ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The oldest craft fair in the Southern United States returns to downtown Asheville this weekend with over 100 artisans and makers in tow.

Founded in 1948 by the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the semiannual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands will be held from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday, July 17–Sunday, July 20 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center. Tickets are $12 per person and available for purchase at the door. Children under 12 are admitted for free.

According to Janet Wiseman, SHCG education director, the fair is special among similar events in the region for the caliber of its crafts. Admission to the fair is juried and highly competitive, with just over 100 craftspeople making the cut for the July event.

“The thing that’s always been the main focus is the quality,” Wiseman said. “When you go to that show, you’re going to see things that are really well made. These are people that have dedicated their lives to their craft to a certain extent.”

There are 12 strict categories of items that might be found at the fair, including clay, fiber, wood, metal, glass, jewelry, paper, leather, natural materials, mixed media, book arts and printmaking. Those specific classifications were established at the inception of the fair, setting the event apart from a regular arts festival.

“We don’t have any paintings,” Wiseman explained. “A craft can be useful. It can be beautiful, but it can also be functional, whereas art typically isn’t functional.”

The four-day event will not only feature craftspeople, however. Another element of the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands that has been there from the beginning is live music.

“It’s always been a part of the show,” Wiseman said. “We’ve got two days, Saturday and Sunday, bands all day long. And that’s, of course, part of your ticket.”

Performances will take place on the arena level of Harrah’s Cherokee Center. A full live music schedule can be found at www.southernhighlandguild.org/craftfair.

There will also be educational opportunities, a hands-on maker table and craft demonstrations.

“We also have live craft demonstrations, where people can kind of make the connection as to how things are made in their minds,” Wiseman said. “Because a lot of things are made by machines and they just buy it at the store, that connection of how it comes from pieces and into a craft isn’t always made in your mind until you actually see somebody doing that.”

Seven decades in, the art of the craft is alive and well at the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands.

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