In a move that will raise some eyebrows and just as many questions, the decades-long dance festival put on by Folkmoot USA in Waynesville has quietly been eliminated. 

“At this moment, we feel that year-round programming will better serve Folkmoot’s mission and allow us to adapt to change,” said Folkmoot Board Chair Peter Christian. “By letting go of the fixed festival structure, Folkmoot gained flexibility.”

“Letting go of the festival was a hard decision, but not a careless one. It was made with the intention of preserving the mission, rather than the model,” added board member Jake Gilmore. “Survival depends on evolution. Folkmoot’s future will be defined not by what it stops doing, but by what it dares to become.”

With the beloved nonprofit cultural organization now switching to year-round programming, other avenues of revenue and possibility within its large facility and cultural footprint are being explored, and the future of Folkmoot is on much more stable ground lately.

“Folkmoot is growing. Rooted in the traditions that built it and expanding into something even more inclusive, creative and connected,” Christian said. “We’re reimagining cultural programming that reflects, serves and involves our entire community of Haywood County and surrounding areas.”

“Supporting Folkmoot isn’t about holding onto the past,” Gilmore added. “It’s about recognizing the rare and powerful role it plays in shaping a healthier, more connected future for this region. And that’s something worth fighting for.”

Meaning “meeting of the people,” Folkmoot was created in 1984 by local surgeon Dr. Clinton Border. Border was inspired by the folk festivals he interacted with while traveling through Europe in the 1970s.

“Over 40 years, that vision has grown into one of the Southeast’s flagship international events,” Christian said. “Long before ‘global citizenship’ became part of the mainstream, Folkmoot was fostering intercultural understanding through person-to-person connection.”

Border believed in the power and importance of cultural exchange and also knew the value Folkmoot could bring to the people of Western North Carolina. The inaugural event was held in Waynesville in 1984 to coincide with North Carolina’s 400th anniversary.

“Folkmoot is special because it blends global vision with small town soul. It doesn’t just showcase cultures, it creates real human connection,” Christian said. “It’s a place where people from completely different backgrounds come together, share a meal, exchange stories and realize how much we have in common.”

That initial gathering in 1984 brought in groups from England, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Turkey, Mexico, Puerto Rico, India and also performers from the continental United States.

“When Folkmoot thrives, culture, connection and community thrive. It keeps us rooted and open, local and global,” Christian said. “And it reflects who we are at our best — a small town with an open heart and an outward-looking spirit.”

In the decades since its inception, Folkmoot has hosted upwards of 200 groups from around 100 countries. Each group would not only perform at the Friendship Center in Waynesville; they’d also appear at venues around Western North Carolina during their visit.

“At its core, Folkmoot’s strength comes from two things,” Christian said. “Radical hospitality — welcoming everyone, whether it’s hosting international dancers or offering studio space to a local artisan — and people who show up volunteers, teachers, performers and neighbors who’ve kept it going for decades through sheer heart and commitment.”

Even though Folkmoot grew in popularity and scope in the 1980s and 1990s, a lot of things started to affect the health and well-being of the festival in a post-9/11, post-COVID world. Since the early 2000s, travel has not only become increasingly expensive (especially when booking/hosting international groups); it also has become more difficult in acquiring foreign visas atop rising insurance costs.

And yet, Folkmoot was able to hold on. But, the biggest among the many changes is the simple notion that the novelty of seeing something unique like an international group has shifted in a digital world where everyone has access to everything at all times.

“The world changed, and so did how we connect,” Christian said. “In the 1980s, bringing international dancers to rural North Carolina was extraordinary. It gave people here a rare, real-time experience of global culture before the internet, before YouTube, before TikTok. But, today, access to international music and dance is everywhere.”

Last year, the Folkmoot Board created a three-year strategic plan to aid in this transition and transformation of the organization as it navigates the future. This encompasses ever-evolving community outreach.

“Today, that means offering affordable concerts, hands-on art and dance workshops, studio space for local creatives and free community events,” Christian said. “We partner with local schools, nonprofits and artisans to bring cultural experiences directly to Haywood County — building something that’s not just for tourists, but for the people who live here every day.”

The plan includes several key points: “keeping the Friendship Center vibrant and financially sustainable, deepening our programming to reflect the diverse interests of our community, and building strong partnerships both locally and internationally.”

“We’re also embracing digital storytelling, so that the incredible stories and cultures we celebrate here in Waynesville can ripple out far beyond Western North Carolina,” Christian said. “We’re early in this journey and you’ll see more unfold as the plan continues.”

According to Christian, over 5,000 attendees came to the year-round programming in 2024, which encompasses an array of events from concerts to community activities and workshops. It also included the festival itself, last held in July 2024, which had shrunk down to a one-day gathering from its former glory of a two-week long extravaganza of song and dance.

“Now, we’re opening the door to a new chapter,” Christian said. “Folkmoot recognizes that moving forward will require adaptive leadership, fresh ways of communicating and the courage to continue shifting from a festival model to a full cultural ecosystem.”

“Getting to this moment took decades of dedication. Moving forward will take courage, clarity, and collaboration,” Gilmore added. “But, if Folkmoot can evolve with integrity — while holding onto its core mission of cultural connection — then its next chapter could be just as impactful as its first.”

Gilmore is also the owner/operator of Axis Yoga, which has its studio within the Folkmoot Friendship Center (formerly the Hazelwood Elementary School) in Waynesville. The small business is one of many now calling the facility home, with the former classrooms the ideal space for these entities to have a brick-and-mortar venue.

“Folkmoot has played a meaningful role in supporting Axis Yoga and its instructors by providing a platform to share affordable, community-based wellness practices,” Gilmore said. “Through yoga, singing, tai chi and dance, we’re able to create opportunities for connection, empathy and shared experience — strengthening not only individual well-being, but also a sense of positive group identity.”

Aside from Axis, there’s an array of other businesses within the center: Viking Stained Glass, Stone Cottage Band Instrument Shoppe, The Pollinators Foundation, Think Somatics and more. That number is constantly growing as Folkmoot continues to evolve the property and adheres to its mission of cultural exchange and community inclusion.

“What makes Folkmoot successful is the power of personal exchange. A perfect example for me was co-hosting International Yoga Day,” Gilmore said. “It was truly beautiful — the families, the hallways filled with people connecting, laughing and sharing. Outside, the field was alive with local businesses selling food and handmade goods, while yoga classes, tai chi, hula hooping and family-friendly workshops flowed all day long. To see Folkmoot quite literally bursting at the seams with our community moving, gathering and growing together — it warmed my heart like no other time in my life.”

With the legend and legacy of the festival now placed on the shelves of time, what matters most for Folkmoot at this current juncture is same thing that it took to launch itself those many decades ago — cultural intuition, creative input and community support.

“What’s going to propel Folkmoot forward is a blend of honoring its cultural mission, while embracing innovation,” Gilmore said. “A bountiful chapter won’t come from nostalgia, it’ll come from courage — to rethink outdated models, to bring new leadership voices to the table and to boldly align programming with the realities of today’s world.”

To learn more about Folkmoot, its mission and to see what’s coming up on its event calendar, visit folkmoot.org.

What’s new at Folkmoot

A cultural arts beacon of Haywood County and greater Western North Carolina, the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville hosts an array of events, classes and workshops

Upcoming concerts include Peter Mawanga Trio (Sept. 18), Free Planet Radio (Oct. 16), Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue (Nov. 13) and more to be announced in the coming months.

In terms of musicians, “World Drum Classes” will be held every Friday at 2:30 p.m. (adults) and 4 p.m. (family friendly, all ages), with the “Waynesville Acoustic Guitar Group” meeting from 2-4 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday of the month.

To note, for live music events, there are several options for admission, which includes “pay what you can” options for patrons.

For a full schedule of events and activities, visit folkmoot.org.