Center for Pioneer Life

08/29/2026

We can’t wait for our next History Happy Hour!! 🏞️🐟🌊

Our wonderful community has shown up and shown out during this seasons History Happy Hours and we are so grateful!

With that being said, we will be checking for RSVPs when you arrive. We have currently reached capacity, so if you have RSVPed and can no longer make it, please let us know so we can open that spot for someone else!

See you next week!

Hidden Rivers is Freshwaters Illustrated’s feature film that explores the rivers and streams of the Southern Appalachian region, North America’s most biologically rich waters.

08/06/2026

Can’t wait to see you all this weekend! Make sure you stop at our booth and get a bingo sheet to win a fun prize!!

Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair FAQ ❔ We've been seeing lots of great questions, so here are a few quick answers!

🚧 When do the road closures begin? Road closures begin at 2:00 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 6) to allow our artists time to safely set up for the fair. Portions of North Main, West Main, South Main, and the Town Square will be closed to vehicle traffic until the fair concludes Saturday evening.

☔ Is the Crafts Fair rain or shine? Yes! The Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair is a rain or shine event. Our artists have traveled from near and far to be here, and the fair will take place unless severe weather creates an unsafe situation.

🐕 Can I bring my dog? For everyone's safety and comfort, pets are not permitted at the Crafts Fair. ADA service animals are always welcome.

🚌 Where should I park? Free parking is available throughout town, with additional parking at the Rose's and Go Grocery lots. The Yancey County Transportation Authority will provide free shuttle service from both lots throughout the event.

🛍️ How many vendors will be there? More than 200 booths will fill Burnsville's charming Town Square and surrounding streets, featuring handmade arts, crafts, local food, live music, and more.

Have another question? Drop it in the comments or visit https://www.yanceychamber.com/events/mount-mitchell-crafts-fair for more information. We can't wait to see you this weekend!

08/02/2026

In this workshop you will learn how to use plants to create beautiful, colorful dyes for multiple uses.

08/02/2026

Join us as Julie Dixon shows her documentary "Melungeon Voices". Melungeon is one of the names given to a group of people who were first documented living in the mountains of east Tennessee and southwest Virginia in the early 1800s.

07/29/2026

07/22/2026

August Workshop: Natural Dyeing Workshop 🎨

In this workshop you will learn how to use plants to create beautiful, colorful dyes for multiple uses. You will create your own natural dyes from plants and learn to apply those dyes safely and effectively to fabrics, creating unique designs with colors that emerge from the forest plants of WNC.

Lindsey Warf is a fiber artist and gardener of vegetable, medicinal, and dye plants. She is a WNC homesteader who is establishing herb gardens, annual vegetable storage crops, and experimenting with natural dyes and wearable art in her felting/fiber arts studio. She graduated from Shepherd College with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design, and has been traveling, managing farms and creating fiber arts since then. Lindsey has experience as dye plant garden director and herb and perennial co-coordinator for the Appalachian Center for Agroforestry.

Learn more and register using the link below!

In this workshop you will learn how to use plants to create beautiful, colorful dyes for multiple uses.

07/20/2026

Join us for our August History Happy Hour with Julie Dixon!

Join us as Julie Dixon shows her documentary "Melungeon Voices". Melungeon is one of the names given to a group of people who were first documented living in the mountains of east Tennessee and southwest Virginia in the early 1800s.

📆 August 4th
⏰ 6:30PM
📍Center for Pioneer Life

Join us as Julie Dixon shows her documentary "Melungeon Voices". Melungeon is one of the names given to a group of people who were first documented living in the mountains of east Tennessee and southwest Virginia in the early 1800s.

07/11/2026

Due to the weather we will be closing today at 11:30. Sorry for any inconvenience!

07/11/2026

Happy birthday to our very own, Hannah Presnell! Thank you for all you do for the Center and our Community! 🎉🥳🎊