Lifestyles

Burnsville Crafts Fair: Not too far but well worth the trip

By Betty Chandler

August 07, 2008

Distance is not a problem this year when it comes to interesting destinations. With the price of gasoline, the many summer activities in our region make it possible to stay close, relax and see some of the natural treasures right in our own backdoor.

Abingdon’s Virginia Highlands Festival began last week, and Greeneville hosted a Civil War Reenactment, Asheville had its Bele Chere festivities recently, and Elizabethton had its annual Covered Bridge Festival. Kingsport just celebrated its Funfest, and Johnson City had its Blue Plum.

All of these activities, of course, make us anxious for October to arrive, when Unicoi County will celebrate its own Apple Festival, bringing tens of thousands to our community to celebrate the local heritage.

Last weekend, Burnsville celebrated its annual Crafts Fair on the lovely town square.

We started on the I-26 side of the town, but there are other routes in case you want to see some lovely country vistas. Other ways to get to Burnsville from Erwin include across Spivey Mountain and up Limestone Cove across Iron Mountain. For the queasy, the I-26 route is the best by far.

Burnsville used to be a quiet, unaffected town. At one point in time, the Nu Wray Inn was the town’s focal point, an old inn from another era. A hunting lodge atmosphere and lots of clocks are the focal point for the main area, in addition to a huge fireplace.

A charming restaurant is also included in the Inn, but check ahead to see when meals are being served.

Parking is an impossibility – just like when we celebrate our own Apple Festival. With the temperatures already in the 80’s around 9:30 in the morning, we decided to pay for a parking space to keep from walking such a long way. There is a bus service running from one of the shopping centers just outside the main part of town to carry eager visitors to the Annual Crafts Fair. Once you have climbed your way up the hillside to Main Street, there’s no doubt you’ve arrived. The white tents are everywhere, with one end of Main Street lined on both sides with a myriad of booths and wares. The festival winds around the circle in front of the library, the Nu Wray and the County Courthouse (near where hangings were carried out many years before), by the church and back to the point where you started.

I had started some collections several years ago from vendors who always came to the fair. We always bought miniature baskets from a lady and her husband from another part of North Carolina. Sadly, for the last two years, they have not been at the fair. The baskets are reminiscent of a fad from many years ago when young girls would weave baskets from the summer grasses and wear them around their necks on a ribbon. So, sadly, we did not connect with the mini-basket couple. That’s not to say that basket weavers were not on hand – any shape and form basket that you wanted, from large grass baskets to bark baskets were represented at the fair.

There was a lot of new talent at this year’s fair, and we enjoyed taking a peek in all the tents at all the unique wares being offered by the juried artisans. While walking around the square, we fell in love with a large bench made from tree limbs, knots, and roots. It was a massive piece, and very rustic. If you had a chalet up in the mountains, you would have to have this bench to “set things off.” Every year there are booths featuring dulcimers and CD’s with that enchanting, haunting music brought to this country by our Celtic ancestors. We stopped long enough to watch a lady in one of the booths play a handmade dulcimer. She was very talented and drew quite a crowd as she played.

Moving on around the circle, we came to a tent where one lady had worked with basic pottery molds, and then added her own “personal touch” to each piece. One of her most realistic and beautiful works were wine coolers. Each cooler had a bunch of purple grapes added to the molded form. Ceramic grape leaves were added by pressing real vines into clay, firing the clay and then making the grapes one with the containers. The pieces were quite breathtaking. One of the lady’s relatives asked that I not photograph her pieces. She said a number of people had made pictures and then stolen the idea – and the product idea. I assured her that my intentions were honest and when I told her we might use the photo in our paper, she was all for it. We stood back some distance so she wouldn’t have to worry about that “crisp” image that forgers would need to copy her wares. All in all, she was very pleased with the idea.

Handmade jewelry was plentiful. One Unicoi couple was on hand selling gemstone jewelry. Not infrequently we find vendors from our own county. Helen Sluder of Unicoi was selling “Kenny Lu Designs” gemstone jewelry. The work was top-notch. We enjoyed our stop at the booth.

Last but not least, we stopped at the McWhirter Pottery tent, where Kim and Pete McWhirter were selling their handmade pottery. For many years, I’ve purchased mugs from the McWhirters. Each one is unique. I recently decided that I preferred the blue mugs over every other color they produce. So, after breaking a couple of my mugs, I made certain to stop by and speak to these folks, and purchase three more mugs to replenish my collection. We use them daily and enjoy telling friends and family about the McWhirters and their pottery.

On our way out of town, we stopped in at Grapevine, Ltd, one of my favorite shops. It’s a boutique featuring eclectic clothing, accessories, and home décor. We’re always welcomed warmly and enjoy browsing – and eventually making a purchase or two while we visit.

We used to travel to Yancey County several times a year to take our elders back to their homeplace and the Bailey Hill Cemetery, where both of my maternal lines are buried. Now, we are the elders, and our trips are much less frequent. But we both have ancestors from Yancey County and it’s always a treat to go back to places we remember from our earliest recollections and of days gone by.

Mark this event on your calendar for next year. It is always held the first full weekend of August.