2026 Appalachian Autumn Market & Fall Festival

October 3, 2026 from 2-6 pm

Celebrating the Craft, Culture, and Community of the High Country

Hickory Ridge History Museum | Boone, NC | Free Admission

Every October, the mountains put on a show. This year, we are putting one on too.

The Appalachian Autumn Market and Fall Festival returns to the historic grounds of Hickory Ridge History Museum for a free afternoon of local makers, live Appalachian music and storytelling, hands-on heritage crafts, tomahawk throwing, apple butter making, fresh pressed cider, food trucks, kid and pet costume contests, and enough mountain magic to carry you through the winter.

Bring the kids. Bring the dog. This is fall in the High Country the way it is meant to be spent!

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Location: Hickory Ridge History Museum, 591 Horn in the West Drive, Boone, NC
Admission: Free
Pets: Welcome on leash

Person dressed in historical costume stirring a large pot over an open fire outdoors. Hickory Ridge is a hands-on 18th-century history museum in Boone, NC for families and kids.
People browsing jewelry items at a historical museum fair. The display features jewelry, flags, and historical memorabilia on a wooden wall. Hickory Ridge is a hands-on 18th-century history museum in Boone, NC for families and kids.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

ALL DAY: Apple butter making, pumpkin painting, corn shuck doll making, candle-dipping, hatchet throwing, weaving, spinning demonstrations, self-guided cabin tours, and vendors.

2 pm: Lynn Patterson with a Discussion of the Junaluska Community

2:45 pm: Noah Smith Storytelling

3 pm: Kid's Costume Contest

3:15 pm: Pet Costume Contest

3:30: Orville Hicks Storytelling & South Arts Master Traditional Artist: Mary Greene

Traditional ballads, folk songs, instrumentals, and a touch of storytelling

4:30-6 pm: Open Old-Time Jam Session with Nobody’s String Band

All musicians are invited to join!

2026 Vendors

  • Boy Scouts Troop 109

    Selling FRESH apple cider!

  • Smiling woman with curly hair holding a black mug in a kitchen.

    Zyndl

    Zyndl is a small-batch handmade business specializing in candles, wax melts, and home décor. Using natural materials like coconut apricot wax, wooden wicks, and handcrafted vessels, each item is designed to feel cozy, bold, and elevated. Products include jar candles, wax melts, handmade trays, gift sets, and market-only exclusives.

    https://shop.zyndl.com/

  • A woman with glasses, wearing a plaid shirt, kneels next to a large white dog with icy blue eyes, at an outdoor market stall displaying hats and accessories. The woman is smiling and hugging the dog, which is wearing a harness. The background shows a white tent and colorful clothing hanging on a rack.

    Attagirl Boutique

    Attagirl Boutique designs and sells handcrafted accessories for both pets and people. Shop dog bandanas and bowties, as well as scrunchies, quilted makeup bags, and more—each made with care and personality.

    https://www.facebook.com/attagirlboutiqueboone/

  • Bethel Colony of Mercy

    Bethel Colony of Mercy

    Handmade with heart and purpose. Bethel Colony of Mercy's women's campus brings you handcrafted jewelry, wood ornaments, and mission-driven merchandise, each piece made by women on a journey of recovery and renewal. When you shop their booth, you are investing in something that goes far beyond the craft.
    bethelcolony.org

  • Copper Zen Studio

    Copper Zen Studio

    Copper Zen Studio handcrafts rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces using copper wire, gemstone beads, and crystals, each piece shaped by hand into something wearable and one of a kind.
    copperzenstudio.etsy.com

  • Love Child Cafe

    Making the trip all the way from Norfolk, Virginia for one afternoon in the mountains, Love Child Cafe brings specialty coffee, matcha, and gluten free pastries to the festival grounds. Funky, functional, and completely worth the line. Find them in the food court area on October 3rd and let them fuel your afternoon.

  • The Jackson Farm

    Located in Old Fort, North Carolina, The Jackson Farm is a small family-owned and operated farm. Their dairy goats provide raw milk that we offer for sale (pet quality per NC law), along with handmade soaps, lotions, lip balms and more on the way.

    They also offer fresh chicken, quail eggs, and duck eggs.

  • The Yarn Whisperer

    The Yarn Whisperer

    The Yarn Whisperer offers handmade crochet plushies and small-batch hand-dyed yarns. Plushies are colorful, one-of-a-kind pieces. They also offer a variety of crocheted keychains and scrunchies. 100% superwash merino wool is hand-dyed in vibrant colorways for knitters, crocheters, and fiber enthusiasts.

    https://theyarnwhisperershh.etsy.com/

  • Fern & Gold Permanent Jewelry

    Jasmine Towle of Fern and Gold will be at the Appalachian Autumn Market and Fall Festival on October 3rd offering her stunning permanent jewelry pieces. No clasps, no taking it off. Just a piece that becomes part of you.

  • Strawberry Wood Ceramics

    Strawberry Woods Ceramics is back for year two and we could not be more excited to have them again!

    If you missed them last year, here is your second chance. Strawberry Woods brings whimsical, fantasy-inspired pottery sculptures alongside beautiful functional pieces, each one handcrafted and completely one of a kind. The kind of work that stops you in your tracks and follows you home!

  • Merry Berry Confection Co.

    Festive, nostalgic, and impossible to resist. Merry Berry Confection Co. brings handcrafted Christmas cookies and vintage ornaments to the festival grounds, and we have a feeling you will hear yourself saying "my grandma had that one" at least once. Choose from beautifully arranged party trays of up to ten dozen cookies, grab an individual cookie to enjoy as you browse, or hunt for a one-of-a-kind vintage ornament to add to your tree. Equal parts delicious and delightful.

    www.merryberrync.com

  • J&R Top of the Mountain Pottery

    Handbuilt and made to last. J&R Top of the Mountain Pottery brings hand-thrown mugs, vases, and wearable pottery jewelry to the festival, each piece shaped by hand and entirely one of a kind. If you love something made with intention and built to be used, this is your booth.

  • Angel's Shop

    Step into a world of fantasy, folklore, and handmade wonder. Angel's Shop offers original illustrative drawings and paintings rooted in fantasy, cottagecore, and fairy aesthetics, available as prints and stickers alongside a small collection of personal care items including lip balm, perfume oil, and bath salt mix. The kind of booth you will linger at longer than you planned.
    instagram.com/witch.of.the.aether

  • Gregory and Gold

    Thoughtfully crafted body care and candles designed to feel like a treat for yourself or a gift worth giving. Gregory and Gold brings small-batch quality to the festival grounds with products made to be savored.
    gregoryandgold.pplx.app

  • Pink Moon by Tabitha

    Pink Moon by Tabitha brings a little magic to the festival grounds with a charm bar experience and a carefully curated collection of sterling silver and gold filled jewelry featuring semiprecious stones, beaded bracelets, freshwater pearl and leather wrap necklaces, and more.

    https://www.pinkmoonbytabitha.com

  • Fannon Farm and Craft

    Fannon Farm and Craft is a small business rooted in growing food and making art. Born from a love of the land and a leap of faith into doing what they love most, Fannon Farm brings handcrafted artwork and farm-grown goods to the festival grounds.

We are looking for VOLUNTEERS for our 2026 Appalachian Autumn Market & Fall Festival!

SUBMIT YOUR VOLUNTEER APPLICATION HERE!

Volunteer Opportunities:

Need volunteer hours for a resume or school project? We’ll sign off!

We need volunteers for:

  • Vendor Assistance - loading, unloading, packing, grabbing water, etc.

  • Child Supervision - at our KidZone; general supervision; refilling bubble trays, etc.

  • Museum Assistance - giving information and directions, taking down emails, assisting Museum Staff with random tasks.

  • Parking Direction - Keeping the parking lot flowing in an organized and orderly manner.

Volunteers will receive a Museum Pass for the 2027 season and 2 General Admission Ticket Vouchers for the 2027 Season of Horn in the West.

Vendor Applications are CLOSED!