Downtown Newton Development Association and Hickory Museum of Art are pleased to present in partnership the sixth annual Foothills Folk Art Festival. The festival will welcome guests from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in Downtown Newton, North Carolina.

The Foothills Folk Art Festival is a free, family-friendly celebration influenced by and displaying the spirit of folk, visionary, and outsider art. Thousands of guests are expected to gather around the 1924 Courthouse Square to browse and purchase unique pieces created by the nearly 70 renowned artists admitted to the festival this year. In addition to continuing a tradition of supporting folk artists while enhancing the economic and cultural vibrancy of Downtown Newton, the festival will feature interactive art demonstrations, hands-on art and reading activities for children, live music performances on two stages, food trucks selected to complement downtown eateries, and beer gardens stocked with craft, domestic, and imported brews sure to quench your thirst as you explore the award-winning festival.
The festival’s roster of artists from across the American South. Their work is executed in a wide range of materials, including wood, clay, metals, textiles, beads, paper, and paints, often in mixed-media combinations or in repurposed recycling. The art on display will include pottery mugs, bowls, and decorative pieces; jewelry; bird houses; sculptures; photographs; and paintings on wood, canvas, and metal in a variety of styles. This year’s performance lineup includes GMC Jazz, John Emil, Krystal King, The Mug Band, and The Southern Appalachian Cloggers.

Festival guests will have the opportunity to choose from plenty of delicious food options. In addition to Downtown Newton’s brick-and-mortar restaurants, cafes, bars, bottle shops, and bakeries, a variety of local food truck vendors are scheduled to attend the festival. The Corner Table, a Downtown Newton nonprofit that assists neighbors affected by hunger, will hold its festival-favorite Gourmet Hot Dog Fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Information about the festival—including a list of artists and representative photos of the art they plan to bring to the festival, a schedule of the day’s musical performances, food trucks expected to be present, answers to frequently asked questions, and opportunities to volunteer and sponsor—may be found at www.foothillsfolkartfestival.com. For the latest updates, like and follow the festival on Facebook at www.facebook.com/foothillsfolkartfestival