Small Beginnings

The Mountain Artisans Art & Craft Shows started in Macon County, N.C. in 1987. Only 8 artisans exhibited at the first Christmas show in Franklin, NC.

"We never imagined that, down the road, we would be headed to the wonderful Liston B. Ramsey Activities Center on the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina! (92 Catamount Rd, Cullowhee, NC 28723).

It is a dream come true. As the years have flown by, more and more artisans wanted a good place to sell their handwork and joined us. The southern craftsman is alive and well in this area. Many of us are descendants of the first settlers in this area. We grew up using heritage crafts and sleeping under quilts our Mothers made. The older generation inspired us with sewing, pine needle baskets, clay art, and primitive furniture.

We are hoping to preserve and share with you these vanishing crafts.

If you are visiting this magical area, we have an amazing Jackson County Chamber www.mountainlovers.com. They will promptly guide your plans to visit us."

You will find Original Art /Craft here.

Mountain Artisans' Art and Crafts Shows provide a marketplace for customers and artisans to meet. It is an amazing collection under one roof. You would have to visit dozens of shows to find what I have gathered in one place.

Cullowhee, North Carolina, is home to Western Carolina University. (Cullowhee is the Cherokee name for 'Valley of the Lily ) On the campus is the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center arena that boasts 18,000 square feet of climate-controlled comfort for everyone. It is home to the Catamount's basketball games, but two times each year, they move over for our craft shows. A great setup crew makes it all look easy for me.

Quaint Cullowhee Valley nestles off Highway 107 that runs up to Cashiers, North Carolina, from Sylva. It is a stop off of the Southern Highroads Trail Highway. All around are big, soft mountains. A footbridge crosses Cullowhee Creek to get to the show from the parking lot. It is peaceful to your soul just to be here. Click on the map to see how to get to Cullowhee, NC, from Asheville, Cherokee, and Atlanta.

Notes from the Show Promoter - contact me: Doris Hunter (828) 524 3405. (828) 421-8181

FRESH MOUUNTAIN WREATHS AND SWAGS will be returning to 'Hard Candy Christmas " show ! (November 28-29 2025

Robert Martin Cabe (Marty) is a 6th generation of the first settlers in the Macon County Cartoogechay area. He has been creating fresh wreaths from mountain greenery for some time. (He held the Guinness Record in 2005 for making the most wreaths in 24 hours)

He will be bringing his Christmas collection of swags, sprays and original cards. Each wreath will have local 'findings' like Frasier Fir, Boxwood, Holly, and native cones.

You can watch as he makes a special size and shape for your house.

An assortment of hard to find mistletoe will be there too. (The boys shoot it out of high limbs with a .22 ).

I welcome him as he is my cousin on the Cruse /Waldroop side of the family.

My Grandfather was a brother to his great Grandmother;"Aunt "Doc" Cruse Waldroop . She was famous and admired as an herbalist, doctor and true, mountain woman.

OUTSIDE EXHIBITORS : Jerry Stanley : Adirondack Furniture Jan Kleinrath : All things Canvas.

Come Inside. The Entrance Tunnel Has Some Exciting Exhibitors :

Tom Livingston's Piece by Piece Intarsia takes many kinds of woods and shapes them into amazing pictures. . www.piecebypieceintarsia.com Tom is a Christmas exhibitor.

Joe Livingston: Wooden Toys, Pens, and Boards :Joe is a Christmas artist.
Christie Walker, WOODLAND FARMS POTTERY
THE IDEAL GIFT- Ceramic Christmas Trees Ideal is a Christmas exhibitor
Sandy De Niear: Original Christmas Painting Look for her at Christmas .
Brock Family Woodcrafts, Ranburn, Al. Original turned Bowls and more

Katie Wall will be back for 'summertime" with her 'Sourwood Honey "

Welcome Jeffrey Nelson : Marquetry www.hudsonriverinlay.com

Christie Walker Pottery Art

Dogwood Crafters will be selling samples from their unique store and demonstrating vanishing arts.

They feature quality mountain handcrafts from their shop in Dillsboro, NC. www.dogwoodcrafters.com

Contact BRENDA ANDERS info@dogwoodcrafters.com

Arena:

April Coupe : Slate Pictures, Saws, Cutting Boards
Elaine Hyatt; Nature / Plaster Casting Nature Creations Plaster Castings FB

The pottery artisans will be back for Christmas:

Bob & Jean Mitchell : Hand Built Ceramic Art
Kay Wolf and Jolynn Matthews Local, Handmade Pottery
Welcome Back Mike and Cindy Hart Cone Design Pottery www.hartworksstoneware.com
Jessica Henderson UNTIL EDEN POTTERY She will have her Christmas collection
Julian Rohn Capellaro - Pottery

HAND CRAFTED SOAP:

Kelli Hubbs Mountain Soap Box Soap Box cold press
www.mountainsoapbox.com
Joanna Ormond Goat milk Hand soap / Kids toy soap /luxury lotion
Laura Craig Shade tree Goat Milk Soap

www.shadetreefarmsnc.com

Susan and Robby Jacobs LaBella Bath Products - Wood Craft

Cynthia Smith In Good Faith Essential Bath Products

Specialty Foods and Sweets

Fresh SOURWOOD HONEY and Gift Bags by Katie Wall

Contact : www.gwwatts.com

Terry Cook Delightful Dips A perennial favorite with her homemade dips, mixes, and southern meat rubs.
https//:www.delightfuldipsandmore.com
NEW ! Rebekah Moody 'Nothing bundt Cakes '
delicious flavors in small serving sizes www.nothingbundtcakes.com
Sweet Barn Kathy Crook
Carmel Corn. Fudge and old fashioned Candy
New ! Scott Seagle '"Scott's Food in a jar"
Canned Food and Button Crafts
Got Fudge ? Laurie Gordon Fudge,Toffee,White Chocaolate
Popcorn Chocolate Elegance Hand Dipped Chocolate
Kenneth & Janet Koppi
KJ Mini Donuts Mini Donuts and Soft Pretzels

WELCOME TO our Cherokee Artisans

Jacob Long : Prize winning nature photography

Other Special Crafts

David Pruitt, Another Place In Time, .will be back with his collecton of Churches and Buildings .
Susan Davis "Susie Q' Gourds and pine needle weaving demonstrations"
Nara Weatherstone: Chrysalis wing art
https://chrysaliswingart.etsy.com
"Cat Creek Mosaics" Dorinda Spaid, Franklin,NC
Shawn DiMauro: Franklin, N.C. : Decoupage
Pamela L. Volpert Author : THE TRIBE OF THE LITTLES"
Junetta Pell/Charles Paine111/Andrew Beck Baskets ,Chair Bottoms, Fine Art www.andrewbeckdesigns.com (Shown)
Heather Seaman, Pine Needle Basket Weaving, and Demonstration
'Scentsy"products www.marynutter.scentsy.us Mary will return next year
Martha Dobson :"Encouraging the Nations " Items from Uganda Missions
Torn Frames (Original Art by Nathan Davis ) www.tornframes.com (return next year )
Liz Bartholomew : Mixed Media
www.wanderingmindcrafts.com
James E Mills Raven Fork Rods: Fly Rods Designer and maker

Welcome Susan Mick: Mixed Media

Elvira Else: Laser Lanterns

Blanco Morris Papa Bear Originals: Organic Beard Products

www.papabearoriginal.com

JoBeth: Prather Prowl the Owl Owls made from Natural Materials

Rebekah Brown Rebekah Joy Studio : Egg Shell art

www.rebakahjoystudio.com

Summer Southards : The Brimmed Buffalo Hats

www.thebrimmedbuffalo@square.com

Rena Wilkins : Hand made Rag Rugs

The Fabric and Fiber Art Category

Elaine Arnold : Upcycled Denim
Heather Seaman , Pineneedle Baskets demonstrationg (Shown )

Sharon Blaine Turner Art Dolls www.sharonsimagination.com will return next year !
Mark and Susan Kennedy: Susan's Hand Quilted Purses and Mark's Photograph
Bev Bordchardt presents her 'Christmas " collections of Quilts, Wall hangings and Hand towels.
Ginger Rutland (SHOWN) Small Quilts .Holiday Decor www.gingerbreadland.wordpress.com

Nicki Russo: Mountain Life Fabric Crafts is affected by the disaster. Will return next year
Deborah Mc Leod - Ragged Edge Quilts
Judy Tobias Housekeeping Accessories
Randy Tobias Pottery Face Jugs
Margaret Downs Downs Sisters Magical Fairies and other special Things
Welcome Back Nina Hutchins "Knot Just Country " Aprons ,Dolls, Knitted Items
Mary Jo Brown : Knitted Winter Wear
Carol Apple "The Golden Apple" 18 " Doll Clothes , Dog Dresses, Bandanas
Theresa McKenzie; Macrame Home Goods
Carol Scannell Hand-Knitted Scarves

The Wood craftsmen

Jerry Stanley 's Fine Outdoor Furniture will be here !!
Mathias J Brewi: Fine Wood work
Gary and Lisa Reynolds : Wood Toys FB@greynolds67
Christmas Accessories and more
David Byers ''Riverwilde Wood Designs" Hand-Turned Wood & Resin Bowls www.riverwildewooddesigns.weebly.com
David S. Hedrick Wooden Toys has retired . Congratulations .
Betty Rickman Kitchen Boards by Betty will be back in 2025
contact for Keegan Watson Furniture and Turned Bowls www.handcraftedbykeegan.com
contact for Small Wood Trinket Boxes
www.creativepathworkshop.etsy.com
Kevin McKinney Wood Turner and Jean Molnar Artist MM Artistic Production
Curtis Dellinger: Antler Lamps
Steve Freeman Recycled Furniture www.papisbarn.com
Gary Cunningham Hand Crafted Knives www.cunninghamknives.com

Mary Miller :Ocean Palms Jewelry Oceanpalmjewelry.etsy.com
Angel Hudgins Stamped Jewelry for the Twenty something crowd "
Campbell's Creations Jacolyn Campbell will have chain styles, also
Karen Smryl -PolyClay Jewelry will be back next year
Frank and Judy Scott - Unicorn Fused Jewelry and Glass
Southern Highlands member
Faye Jackson Henry - Necklaces, bracelets, Earrings (be back next year )
Robert Doe /Donna Alley : Silver- Hawk jewelry
Rebecca Haas Jewelry,Gem trees ,Photography www.rebeccasgiftgarden.com

Dates for the 2025 "Hard Candy Christmas" are Nov 28-29.

Thank you for making it your first stop for original arts and crafts at great prices! Our area American artists and craftsmen are still making beautiful things with our hands and our hearts just for you! Come, have a mountain apple, a piece of hard candy, and shop from the best area artisans. You are sure to catch the Christmas Spirit.

In October, I will make my way over the mountain to visit Barber's Orchard in Waynesville, NC. I will reserve bushels of mixed apples. They will rest in the cooler until the week of the show. My favorite Cameos, Delicious Galas will be piled into the big basket on the ticket table to share with our customers. Peppermint pieces and mixed sweets will be in the antique candy jar to enjoy, too. It is my way of preserving and sharing our mountain Christmas tradition.

MEMORIES: The smell of freshly cut evergreens brings me back home when I was small. Then, my big sister led the way to bring home the family Christmas tree. It was always a cedar scrub tree picked from a neighbor's sagebrush field. She and I struggled through the briars and over the creek with our treasure. I fondly remember the year my brother came home from the War and brought bubble lights! Wow! Decorating that annual tree was unforgettable. No matter how lean the year had been, we got a stocking with an apple, orange, and, of course, Hard Candy. The name of my show is centered around the tradition of our mountain Christmas of celebrating Jesus' birth, it is truly the most wonderful time of the year, sincerely, Doris Cruse Hunter, your show producer

The Mountain Artisans shows are famous for featuring just the biggest selection of authentic handcrafted art and craft in this area.

Mountain Artisans promotes two events each year. The "Summertime" show is held the last week of June The "Hard Candy Christmas," a Mountain Christmas Tradition, is always the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Both events are held inside the Western Carolina University Ramsey Center in scenic Cullowhee, North Carolina.

It is centrally located only 45 miles southwest of Asheville, just minutes from The Great Smoky Mountains.

Each exhibitor at these shows is carefully screened to be the best in their field.

You can purchase original art and meet the artist who made it!

There is a wide selection of heritage crafts. Several of the old-time quilters still make them one at a time just for you. Goat milk soap

pine needle baskets and skilled woodworkers are here every show.

Some of the most skilled doll craft, leather craft, and master jewelers around exhibit with us. Many of the gourd artists have won awards in competitions.

Shoppers love Folk Art, one-of-a-kind birdhouses, and designer fabric purses. We have just the best artists in pottery and clay art.

Ronnie Evans is our live guitar strummer. He plays the songs we remember courting to. At Christmas, he brings good memories with carols that we do not hear much anymore.

It is worth the drive to get here.

You will understand why everyone who attends our shows just says: "Wow" when they attend and plan to come back next year!

Handmade Wonders, Crafted With Passion

Promoting an Exclusive Selection of Handcrafted Creations

Small Beginnings

You will find Original Art /Craft here.

OUTSIDE EXHIBITORS : Jerry Stanley : Adirondack Furniture Jan Kleinrath : All things Canvas.

Specialty Foods and Sweets

WELCOME TO our Cherokee Artisans

Other Special Crafts

Fine Artists

The Fabric and Fiber Art Category

The Wood craftsmen

We Have Some of the most skilled Jewelers and Glass Artists in Our Area.

Handmade Wonders, Crafted With Passion

Promoting an Exclusive Selection of Handcrafted Creations

Small Beginnings

You will find Original Art /Craft here.

OUTSIDE EXHIBITORS : Jerry Stanley : Adirondack Furniture Jan Kleinrath : All things Canvas.

Specialty Foods and Sweets

WELCOME TO our Cherokee Artisans

Other Special Crafts

Fine Artists

The Fabric and Fiber Art Category

The Wood craftsmen

We Have Some of the most skilled Jewelers and Glass Artists in Our Area.

This website uses cookies.