Western North Carolina boasts a strong tradition of talented artisans, craftspeople, and artists, all drawing inspiration from the area’s proud heritage as a creative and industrious Appalachian community. As you stroll through Main Street in Waynesville during one of our many annual festivals, such as the Arts and Crafts Festival in Mid-October or the Appalachian Heritage Festival in the spring, there are countless amazing artists and artisans offering their unique handmade goods and artworks. Haywood County is a great place to immerse yourself in these deep-rooted mountain traditions and learn from the best. We have so many great shops, organizations, galleries, and venues where you can take a class, experience a demonstration or simply learn about Appalachian culture by visiting or interacting with experts in areas like gardening, painting, pottery, woodworking, leather goods, jewelry, fiber crafts, music and more.
In this post, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top spots in our region to explore for a memorable cultural experience during your visit to Waynesville. Taking a jewelry-making or pottery class, attending a demonstration by an artist, woodworker, or leather-goods maker, or signing up for a short seminar or workshop is a great way to dive into the culture of our town during your trip. It’s another amazing chance to make unforgettable memories in our little slice of paradise here in the mountains.
Here’s our list of some fabulous organizations to check out and some great class, workshop, and demonstration options at each:
Haywood Community College Continuing Education – Nestled in a beautiful and state-of-the-art campus between Clyde and Waynesville is our regional educational gem, Haywood Community College (‘HCC’). HCC has a great continuing education program and in particular, has many shorter-duration Creative Arts workshops and classes open to tourists and visitors to our region. Innkeeper Brenda particularly enjoyed making her own jewelry earlier this year! A few interesting examples of shorter classes that can be taken at HCC during your trip to the Andon-Reid include enamel jewelry workshops, beginner rigid heddle weaving, or stained glass classes. To see their full list of classes available, with dates, times and prices, check out the links above. New options are added all the time!
Folkmoot Studio Events and Classes – Folkmoot USA is headquartered about a mile from the Inn and is a local champion organization for arts, education, and cultural traditions in our area. They host classes, presentations, shows, concerts, and festivals throughout the year and have great options for our guests. Interesting classes and workshops currently being offered include a folded bark basket workshop, drum classes, birdhouse-making, and stained-glass demonstrations. Checking out what’s going on at Folkmoot before your trip is always a great idea to add some culture to your visit.
Haywood County Arts Council – Another great organization in our area supporting art and artists is the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC). The HCAC is very active in our community, has a beautiful gallery on Main Street, and holds several popular events throughout the year across the county like the Appalachian Heritage Festival and the Smoky Mountains Bluegrass Festival. They also have classes, demos, and other programming perfect for short trips! Some great programs coming up in the late spring and summer include their Art and Yoga Series, Creative and Calm Neurographic Drawing Class, monthly Paint and Sip Classes, and much more. They also participate in Art After Dark, the first Friday of each month May-Dec on Main Street, and organize the Haywood County Studio Tour in September of each year. A great rainy day (or any day really) activity is their self-guided Quilt Trails of WNC tour, which takes visitors on a tour of the beautiful hand-painted quilt blocks on barns, businesses, and historic buildings throughout our region (one of them is on the Andon-Reid!). Check the HCAC website often for new events, classes, and tours!
Twigs & Leaves Gallery – Just down the street from HCAC is the Twigs and Leaves Gallery, which is a must-stop destination on Main Street. They also host frequent classes and demonstrations for visitors. Great events for May 2025 included mosaic glass, jewelry-making, watercolor, and fabric bowl demonstrations. The best place to keep up with what’s on tap at Twigs and Leaves is through their Facebook page!
Axe & Awl Leatherworks – One of the more unique businesses in Waynesville is Axe and Awl Leatherworks on Depot Street. They are very active in our community and even host a few festivals of their own. Their brick-and-mortar store is so much fun to browse and they also offer leathercraft workshops approximately once a month throughout the year. Leatherwork and tanneries have a robust history in our county and Axe and Awl are doing their part in celebrating that tradition.
And of course, there are TONS of other options in our area for great arts and crafts classes and workshops. A few others we recommend checking out before your visit for event and class details include the NC Cooperative Extension of Haywood County, Waynesville Art School, HART Theatre, The Ten Acre Garden, Waypoint Apothecary on Main Street, and Cold Mountain Art Collective. A great resource for keeping up to date on all the fun things going on in Haywood County can be found at the events page on the VisitHaywood.com website.
If you don’t want to take a class and just want to explore great local arts, handmade goods, and cultural history, be sure to check out the Shelton House Museum of Handicrafts, Cathy Bolton Design and Claywork, Mud Dabbers, The Historic Haywood Farmer’s Market, the Mill Town Farmer’s Market, the Frog Level Maker’s Market, and the new Church Street Studios. A bit further afield on your way to or from the Inn, you might explore the John C. Campbell Folk School or the Southern Highland Craft Guild.
We can’t wait to host you at the Inn and hope you find some amazing Appalachian cultural experiences to try during your stay!
Your Innkeepers,
–Brenda and Peter
