Heritage Festival attracts thousands of visitors in ‘25

Notes on several artifact displays explain what they are and where they come from, such as the closet of clothes in the bedroom or the delicate egg basket and vintage refrigerator set up in the kitchen.

The annex held a quilting demonstration, jewelry sales and, uniquely, blow darts and other Native American crafts.

Inspired by watching a demonstration at the Oconaluftee Indian Village when he was very young, Daniel “Tucker” Price set about learning how to do it himself.

Wrapped on one end with thistle down, the carved shafts of the dart are capable of taking down small game such as rabbits and birds, or, in one true story Price shared, mice that wander into the living room.

Price is dedicated to his hobby, which he can practice for free by gathering thistle from the side of the road. He has even fashioned guns for those darts from cane and tries to replicate as much as he can the practices of traditional Cherokee crafters.

Down in the Payne Cabin, volunteer Cindy Rafter educated guests of all ages what life was like for the typical Appalachian family in the 1800s and early 1900s, although she admits that “people have lived like this for thousands of years.”

Constructed in 1861, the cabin is filled with authentic furniture and tools that would have been staples for farming families. Rafter knows how to use them and even prepares meals for visitors who pass through the historical building using methods her own ancestors would have followed.

“I love for children to learn history; it’s very important,” Rafter stated after greeting a group of families who squeezed into the one-room house on Saturday. She kindly offered them her stone-ground cornbread topped with churned butter.

Although there were fewer vendors compared to years past, there was room made on the lawn to fit two bouncy houses and more kids’ activities. Tucked on the far end of the property, children had a whole station just for them to get their faces painted and enjoy “old-timey” activities like panning for gold and making cornhusk dolls.

“It’s one of the most beautiful places you can come,” Dickson Lester said of the festival before playing with his band, the Mars Hill Porch Pickers. He enjoyed walking around with his great-grandson between performances and “loves” perpetuating art built on his own heritage.

“If you haven’t been to the Mountain Heritage Festival, you need to come up and experience it just once in your lifetime and you’ll be back every year like we have,” Lester encouraged.

As part of the big crowd enjoying that music, Bill and Debbie Pyszka sat in the shade of the porch, snacking on kettle corn. They were on their second visit of the day after having dropped their pet pooch back at home just six miles away.

“They’ve done a really good job this year. I think they upped the ante from last year,” said Debbie. “This is the first time I’ve walked down and realized how big this place is.”

Bill Pyszka is actually one of the volunteers helping to reconstruct the historic Collins Cabin. Although guests couldn’t go inside, there were some signs hanging out front that detailed a bit of the history of the old home, and all the entertainment took place from its porch.

“It’s like 90% done, so we still have a little more to go, but it’s fine,” Bill admitted about being able to see his hard work standing, included in the festival. “Overall, the whole town’s really cool, quite honestly … It’s great. As you get older, you want something to do other than sit down and lay on the couch, so you can come down here and work on the cabin.”

“I’m proud to be a citizen of Blairsville,” Debbie said before going on to commend the event’s organizers. “I think they do a fine job, they really do. They worked hard on (the Heritage Festival).”