Sourwood Festival shines spotlight on local and regional artisans
Crafts, Honey, Music and a Summer Tradition return to Downtown Black Mountain
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 11, 2025
The streets of downtown Black Mountain were transformed into a busy pedestrian thoroughfare, Aug. 9 and 10, as the Sourwood Festival returned for its 48th year.
The annual summer tradition brought thousands of visitors and vendors to the Swannanoa Valley, where handmade crafts, live music and sourwood honey took center stage.
Approximately 176 vendors from across the region lined Cherry Street, Sutton Avenue, Black Mountain Avenue and part of Terry Estates Drive for the two-day event, presented by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce. The festival, which began in 1977 and borrows its name from the sourwood honey produced in the Appalachian Mountains, hosted a diverse array of family-friendly activities and artisans.
“It’s been excellent,” said Lane Jennings, a Port Orange, Florida-based woodworker who lives part-time in Black Mountain. “We’ve sold a number bowls made from locally sourced wood, including a pine reclaimed from the North Fork area.”
Jennings and his wife Jane, who attended courses at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, operate Lane Jennings Woodturning, specializing in hand-crafted bowls. The couple has now participated in the Sourwood Festival for five straight years.
“What I do is really a labor of love, so its nice to get out here and offer it up for visitors,” said Lane, one of 350 members of the Carolina Mountain Woodturners. “Most of the wood I use comes from this area, including Walnut from North Fork and Ash from Montreat, which is reclaimed through the CMW club.”
While many of the vendors were returning to the Sourwood Festival, others, like Carl Young, owner and operator of Young’s Backyard BBQ out of upstate S.C., experienced it for the first time. Founded by Young and his wife, Dianna, the recipes featured in the four flavors of sauce and two dry rubs produced by the business have been developed over 20 years.
“I love to make sauces for the barbecue I cook,” Carl said. “That’s how I got into this. I’ve always loved to barbecue, but I was never really into the sauces I would find in the stores, so I decided to make my own, and we’ve been selling them for the past six years.”
He brought Young’s Backyard BBQ to Black Mountain Avenue last weekend after a friend told him about the Sourwood Festival.
“They told me what a great market this was, so I decided to give it a try,” Carl said. “I've really enjoyed this festival, and I’m definitely signing up to come back.”
Artisans from Alabama, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and various locations throughout the southeastern U.S. participated in the 2025 Sourwood Festival, which featured offerings from leatherworkers, woodworkers and glassworkers. Sourwood honey, which is produced by bees collecting nectar from the flowers of the sourwood tree, was available at booths throughout the route.
Attendees seeking a break from shopping were treated to live music performances at the White Horse and The Grange, while buskers were situated throughout the festival route. Foot traffic was steady this year, according to Homer Franklin, who operates Combat Veteran Woodworking out of Waynesville, but the vibe was a relaxed one.
“There have been plenty of people coming through, and I think that’s because this festival is advertised well and has a reputation for being run well,” said Franklin, who was participating in Sourwood for the second year. “It’s really a great group of people involved, from the organizers, to the other vendors and the people who attend.”
The event is an opportunity for Franklin to share his passion for woodworking with the public.
“I have a little bit of PTSD, related to my time in the military, and it’s helpful for me to keep my hands and my mind busy at all times,” he said. “For me, woodworking has been a great outlet for that, and it’s something I’ve come to really enjoy over the past four years.”
Much of the imagery incorporated into his design is derived from his military experience, according to the artist.
“A lot of times I’m drawn to the images you see on medals, special ribbons or even flags and how that might work in a larger design,” Franklin said. “I’ll create it, put it into a CNC machine, write the codes for it, and the machine cuts it. Even then, there are mistakes I have to tweak until I get it right.”
While Combat Veteran Woodworking is a regular on the craft fair circuit, the Sourwood Festival holds a special place in the Western N.C. resident’s heart.
“It’s a great festival and one of the biggest of its kind in this area,” he said. “Being from Waynesville, I like that it’s close to home. From my experience here these past two years, I can see why the visitors and vendors enjoy it as much as they do.”
Photos from the 2025 Sourwood Festival can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.