International festival has become a WNC tradition
BY GARRET K. WOODWARD • STAFF WRITER
CECE HIPPS President, Haywood County Chamber of Commerce
GAVIN BROWN Mayor of Waynesville Personally, Folkmoot brings the world to my doorstep. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled some, but to have visited the countries that have been exposed to me would have been an impossibility. The Travel Channel is great to watch, but Folkmoot brings the world up close and personal. Folkmoot has given Waynesville a unique identity. We’re at the crossroads of the world for two weeks every year. Just as important is the positive economic impact it creates. I can’t give you facts and figures, but in my estimation, we have been repaid 10 fold on our investment. I enjoyed the opening ceremony for the 25th event. It was my first year as mayor. (Former North Carolina) Gov. Mike Easley and his wife came to the event as I recall. I felt quite honored to stand at the podium and welcome the groups on behalf of the Town of Waynesville and the community at large. Quite obviously, the event will need to morph with current economic conditions. For instance, it is difficult to sell tickets to an event when the same performance is provided free of charge. Better housing may need to be located. Hopefully, Folkmoot continues to make Waynesville the doorstep of the world for another 30 years.
JOE SAM QUEEN N.C. State Representative, D-Waynesville Folkmoot is our state’s official international festival, and we all know how important global relationships are. It’s Western North Carolina’s gateway to the world and a great opportunity for our citizens, and a great reason to come to here. We’re the host of the world. It’s part of our southern mountain heritage. I really enjoyed the Siberian Eskimos. They were older, mostly women, and they were the real thing. They had a
Folkmoot is a great event that sets Haywood County apart from everyone else. It has a very loyal following, which brings visitors to our area each year to either participate or enjoy. It’s a given that our community should support an event with the magnitude and outreach of Folkmoot. [I remember] doing dishes at midnight, and experiencing the diversity and energy of the entertainers.
ANNE LOUGH Musician, Director of Folkmoot International Band “Folkmoot is Friendship, Folkmoot is Peace, Folkmoot is Harmony, Folkmoot is Love.” These are the words of the “Folkmoot Hymn” that is sung at the candlelight closing ceremony every year, and I think they express what Folkmoot means to me, to the wonderful dancers, singers and musicians who bring their culture and gifts to us, and to our community of Western North Carolina. As these words are sung each year, the powerful expressions of friendship, community, common bonds and experiences are evident on every face and in every tear. As director of the International Band, I see folks from all over the world coming together and “speaking” in harmony with the international language of music. And they are doing so with joy and abandon. The folk traditions of music and dance are some of the oldest creative expressions of all cultures, and, in the words of Cecil Sharp, some of the most stable and permanent. It’s fascinating to witness the similarities, as well as the differences in these traditions as the world comes to us. What a privilege for Waynesville and Haywood County to host such a cross-cultural exchange and have the opportunity to showcase heartland America with our down-to-earth, small-town values of friendliness, compassion, community spirit and a slower pace of life. These are images of America that we are all proud of and
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North Carolina’s International Festival
Bringing together world culture and Southern Appalachia traditions, Folkmoot USA transcends any and all barriers. Whether it’s language, physical boundaries or appearance, the art of live performance found at this international dance and music festival erases any differences by creating an ambiance that’s as embracing as it is unique. Entering its 30th year, the festival has solidified itself in the landscape of Western North Carolina. Alongside the thousands of performers who have visited the region during the past three decades are innumerable members of the WNC community who have taken part in and helped produce the positive message Folkmoot provides. They are business leaders, politicians and musicians, and everyday people who appreciate the festival’s character. The Smoky Mountain News caught up with a handful of these people to find out what they think about Folkmoot USA. We wanted to know what it means to them, what memories stick out and how they see the future for this institution of culture, creativity and camaraderie.
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great humor and were incredible people. One year, we had a Mongolian dance team. I was emceeing the world music stage in downtown Waynesville. Their band showed up, eight of them, and didn’t have any instruments. I thought they were lost, but then they each pulled out a mouth harp for their pockets and all played together. It was amazing. I love the idea that we cover all the continents. It’s astounding. I’ve always enjoyed, and my father before me as well, helping with the housing and the food. Good fresh, local food. There’d be hundreds of people from all different places. They were Christian, Muslim and Buddhist. Everybody would join together and talk culture, family, politics. Both of my children were guides, and it’s great that hundreds of young people from this area are personal guides and seeing the culture first hand. It’s an infusion of diverse culture. Folkmoot will continue to mature and evolve. It has a great format with multiple counties involved. They just need to stick with it, and secure their place, making sure it sustains with public support and private donations. People need to realize how important it is to our region – it’s the flavor of the world.
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