Folkmoot USA

Believe it or not, sometimes we let the humans leave the house without us. Yesterday, they went to downtown Waynesville, NC, for International Festival Day of Folkmoot USA, a multi-day festival here celebrating its 30th year.  Folkmoot USA, The State International Festival of North Carolina, is a two-week celebration of the world’s cultural heritage through folk music and dance.  

Anyway, we will be back tomorrow with more pictures of us, but we thought that we would share a few pictures from the festival yesterday. (As a reminder, you can always click on any picture to get a bigger image. Then just click back to come back to the post).

vendor set up

Hu-dad first arrived early in the morning to direct vendors where they needed to set up.

mid-morning

By mid morning, though, the streets were beginning to get crowded with visitors.

Japan.

The most fun of an international festival, of course, are the visitors and performers from around the globe, like this couple from Japan.

Mexico

And this colorful group from Mexico.

lively show.

And they put on quite a lively show.

sounds

With their fantastic musicians providing the sounds.

local students

Since this is a festival of folk music and art, our own local students performed as well.

young

For the youngest festival goers, there was a great area to play and learn about the cultures represented.

stilt walkers

But let’s go to the hu-dad’s personal favorite, the stilt walkers from France.

crowds

For some reason, they attracted crowds everywhere they walked.

hot

Can you imagine how hot those outfits were on a summer day.

water fountain

So when they walked by the water fountain, they stopped for a drink.

bend over

Would you like a close up of how this young man bent over the water fountain? Easy, huh?

Other performing groups this year came from Martinique, Thailand, Slovakia, Canada (Scottish Highland Dance) and Paraguay. If you live in the area, plenty of time left to visit a truly terrific festival.

3 Comments

  1. Dennis the Vizsla on July 21, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    hello thundering herd its dennis the vizsla dog hay folkmoot wot is a folkmoot??? how come the hyoomans ar dressing up in furs??? woodnt it be eezier if they just let yoo attend after all yore furs ar alreddy on!!! ok bye

  2. KB on July 21, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    I am shocked, shocked beyond words, that you left the house without the dogs. (but it does look like you had fun).

  3. Donna Wolfe on July 21, 2013 at 10:04 am

    I am putting this on my calender for next year. I would LOVE to come to this Festival to sell my Jewelry. I am at a county fair this weekend in WV, and another next weekend – summer and fall are busy times! I have also been invited to a powwow in Cherokee, getting more details today on date and times. I make Native and Celtic Jewelry designs. Would be so great to see you folks again, and spend some time in NC again. I love Cherokee and the Highlands area. Maybe see you roung sometime!
    Donna

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