For 76 years, the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands has given the public an opportunity to cultivate craft in their daily life. This year, the annual event will take place Thursday, October 19, 2023 until Sunday, October 22, 2023. Doors open at the downtown Asheville venue on Thursday at 10:00 am and will last until Sunday at 5:00 pm.
The Fair will feature artisans with both contemporary and traditional work in clay, wood, metal, glass, fiber, natural materials, paper, leather, mixed media, and jewelry. Members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild will fill both the arena and concourse level of Harrah’s Cherokee Center. These members have undergone a two-step jury process as a part of the Guild’s legacy to uphold a set of standards established by their creative peers.
There will be a range of craft demonstrations with interactive activities for visitors, and mountain musicians performing live on the arena stage. For a full list of exhibitors and more information, visit craftguild.org/craftfair.
Harrah’s Cherokee Center was a shift in landscape for this event from its inception under canvas tents in1948 on the grassy lawns of Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. Downtown Asheville provides a robust experience for visitors, as the time honored gathering is representative of the creativity that flows in Western North Carolina. As a venue to provide a regional marketplace for mountain craftspeople, the Guild Fairs have evolved into a popular celebration of craft in the country.
