Greening Up the Mountains continues focus on environment
Greening up the Mountains is returning to Sylva for its 27th year.
File photo
This year’s Greening Up the Mountains, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, celebrates the 27th anniversary of the spring festival. True to its roots in the celebration of Earth Day and Appalachian heritage, the event continues to focus on local environmental stewardship and sustainability.
“Its namesake reflects the gradual progression of spring green moving up the mountains,” said Sylva’s Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters.
When the festival officially began in 1998, Sylva residents had been putting on smaller Earth Day and Appalachian events for years. But in 1998, these combined for the first time to create Greening Up the Mountains. That year, the event drew about 2,500 people.
Today, the festival has grown to host more than 12,000 attendees each year, showcasing heritage arts and local craftspeople, live music, demonstrations and food and beverages, while continuing to emphasize environmental stewardship and sustainability.
“Several years ago, the organizing committee wanted to increase the event’s environmental practices,” said Peters. “Over a three-year period, festival requirements were added to eliminate single-use plastics, plastic bottled water and plastic shopping bags.”
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Tuckasegee Water and Sewer Authority created water filling stations so that attendees can refill their water bottles throughout the day, and Baxley’s Chocolates provides festival signage to help people understand the county’s trash and recycling practices, complementing the Jackson County Solid Waste’s educational offerings at the event.
“Demonstration organizations also share their strategies with the public at the festival,” Peters said. “This year, Western North Carolina’s ‘Feed Me Foam’ truck was added. The group demonstrates how they distill a truck load of foam into a solid brick that can be used in other ways. The Styrofoam recycler picks up Styrofoam each month at Mark Watson Park.”
This year, Main and Mill Streets will be blocked off during festival hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Vendors will be located on both sides of Bridge Park music stage thanks to the paving of the lot between the stage and Lifeway Church as part of the upgrades to the downtown green space in recent years.
The festival will host over 160 vendors with arts and crafts and nonprofit vendors located along Main Street and Bridge Park. Food trucks and beverage vendors will be located on the Bridge Park lawn and in the paved parking lot beside Bridge Park.
The new public restroom facility is open beside the railroad tracks and there will be a ribbon cutting event for the new building at 2 p.m.
The day will begin with a 5K race kicking off at 9 a.m. Registration is available online at greeningupthemountains.com. The awards ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. The 5K starts and ends at 86 Mark Watson Park in Sylva, with all proceeds benefiting the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department.
There will be live music throughout the day at Bridge Park music stage.
10-11 a.m. TLQ+2
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Maggie Valley Band
1-2 p.m. Bird in Hand
2:30-4:00 p.m. Robertson Boys
In addition to the music at Bridge Park the Jackson County Junior County Musicians will be performing on the steps of First Baptist Church on Main Street at 1 p.m.
Blacksmithing and glass blowing demonstrations by vendors from the Jackson County Green Energy Park will take place in the Southern Bliss/Lazy Hiker parking lot across from First Baptist Church. Children’s activities will also be scattered along Main Street in the same parking lot and at Fusion’s Spa.
Jackson County Transit will offer shuttle service from the Jackson County Justice Center parking lot between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Cost for shuttle service is $1 per person, and the ride back is free.
Parking is available at Mark Watson and the Jackson County Library, plus other limited spots along the detour. Paid parking is available at Pinnacle Relief on Grindstaff Road and First United Methodist Church for $7 cash or $7.50 on a credit card. All proceeds will be used for church mission projects. Limited handicapped parking will be available in the lot behind the Sylva Police Department and beside Ward Plumbing, Heating & Air.
The event is organized by the town of Sylva and the Main Street Sylva Association. For more information, visit greeningupthemountains.com.
