Sourwood Festival set for 44th year
A sweet summer tradition returns to downtown Black Mountain
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 7, 2022
The Sourwood Festival is returning for its 44th year, Aug. 13 and 14. The two-day event will feature live music and nearly 150 vendors along Black Mountain and Sutton Avenue. Photo by Fred McCormick
Downtown Black Mountain will welcome tens of thousands of visitors, from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 13 and from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 14, when the Sourwood Festival returns for its 44th year.
The annual summer tradition, which features nearly 150 vendors, live music, pony rides and a petting zoo, is hosted by the Black Mountain-Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce.
The free family-friendly festival, which returned last year with a new format after a one-year hiatus in 2020, will open Saturday morning with the Black Mountain Tailgate Market at the First Baptist Church, and the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center’s Classic Car Show at 304 Black Mountain Avenue. Both events, which take place from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., coincide with the opening of the vendor booths.
The Black Mountain Public Library will host a pop-up book sale from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., while the Black Mountain Center for the Arts holds a Pottery Market from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Sourwood Festival returned last year, following a one-year hiatus. The Black Mountain summer tradition will be back, Aug. 13 and 14. Photo by Fred McCormick
Live music, which will be hosted at venues along Black Mountain Avenue and in Cherry Street Court, will begin at 11 a.m., with a performance by Émigré. The band, which focuses on traditional music of Ireland and Scotland, is one of more than a dozen acts scheduled to perform in the two-day event.
Parking for the Sourwood Festival is available at the Ingles Garden Center, at 550 N.C. 9, with a shuttle service provided from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Additional parking, and the shuttle service, is available at the former Bi-Lo’s building, at 205 N.C. 9.
A complete schedule and events and locations for the 2022 Sourwood Festival can be found at exploreblackmountain.com/sourwood-festival.