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Enjoy Music, Crafts and More, Support Local Charities at Valle Country Fair on Saturday

The grass is green, the sky is blue, the air is fresh and the sun is out — perfect festival weather, right? We think so. Folks in Valle Crucis are hard at work preparing for this weekend’s annual Valle Country Fair, getting everything ready for you to enjoy all of the splendor of autumn in this beautiful community. Pictured below you can see event coordinators marking off land prepping the grounds of the Valle Crucis Conference Center to host an array of local vendors. Check out these photos and read below for everything you need to know about the fair on Saturday.

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Event workers prepare for the Valle Country Fair on Tuesday. Photo by Ken Ketchie.
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Event workers prepare for the Valle Country Fair on Tuesday. Photo by Ken Ketchie.
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Event workers prepare for the Valle Country Fair on Tuesday. Photo by Ken Ketchie.

ABOUT THE FAIR

The colors, flavors, sights and sounds of harvest season in the Blue Ridge Mountains all come together at the Valle Country Fair in scenic Valle Crucis, North Carolina, from 8 a.m until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.  Started as a fundraiser for a little country church, it has grown into an annual happening that attracts thousands and raised more than $50,000 for High Country charities in 2014.

Mike Halus takes a turn stirring apple butter at the Valle Country Fair.  Apple sauce, sugar and spices bubble for hours in a copper pot over a wood fire, cooking down into a sweet condiment.
Mike Halus takes a turn stirring apple butter at the Valle Country Fair. Apple sauce, sugar and spices bubble for hours in a copper pot over a wood fire, cooking down into a sweet condiment.

Always held in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, on the third Saturday in October, the Valle Country Fair takes over the grounds of the Valle Crucis Conference Center at the intersection of NC Highway 194 and Dutch Creek Road from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Admission is free and ample parking is available in the adjoining field for $10 per car.  Pets are not allowed.  ATM machines are available in two locations.

The Fair takes place in a huge meadow between a picturesque red barn and a field of sorghum.  The tents of 150 craft exhibitors line wide lanes that meander back and forth across the grounds.  Bales of hay are stacked in the intersections of these alleys to offer fairgoers a spot to sit as they ponder which craft booths to visit next.

Exhibitors are juried to find the highest quality handmade crafts available, and to insure that there are a wide variety of unique products available for the shoppers.  Exhibitors selected for the event donate at least 10 percent of their earnings back to the charitable work of the Fair.

Two stages are set up to provide entertainment throughout the day.  The stage located near the dining tent features the best in local mountain music.  The youth stage feature cloggers and other younger performers.  In the activity area sponsored by the Valle Crucis School and Valle Crucis Community Park, children and families can enjoy live alpacas, face painters, sand artists, old-fashioned carnival games, pumpkin carving and arts and crafts.

Eat all you want at the Valle Country Fair because almost all of the food concessions are operated by the church or by other non-profit organizations that return 100 percent of their earnings to local charities.  Tables and chairs are provided under a large tent next to the music stage so that fairgoers can enjoy the entertainment while they dine.

Food concessions include Brunswick Stew, barbecue, chili, hot dogs and hamburgers, corndogs, sausage with onions, ham biscuits, ice cream, funnel cakes, baked goods, jams and jellies, freshly-pressed apple cider and apple butter cooked on the grounds.

The 2015 Valle Country Fair grant recipients are the Children’s Council, the Community Care Clinic, High Country Care Givers, High Country Community Health, Hospitality House, the Hunger and Health Coalition, Parent to Parent Family Network, Reaching Avery Ministry, Volunteer Avery County and the Western Youth Network.  The outreach committee at Holy Cross Church distributes all remaining proceeds to individuals and families in crisis.

Admission is FREE and parking is available in the adjoining field for $10 per car, $25 for a small bus or van, and $50 for a motor coach.  NO PETS are allowed.  Holy Cross Episcopal Church and the Valle Crucis Conference Center sponsor the event. All proceeds go to help people in need.  For more information, contact Holy Cross Church at 828-963-4609 or visit the Fair on the Web at www.vallecountryfair.org.