2024 International Festival
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Summer Soirée
Thursday, July 11, 2024
7:00 PM - 9:00 PMThe Folkmoot Summer Soirée will take place July 11th at The Folkmoot Friendship Center located at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville, NC. At the Summer Soirée, you will have the chance to indulge in a variety of culturally-inspired cuisines from different parts of the world. From savory dishes to sweet treats, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. As you savor your food, you can tap your feet to live music from local artists and immerse yourself in several culturally-inspired rooms.
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International Evening
Friday, July 19, 2024
4:00 PM - 9:00 PMFolkmoot International Evening will take place Friday July 19th at Sorrell’s Park located at 8 Sorrells Street, Canton, NC. Peruse an International inspired farmer’s market with food trucks from Mill Town Market. You can APPLY HERE to be a vendor. Enjoy a dance parade inspired by International and Appalachian communities. End the evening with a live performance. This is a free event. We hope you can join us.
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International Day
Saturday July 20, 2024
10:00 AM - 4:00 PMFolkmoot Day will take place Saturday July 20th on Main Street, Waynesville, NC. With a 40 year history, the Folkmoot USA International Day has a long established audience. The 2023 festival welcomed thousands of guests who enjoyed 70+ vendors, two stages with continual performances by Appalachian and international Cultural performers, free kid activities and many tasty food options.
2024 marks the 41st Anniversary of The North Carolina International Folk Festival The festival has celebrated many milestones since 1984 when Dr. Clinton Border’s vision for an international dance festival in Western North Carolina first became real. In 2003, The North Carolina General Assembly declared The North Carolina International Folk Festival to be the state’s official international festival. The Southeast Tourism Society has named Folkmoot USA one of its top twenty events for 20 years. Today Folkmoot USA still produces one of the largest and longest running international festivals in the world. It continues to draw thousands of national and international visitors to Western North Carolina annually during July. Over four decades the festival has remained a consistent and vital part of Western North Carolina’s cultural identity.
For our 41st Anniversary, Folkmoot International Festival will celebrate dance, music, crafts, food and many cultural heritages.
Folkmoot of 1984 brought outside cultures to WNC to perform and share and bring the cultures of their home countries. Folkmoot of 2024 celebrates the millions of Americans who are talented artists who practice the dance, music of their homes. A lot has changed in 40 years. A lot has stayed the same. Please join us July 19 and July 20 and celebrate the performers that celebrate many cultures.
"The Sidmouth Folk Festival in England sends its congratulations to Folkmoot USA in its 40th Anniversary Year!
When Dr. Clinton Border attended the 1983 festival in Sidmouth he had already visited the Folkmoot festival, organised by the UK Monkseaton Morris Men the previous year. He met up with them again in 1983 when they both visited the Sidmouth festival. From Monkseaton, he adopted the Folkmoot name, and in Sidmouth he was inspired by the twice-daily, open-air concerts of international and British dance and music groups. By 1984, he had started Folkmoot USA, which would eventually become North Carolina’s Official International Festival.
The Sidmouth Folk Festival has changed much in the last 40 years, but the joyous atmosphere of shared cultural traditions continues. We congratulate Folkmoot USA not only on its anniversary but also on its similar commitment to celebrating traditional culture."
On March 02, 2023 Folkmoot USA, North Carolina’s Official International Festival, received congratulatory wishes from the Sidmouth Folk Festival!
