October is full of festivals and events in North Carolina. Unending summer has put the breaks on the leaves changing but lots of little hamlets across the state are attracting crowds with fall celebrations. Our first stop was Belmont, NC for the Fine Art & Craft Fest.
The Catawba River Artisans is a group of outstanding, local craftspersons. Ms. Jocelyn Lavaud-Adams works with wood and other natural materials. I was especially impressed by her unique pens. She also had a cool French accent.
Joanne Ritchie makes one-of-a-kind jewelry with Swarovski crystals. Karen scored a heart-shaped necklace with matching earrings that compete with the sparkle in her eyes.
The next stop on our two-lane tour was Stanley’s Country Fest.
The people we meet on our village jaunts are often more interesting than the activities. We got to watch the gal inside this Frankenstein suit struggle to put it on and inflate it with her husband’s help.
The curators inside the Stanely Museum were very knowledgable about the town’s history and didn’t mind if we horsed around with the exhibits. They told us, “Most folks don’t have as much fun in here as you two.”
Claremont Daze bills itself as, “One of the most respected festivals in NC.” It was hot and “The Daze” had set in on this smallish celebration by the time we made our third stop. They did have a gospel group at the Lutheran Church, parking lot that belted out inspiring harmonies. Placement of the Beer Garden tent next to the stage helped keep peoples’ spirits high.
At the end of a short row of ho-hum, vendor’s booths Claremont’s firemen put some cheer back in this event for us.
Our last stop was The Vineyard & Winery at Catawba Farms. This is a working, 34-acre farm outside Newton, NC with a sign that warned of “Peacocks Crossing” on the drive in.
Jolene served our wine. She just graduated with an Entrepreneur’s Degree and was quite knowledgable regarding the wines we sampled.
Our 150-mile drive down North Carolina’s backroads to the foothills and home allowed us to visit friendly, small towns full of engaging characters. Exploring the byways is a great way to play on a Saturday.