

    Staff Writer

     

    Many people look forward to this weekend’s big event all summer long. The Festival on the Square has been hosted by Clay County Historical and Arts Council for the past four decades. After a hiatus in 2020, the family-friendly festival returned in 2021 for what a lot of attendees said was the best ever. Festival on the Square 2022 may even bigger, with live music, artists, craft vendors and food all weekend long.

    The free event kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 8 with a street dance and live music by Moe Buckner and Our Way Band. The lively tunes played by Buckner’s band encourage people of all ages to kick up their heels right on the streets at the intersection in front of Tiger’s Store and Chinquapins Ice Cream and Soda Bar at 42 Herbert Street. Make sure you bring a chair because watching the street dancing from in front of Hayesville Town Hall can be enjoyable, too. Streets will close early, so arrive early.

    The main event will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 9 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 10. Held on the grounds surrounding the Beal Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, live free entertainment will continue throughout the Festival on the Square.

    In the gazebo of Hayesville’s Historic Courthouse Square, the popular Folk School Cloggers will start at 10 a.m. with regional dances performed by dancers from young children to those who have been dancing for several decades. The rest of the weekend talent schedule includes:

    Saturday, July 9

    • Rob Tiger at 12 p.m.

    • Wyatt Espalin at 1 p.m.

    Sunday, July 10

    • Emolyn Liden and Friends at 1 p.m.

    • Colton James at 3 p.m.

    Around 70 artists and crafters from around the southeast plan to set up shop at the annual festival and some will give artistic demonstrations for attendees. Popular items often include fiber arts, candles, pottery, photography, gourds, paintings, crochet, and glass items. Whimsical art, soap, dog treats, jewelry, wooden signs, handmade leather items, knives and whiskey barrel furniture are frequently available, along with numerous other arts and crafts.

    CCHAC board member Joan Joppe, who is also a festival organizer, said one of her favorites will be returning — Lloyd Heaton with his whiskey barrel furniture. Joppe said a serious painter with the Penland School of Art plans to exhibit. “It is so difficult to single out one or two crafters,” Joppe said. “They are all so interesting.”

    Joppe added, “We insist that there is no buy/sell. People cannot simply buy things and bring them to the show to sell. Some shows have a reserved area for that kind of thing but not us since we are an art organization.”

    Plan to eat lunch at the festival and grab a takeout container for supper. Fresh-cooked food provided by The Copper Door will offer several culinary options, including a crowd favorite Elote or Mexican corn on the cob. Other food choices are:

    • Barbecue plates with Cole slaw and baked beans

    • Barbecue sandwiches.

    • Veggie wraps and Cajun turkey wraps.

    • Hot dogs and bratwursts.

    • Lemonade, iced tea and water.

    • Brownies and cookies.

    Admission to the Festival on the Square and all entertainment is free, but barbecue, drinks and baked goods are sold to benefit CCHAC, which supports the Old Jail Museum and various art and history events for the schools and the community. CCHAC receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural and Natural Resources.

    For details visit: www.clayhistoryarts.org. No pets, only service dogs allowed.