July 2012. When I was in the running for the open position of arts and entertainment editor here at The Smoky Mountain News, I had to drive from where I was living at the time (Plattsburgh, New York) to Waynesville (1,100 miles each way) for the final interview. 

It was late Friday afternoon when I rolled into the SMN newsroom, our old office which is now Church Street Depot (my former desk is where the beer cooler is now). Disheveled and delirious, I sauntered in and met publisher Scott McLeod. He said he liked my resume, but he couldn’t hire me until he saw how I was in the field (on assignment).

Thus, he handed me a camera and a notepad and said, “Okay, the Folkmoot festival is kicking off around the corner on Main Street. Go get me two stories from the event and we’ll talk on Monday about the job.” He locked up the office and walked off into his open weekend.

Now alone and left with my existential ponderings, I stood there on Church Street with two thoughts in my mind: “I can’t mess this up, I want this gig,” and “What in the hell is Folkmoot?”

Wandering onto Main Street, I could hear live music echoing down the corridor. On the far end, in front of the courthouse, there it was, the Waynesville Street Dance led by Joe Sam Queen. The special guest was one of the Folkmoot dance groups, from Slovakia. Pen and paper in-hand, I tried to get some quotes on-the-fly, but nobody spoke English.

Thankfully, I was able to finally track down one person who spoke broken English. I got my quotes, and I also was able to see first-hand just what makes Folkmoot such an incredible organization — this annual coming together of worldwide cultures in Western North Carolina in the name of diplomacy and fellowship.

And that exact sentiment remains to this very day. It truly does. Throughout my 13 years here in WNC and at the newspaper, I’ve written countless stories about Folkmoot, whether it be in-person interviews with foreign groups from around the globe or merely telling the general public what’s new and what’s next for this cultural bastion that’s held steady for several decades now.

The culmination of those experiences has not only enhanced my view and appreciation for world cultures, it’s also made me a better person. I don’t take Folkmoot for granted, nor should you. Which is why —with the recent announcement that the annual dance festival will cease to be, moving forward — I see what Folkmoot is doing and the endless possibility of what’s to come looking ahead.

The only constant in life is change, with that change a means of survival to find stability. Folkmoot will always retain one foot in tradition, the other in the realm of growth for survival. Sure, the annual festival is now gone. But, in my honest opinion, that opens up a lot of space, literally and figuratively, for Folkmoot to pivot and focus on other avenues of programming and partnerships.

It’s about maintaining a healthy, bountiful organization, all while taking a serious look at what’s best for Folkmoot, what needs to be done to ensure future generations are able to enjoy and partake in the events. So, instead of one big bash each July, there will now (and has already been) monthly cultural events offered to the public.

Live music. Dance. Demonstrations. Anything and everything remains on the table, just that it’ll all be spread across a calendar year to conjure a firm footing for the organization to thrive and push headlong into the 21st century and beyond. Go on their website (folkmoot.org). See what’s coming up. Purchase tickets. Immerse yourself.

Don’t forget, Folkmoot is here for your enjoyment, to get outside of your daily existence and experience something different, something unique and beautiful. That’s been the cornerstone of the organization since day one. And will remain so.

As I’ve always said, the true litmus test of the strength of a community and its residents lies in its support of the arts. Support Folkmoot. Support local organizations. Support arts and culture.