Folkmoot USA

Dr. Clinton Border, a Waynesville surgeon, went to a folk festival in Sidmouth, England, in 1973 and came home with a plan. He spent eleven years making the case that Western North Carolina — already committed to preserving its own heritage — could host an international folk festival. In 1984, Folkmoot began: two weeks each July when dance troupes from around the world arrive in Haywood County to perform. The name is old English for "meeting of the people."

The festival was designated the official international folk festival of North Carolina by the General Assembly. Groups from a dozen countries perform each year — street shows, parades, evening performances at venues across the region, including satellite shows in Asheville. For more than forty years, Folkmoot has connected people through traditional dance and music, bringing Ukrainian dancers, Philippine ensembles, and Appalachian cloggers to the same stages.

The organization now operates year-round from its headquarters at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville. The building houses artist studios — stained glass makers, mapmakers, musicians, yoga instructors, massage therapists. What began as a summer festival has become a cultural center where the arts are part of everyday life, not just a July event.