July 19-29, 2018
Folkmoot USA, North Carolina's Official International Folklore Festival, is a 10-day celebration of the world's cultural heritage through folk music and dance. The festival is headquartered at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville, about 25 miles west of Asheville, but performances can be seen in several cities, including Asheville, Cherokee, Franklin, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley and Hendersonville.
Two free events to see all the groups in downtown Waynesville on Main Street are the Parade of Nations (July 21, 2018, at 10 AM) and International Day (July 28, 2018, from 10-5).
For the 2017 Festival, we enjoyed talented groups from India, Netherlands, Slovenia, Argentina, Russia, Israel, Taiwan and Wales. The Festival will also include performances by the Eastern Band of Cherokee and other local Appalachian groups.
Folkmoot means “Meeting of the People” in old English and they certainly provide opportunities for cultural exchange. Audiences are invited to meet the performers before and after performances and during other Festival events. It is their intent to share cultural traditions with the broadest audiences, partly to ensure these traditions are not lost in our fast-paced modern world.
Our favorite Folkmoot event is International Day in downtown Waynesville, a street festival with performances, international crafts and much more. See our feature.
Performers demonstrate cultural heritage through colorful, authentic and original reproduction costumes, lively dance and beautiful music. During its 22-year history, over 200 folk groups from more than 100 countries have shared their heritage and culture at Folkmoot USA.
2018 Festival Event Schedule
Their calendar of performances will be announced in spring 2018. Please visit Folkmoot.org for additions or cancellations or call the ticket office, 828-452-2997.
Tickets
Tickets go on sale to general public in May. Tickets may be purchased online on the Folkmoot Web site, by calling the Folkmoot ticket office at 828.452.2997 or by contacting the specific venue.
See our Folkmoot Video
Folkmoot History
In 1973, Dr. Clinton Border, a Waynesville surgeon, accompanied a local square dance team to a folk festival in Sidmouth, England. There began the dream that would, 11 years later, become Folkmoot USA. Border was convinced that Western North Carolina, which was already steeped in tradition and dedicated to the preservation of its own heritage, was the perfect location for an international folk festival in the United States.
Despite language barriers and the inherent scheduling difficulties involved in getting foreign performers from their homes to Haywood County, Border believed something invaluable occurs when cultures so rich in tradition come together to share their lives. One month after Border's presentation to community leaders, a proposed board of directors met to launch Folkmoot USA, the North Carolina International Folk Festival. The first festival was held in 1984, a date coinciding with North Carolina's 400th birthday celebration.
Folkmoot does not provide payment to the groups for their performances. Instead, all expenses are covered by the Festival, from the group’s arrival at a nearby international airport to their departure from the same airport two weeks later. Folkmoot staff will prepare 20,000 meals for our guests and the familiar white “Activity Buses” will travel more than 10,000 miles transporting groups to performances.
While there are over 300 international festivals like Folkmoot USA across the globe, Folkmoot is one of only two similar international festivals in the United States. Folkmoot was designated North Carolina’s Official International Festival and has been “One of the Top Twenty Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society for 20+ years.
Each summer, the Brevard Music Center presents 80+ performances during a 7-week span. The BMC Summer Music Festival includes an exceptional line-up of symphony, opera,... read more
