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By Bellamy Crawford<\/p>\n
The very first Mountain Makers Mushroom & Music Festival (4M Festival), hosted by the Jackson Arts Market, will take place in downtown Sylva on Saturday, September 3, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mountain traditions will be represented with educational lectures, storytelling, demonstrations, Cherokee dance performances, nature tours, music and culinary arts. More than 70 crafters, producers and foragers will be on site to share their knowledge and crafts with visitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many local artists, musicians, makers and foragers in our area who share a passion for educating others about the region\u2019s unique lifestyle, crafts and natural environment,\u201d says Joshua Aaron Murch, founder and curator of the Jackson Arts Market and creator of the 4M Festival.<\/p>\n
The event will focus on traditional craft demonstrations including blacksmithing, pottery, glassblowing, lampworking, painting, basket weaving, wood turning, lapidary stone working, jewelry working, crocheting, textile arts, fly tying and Cherokee arts. \u201cThe goal of the festival is to connect the community and visitors with an educational experience about local history and unique culture that is still alive in our mountains,\u201d says Murch.<\/p>\n
Musicians at the festival will talk about local history in the songs they play, and artist workshops will encourage audience participation. \u201cThe Jackson Arts Market has been a great opportunity for artists and musicians for the past two years,\u201d says William Weinert, a blacksmith who will be demonstrating his craft at the 4M Festival. \u201cI\u2019m excited that the festival is going to bring people together who might not normally come together. It will give folks the chance to see things they wouldn\u2019t normally see.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nature and culinary demonstrations will focus on sustainable practices like wild food sourcing; preparing, cooking and storing foods for medicinal use and nutrition; mushroom cultivation; kudzu culture; chicken feeding and more. \u201cI\u2019m excited to exhibit the wild mushrooms I\u2019ve harvested and show off some of my tea blends,\u201d says Chloe Burnette-Turner, owner of Blue Ridge Forage and vendor at this year\u2019s festival. \u201cThe event is going to give me an opportunity to jumpstart my business, but I\u2019m most excited about the level of knowledge-sharing that will be going on,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
In tribute to local legend and internationally renowned early country and folk music performer Samantha Bumgarner, a mural of the musician depicted as a \u201cfiddler on the roof\u201d will be unveiled during the event.<\/p>\n
A viewer\u2019s choice awarded pendant competition will exhibit a variety of unique artists\u2019 styles. Pieces from this competition will be available at the festival as a silent auction, with funds raised supporting the Sylva Skate Park Project. \u201cWe will also be hosting a skate competition starting at 6 p.m. in the church\u2019s parking lot,\u201d says Murch. The entire festival will be filmed and documented by Brave Sir Media and posted online by Jackson Arts Market as an educational resource.<\/p>\n