Experience the international celebration known as Folkmoot

Immerse yourself in world culture and folk dance at the Folkmoot Festival in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Folkmoot, meaning “meeting of the people,” attracts 100,000 people annually to celebrate cultural heritage and creative expression in Waynesville. Grab your tickets and mark your calendars for the last two weeks in July for exciting days filled with parades, carnivals, classes, performances and dance parties from cultures across the world. From China, Ghana, Poland and Turkey to the Eastern Band of Cherokee, Appalachian groups and more, dance troupes travel across the world to share their lives and traditions in the Smokies. You’ll want to plan to attend more than once; the festival hosts a new program of eight to 10 performing groups each year. More than 200 groups from 100 different countries have attended. In 2014, Folkmoot was named a Top 10 Festival by USA Today. The Southeast Tourism Society names it “One of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast” and a “Top 100 Event in America.”