Thirty-two High Country Artisans to Exhibit at the Valle Country Fair on October 21, 2023

Amy Lowery of Tiny Hands Pottery in Boone will be among the 140 artists exhibiting at the 45th annual Valle Country Fair on Saturday, October 21 in Valle Crucis. (WACphotography photo courtesy of Tiny Hands Pottery)

VALLE CRUCIS, NC — Thirty-two High Country artists are among the 140 exhibitors chosen to sell their creations at the 45th annual Valle Country Fair coming up Saturday, October 21. The work they will be offering for sale is all original to the artist, handcrafted and/or artistically created by the exhibitor.

“Although there may be several booths selling work fashioned in the same artistic medium,” said arts & crafts committee co-chair Carolyn Shepherd, “each artisan was selected because they have a unique style and point of view that differentiates their work from the others.”

The Valle Country Fair is held on the third Saturday in October (Saturday, October 21, 2023). The festivities spread out across a large hayfield on the grounds of the Valle Crucis Conference Center on NC Highway 194. Admission is free and parking is available in the adjoining field for $10 per car. PETS ARE NOT PERMITTED AT THE FAIR.

Held annually on the third Saturday of October, the Valle Country Fair is considered “destination shopping” for connoisseurs of fine crafts and for those looking to put one-of-a-kind handmade gifts under the Christmas tree. (Photo by Bill Barbour)

The fairgrounds teem with crafts booths, food tents, musical stages and demonstrations of harvest traditions like pressing apples into cider and stirring applesauce over an open fire until it becomes the thick, sweet condiment that is apple butter. Tents are set up along wide lanes that meander back and forth across the meadow. Bales of hay are stacked in the intersections of these walkways to offer fairgoers places to sit while they ponder which booths to visit next.

Exhibitors submit to a jury process designed to make certain that all work meets the Fair’s primary requirement “to be original in design, form, and concept,” as well as to ensure that shoppers will have a wide variety of artistic media to choose from.

“We have shoppers who come each year to see what new work their favorite exhibitors have added to their portfolios,” continued Shepherd, “and others who come to see what kind of wares the new exhibitors (who have never showed at the VCF before) are bringing to the mix.” There are 20 first-time exhibitors participating in 2023, which Shepherd says is a few more than average.

In keeping with the mood of clouds sitting above mountain ridges as they retreat to the horizon, the Blue Ridge Mountain mug from Tiny Hands Pottery is an example of the original handmade creations available from High Country artists exhibiting at the Valle Country Fair. (Paul Sherar photo courtesy of Tiny Hand Pottery)

“A surprising number of the artists tell us that this is their favorite show,” Shepherd said. “And these are people who travel across several states attending multiple shows a year.

“They like the people and the atmosphere, and they like the reason our community works so tirelessly to put on a quality event,” she said. “The artists appreciate that net proceeds from the Fair go back into the community to help those less fortunate. As a show of support for the mission behind the event, the artists donate 10% of their earnings back to the charitable work of the Fair.”

Over its first 45 years, the Valle Country Fair raised more than one million dollars for human services and emergency relief in the High Country. Last year the Fair put $55,000 back into the community through grants that support the programming of local non-profit organizations and through financial assistance to local families with emergency needs.

Recipients of grants from the 2023 Valle Country Fair are Amorem, the Children’s Council, the Community Care Clinic, The Hearts of Hospitality House, the Hunger & Health Coalition, Jason Project, Mountain Alliance, Parkway After School Program, Valle Crucis School PTSO and WAMY. The outreach committee at Holy Cross Church distributes all remaining proceeds to help local families.

Traffic to and from the Fair has improved greatly over the past two years since organizers created two entrances to the Fairgrounds. During the morning hours, traffic managers direct vehicles off NC 194 and onto the fairgrounds via two different gates, meaning that fairgoers spend less time on the road waiting to get into the event. When traffic arriving at the Fair slows down around mid-day, the second gate is converted into a second exit, allowing cars departing the fairgrounds to get back on the highway quickly and easily.

Dana Hogan of Day’s Crochet in Newland will be exhibiting again at the Valle Country Fair on October 21st, selling original creations such as the Danica Bag, a fun modern bag with a retro twist, and the Kalana Scarf, a triangle scarf with gorgeous texture. (Photo courtesy of Day’s Crochet)

The single-day harvest festival is held in a large hayfield located alongside NC Highway 194 between Valle Crucis and Banner Elk. Admission to the Valle Country

Fair 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.

Media sponsors for VCF 2022 are Curtis Media Group and Mountain Times Publications.

The event is produced by Holy Cross Episcopal Church in cooperation with the Valle Crucis Conference Center.

For more information, contact Holy Cross Church at 828-963-4609 or visit the Fair on the