Sourwood Festival swings by for a weekend of fun and games

Downtown Black Mountain hosts visitors, vendors and a variety of activities in annual Chamber event

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 11, 2024

Downtown streets and sidewalks were filled with thousands of people, Aug. 10 and 11, when the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce presented the 47th Annual Sourwood Festival.

The local summer tradition, which featured approximately 170 vendors, a petting zoo and an array of entertainment, transformed the central business district into an outdoor market.

The event, organized and staffed by chamber volunteers, is the nonprofit organization’s largest yearly fundraiser, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to the Swannanoa Valley to close out the busy summer season.

Artisans and makers from Appalachia and beyond offered hand-crafted jewelry, clothing, glasswork, art and additional wares, while interactive displays included honeybee and chainsaw carving demonstrations. Local Girl Scouts held potato sack and egg races in town square, as Boy Scouts provided slingshot tutorials and target practice, nearby.

The 2024 Sourwood Festival introduced a few minor changes, including a wider layout that extended to the southern end of Ridgeway Avenue. The RailYard, Town Pump, Monte Vista and White Horse hosted live music throughout the weekend.

Photos of the 2024 Sourwood Festival can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.