For many members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the destruction of Hurricane Helene extended beyond physical workplaces. Artists lost tools essential to their livelihoods, collections built over decades and the communities that had formed around their studios.

Filmmaker David Weintraub began interviewing scientists and Native elders about rivercane more than eight years ago when the topic came up in two of his films. “I thought the story of rivercane, the environment and Native culture was important enough to be the entire subject of a film,” he says.

Dillsboro’s historic Front Street will become an open-air showcase for regional craftsmanship when Colorfest returns on October 3. The free festival will bring more than 40 artists and makers to town, with pottery, fine art, jewelry, fiber arts, woodworking, seasonal crafts and other handmade works.