Here’s a different sort of festival, scheduled in western North Carolina in May.
The inaugural Mountain Acoustics Luthier Invitational is focused not on music, but on the instruments used to produce it. Organizers have invited builders of fine guitars, fiddles, mandolins, harps, banjos, ukuleles, cellos, and dulcimers to display their wares and meet with potential buyers. There will be focus performances, but the real draw is the luthiers, and their instruments.
Everything will happen at the Burnsville Town Center in Burnsville, NC from May 24-26, located between Asheville and Johnson City, TN.
Nine luthiers have accepted invitations to participate, hailing from North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Most are small, or one-or-two person operations. Not only will attendees be able to see their wares and speak with the builders, many of them will also participate in workshops during the weekend.
Food and drink will be available on site during the festival, which is being hosted by the Yancey County Chamber of Commerce to entice visitors from nearby cities and states to discover their charming little mountain town. They boast all sorts of hiking and sightseeing opportunities to those who attend the festival.
More details can be found online.
