Dancers and musicians in colorful traditional costumes from New Zealand, France, Belgium, Indonesia, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, Puerto Rico, Ukraine and Hawaii are expected to appear in more than 70 performances during this year’s 29th annual Folkmoot Festival.

The two-week event will take place July 18-29 in Western North Carolina. Folkmoot performances can be seen in 14 cities, including Maggie Valley, Clyde, Waynesville, Asheville, Hendersonville, Franklin, Burnsville and now Cherokee. Cherokee has been added to as a new venue this year.

Other changes in 2012 include a date change for International Festival Day to July 21, the first Saturday of the Folkmoot Festival. The date had formerly fallen on the last Saturday of the Folkmoot event. However, Haywood County Arts Council, who has run International Festival Day even longer than Folkmoot has existed, decided to make the switch to draw a larger audience. The same weekend, Waynesville will host the Parade of Nations on July 20 and Waynesville’s Friday Night Street Dance that evening..

The Folkmoot 4K Race and Kids Fun Run is scheduled on July 14 this year — a full week before the Folkmoot Festival begins. The course is also changing to include Waynesville’s Main Street.

Maggie Valley’s Stompin’ Ground will hold the Gala Preview Performance and Reception for donors and sponsors of the festival on July 19. Anyone can attend this exclusive all-group performance.

Folkmoot was designated North Carolina’s Official International Festival and has been “One of the Top Twenty Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society for 21 years. Folkmoot USA attracts 100,000 visitors to Western North Carolina, helping local communities receive more than 4 million tourism dollars each year.

www.FolkmootUSA.org or call 877.365.5872.