Black Mountain to host thousands for 47th Annual Sourwood Festival

Artisans, live music and family-friendly fun to fill downtown

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 1, 2024

The Sourwood Festival will return for its 47th year, Aug. 10 and 11, when downtown Black Mountain will welcome approximately 30,000 visitors to the streets of downtown. Photo by Fred McCormick

Handmade arts and crafts, live music and the sweet taste of honey will mark the arrival of a summer tradition in downtown Black Mountain, from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 10, and from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 11, when the Sourwood Festival returns for its 47th year.

The annual event, presented by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, is expected to bring approximately 30,000 visitors to the town.

Named for the sourwood tree and the aromatic amber-colored honey produced from its nectar, the festival transforms downtown into a celebration of bees and locally produced honey. Approximately 170 vendors will set up booths along Cherry Street, Sutton and Black Mountain Avenues. A portion of Vance Avenue, between Black Mountain Avenue and N.C. 9, will also host merchants throughout the weekend, while additional booths will be located at the parking lot below Town Square.

The festival, which was established in 1977 to bring visitors to town after the busy summer season, is a significant event for the chamber, according to executive director Melinda Hester.

“This is the largest fundraiser our organization conducts on an annual basis,” said Hester, who stepped into the leadership position of the nonprofit last January. “Our mission is to represent the businesses that belong to our organization, and this festival generates a substantial part of annual operating budget.”

Chamber volunteers began planning the festival last December, according to the director.

Presented by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, the 47th Annual Sourwood Festival will be held in downtown Black Mountain, Aug. 10 and 11. The event is expected to draw approximately 30,000 attendees. Photo by Fred McCormick

“The Sourwood Committee was already formed when I got here, and they have done an incredible job pulling this event together,” Hester said. “I am eternally grateful to the members of the committee for their hard work and knowledge of this community and festival.”

This year’s celebration will include popular attractions, including a pair of beekeeping demonstrations, a petting zoo and plenty of sourwood honey, while a few new wrinkles are designed to promote downtown businesses, according to Hester.

“We won’t have a food court this year, which is something that is in direct response to feedback from local restaurants,” she said. “Our goal is to encourage festival attendees to stop by some our amazing businesses. Grab and go food will be available at locations around town, and people can pick something up and go find a red rocking chair to sit and eat lunch.”

Live music, a staple of Sourwood, will be featured at downtown venues, including the White Horse, RailYard and The Station.

The Upbeats Ukulele Band performs at Cherry Street Square in the 2023 Sourwood Festival. The annual chamber of commerce event will return for its 47th year, Aug. 10 and 11. Photo by Fred McCormick

“It will have the familiar family-friendly atmosphere the Sourwood Festival is known for, with a few minor tweaks that we hope will help our local businesses,” Hester said. “This event is always an opportunity to welcome thousands of people to Black Mountain and show them all the great things this town has to offer.”

The weekend also highlights the dedication of chamber volunteers, she added.

“I think it’s important that people realize that volunteers drive this entire thing, because without them there wouldn’t be a Sourwood Festival,” Hester said. “Many of them have been working on this all year, and many others will be there working the actual event. The chamber is a small nonprofit organization with only two staff, so it’s impossible to overstate just how vital our volunteers are in everything we do.”