Cherry Bounce Festival

June 7-8, 2024
Head to Forest City (60 miles southeast of Asheville) for a festival that celebrates local moonshiner Amos Owens and his corn whiskey-based "Cherry Bounce" moonshine. A big concert in the Pavilion on Park Square opens the festival on Friday night at 7:30 PM (Gates open at 6:30 PM). On Saturday, 10 AM-6 PM, enjoy fine arts and crafts, live music, and a wide variety of food—along with samples from local distilleries. 

The festival is held at the Forest City Pavilion on Park Square (153 Park Square, Forest City) - complete with many food trucks. Festivities extend down Main Street to restaurants and businesses serving cherry-inspired drinks, dishes, and assorted items. Pick up a Cherry Bounce Festival Brochure at the festival that features a map of the Cherry Bounce Trail, a 46-mile scenic drive with natural beauty, historic sites, and memories of Amos Owens. 

Amos Owens, an energetic Irishman, was known in the mid to late 1800s as the "Cherry Bounce King". His Cherry Bounce moonshine was a combination of corn-based whiskey, honey, and local cherries from nearby Cherry Mountain. He began distilling well before the Civil War in the era of tax-free spirits. After serving two periods of enlistment during the war, he returned home to begin distilling again. During the war, a heavy tax was imposed on spirits. Owens opposed the taxes on alcohol and believed he owed nothing to the government. Often arrested for the production and distribution of his Cherry Bounce, Owens frequently had to pay fines and spend time in jail. Today his story lives on in his descendant, Josh Owens, star of Discovery Channel's "Moonshiners" and Lucas Owens, Brand Ambassador, South Mountain Distilling Company. 

While you are in Forest City, stop by the Rutherford County Farmers Market Saturday morning or bike/walk the 13.5-mile Thermal Belt Rail Trail. About 14 miles west is the Tryon International Equestrian Center with free Saturday Night Lights to end the day. See our Forest City Guide for more things to do.