Greening Up the Mountains
The Greening Up the Mountains Festival returns to downtown Sylva on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year, visitors can expect more than 140 arts and crafts vendors, from potters and woodworkers to jewelers and blacksmiths. Live music will fill Bridge Park throughout the day, and demonstration areas will feature glassblowing, basketweaving and other traditional mountain crafts.
“Vendor registration once remained open for three months,” says festival coordinator Mark Haskett. “Now it reaches capacity in just over two weeks. It is exciting to see the growing interest the festival has generated and the enthusiasm from artists eager to reserve their space.”
What sets the event apart, however, is its environmental backbone.
Founded in 1998 as an Earth Day celebration, Greening Up the Mountains was built on the belief that celebration and stewardship belong together. That commitment is reflected throughout the festival footprint. Plastic bottles and bags have been eliminated, food vendors use recyclable paper containers and water stations provided by Tuckaseegee Water and Sewer encourage attendees to bring reusable bottles.
Nonprofit organizations are also stationed throughout the event to share information about protecting the region’s natural resources, while Main Street Sylva merchants coordinate recycling efforts to help minimize waste generated during the day.
“We are intentional about reducing our environmental impact,” says Haskett. “We want the festival itself to reflect the values we are celebrating.”
For more information, visit MainStreetSylva.org.
