Southern Affairs | July August 2024
As the dog days of summer reach the South, festival season kicks into high gear! There are several options for beating the heat and making the most of your summer vacation. Groove to the sounds of amazing musicians, chill out with a slice of juicy watermelon, or feel the warm summer breeze as you take a spin on a Ferris wheel. No matter what you choose, you’ll make memories to last a lifetime.
July 1-3
2024 Eastern Band of Cherokee 4th of July Powwow
Cherokee, North Carolina
Experience authentic Native American dancing, drumming, and tribal regalia at the Eastern Band of Cherokee Powwow. This annual event takes place every year around the 4th of July in Cherokee, North Carolina. Personal, spiritual, and familial traditions of the Cherokee combine with competition, for an exciting festival of drum, song, and dance. Hundreds of world champion dancers and drummers will compete in dazzling displays of Cherokee tradition. Vendors from around the country will be in attendance for you to shop for traditional Native American crafts, try authentic tribal cuisine, and learn more about the rich, ancient culture of the Cherokee. Stay late Wednesday night for an amazing fireworks display at 10pm. Please note that this is a cash-only event.
nativeamerica.travel/tribes/the-eastern-band-of-cherokee
July 18-20
Master Musicians Festival
Somerset, Kentucky
The Master Musicians Festival returns to Somerset, Kentucky with an amazing lineup. This three-day festival features The Wallflowers as headliners, along with 27 Kentucky favorites like Sundy Best, Ruen Brothers, Jeremie Albino, July Moon, and many more. The Master Musician’s Festival Kicks off with the return of Classical Night, featuring performances from opera singer Amanda Balltrip and the Somerset Big Band. The Master Musicians Festival is led by a non-profit, all-volunteer board of directors, who aim to bring a variety of musical styles and cultures to three stages, all for a great ticket price. For three decades, the Master Musicians Festival has been one of the premiere summer events in Kentucky.
mastermusiciansfestival.org
July 18-20
Johnson County Peach Festival
Clarksville, Arkansas
This longest-running festival in Arkansas takes place on the Courthouse Square in beautiful downtown Clarksville. The Johnson County Peach Festival has been held since 1938, and features a plethora of activities, including live music, a peach pie eating contest, a peach cobbler bake-off, turtle races, horseshoes, and beauty pageants that crown Peach Festival Royalty. There will also be plenty of vendors selling a variety of arts and crafts as well as delicious foods. The festival also awards a $1,000 scholarship to a Johnson County graduating high school senior as a way of giving back to the community.
www.jocopeachfest.com
July 19-28
W.C. Handy Music Festival
Florence, Alabama
This ten-day music festival honors Florence, Alabama, native W.C. Handy. Known as “Father of the Blues,” Handy helped shape the culture of blues music in Northwest Alabama and beyond. More than 200 events take place throughout the week, including concerts, plays, art exhibits, picnics, and more! Great jazz and blues music from local performers can be heard at local eateries, malls, and parks. The event is sponsored by the non-profit Music Preservation Society, which was formed in 1982 to preserve and promote the musical heritage of Northwest Alabama. Since its inaugural event in 1982, the festival has continued to grow and become one of the largest music festivals in the Southeast.
www.wchandymusicfestival.com
July 25-27
Cave City Watermelon Festival
Cave City, Arkansas
Cave City has been celebrating the “World’s Sweetest Watermelons” since 1980, and this three-day festival offers plenty of fun for the whole family! Live music begins on Thursday evening, and other activities include a children’s fishing derby, food truck war, free watermelon feast, seed spitting contest, pancake breakfast, car show, parade, prize melon auction, and so much more! In addition to the fun activities at the festival, local businesses will also be hosting special events. The festival has also become a sort of homecoming for many Cave City residents, and there are several reunion events on the schedule.
www.cavecitywatermelonfestival.com
July 26-27
Altus Grape Festival
Altus, Georgia
The Altus Grape Festival has traditionally been held on the last Saturday in July since 1984. This festival honors and celebrates the achievements of Altus grape growers from the past and present. Favorite activities at the festival include celebrity and public grape stomps, grape-related games, free wine tastings, and live music, with new events added every year. The amateur wine making contest brings in entries from all over Arkansas and surrounding states, and there are also juried arts and crafts booths and a wide selection of food vendors. An All-Ages Street Dance kicks off the festival on Friday evening, followed by a Breakfast in the Park on Saturday morning. Attendees also have the chance to tour local wineries and meet grape growers and wine makers from the area.
www.altusgrapefest.com
August 8-18
Missouri State Fair
Sedalia, Missouri
For a family-friendly event with lots of fun and excitement, plan a trip to the Missouri State Fair, which is held each year in Sedalia, Missouri. The Missouri State Fairgrounds span over 396 acres, making it one of the largest fairgrounds in the United States. Rock band Foreigner kicks off the Missouri State Fair with a performance from their Farewell Tour, and several other live music acts are set to take place over the ten days of the fair. In addition to hundreds of rides and games, visitors to the fair can attend tractor pulls, livestock shows, and craft demonstrations. Be sure to pick up a Missouri State Fair souvenir and do some shopping at the many vendors found throughout the fairgrounds. And, of course, no trip to the fair would be complete with some tasty fair food like loaded hot dogs, red velvet funnel cakes, jumbo corn dogs, and fried Oreos.
www.mostatefair.com
August 10-12
Hope Watermelon Festival
Hope, Arkansas
Watermelon is a summer staple, especially in Hope, Arkansas, where the Hope Watermelon Festival draws more than 15,000 visitors each year. The city of Hope holds three Guiness World records for the largest watermelons in the world. Fair Park hosts the three-day festival, which features around 300 arts, crafts, and food vendors, a children fun zone, a giant watermelon auction, and live music, with previous headliners featuring The Marshall Tucker Band and The Oak Ridge Boys. Other exciting events during the festival include the Watermelon Olympics Competition, a 5K race/walk, a golf tournament, a softball tournament, a dog show, and a “Watermelon Idol” talent contest. There is a wide variety of activities the whole family will enjoy, as well as delicious foods like local fried catfish and smoked chicken.
www.hopewatermelonfest.com
August 17-18
Piedmont Park Arts Festival
Atlanta, Georgia
Find your next favorite work of art at the Piedmont Park Arts Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. This two-day outdoor event places an emphasis on presenting visual arts for all ages and interests. This event features more than 250 painters, sculptors, photographers, glass blowers, jewelers, and leather and metal artists. The festival also features live acoustic music, artist demonstrations, a children’s play area, and delicious festival foods and drinks with healthy alternatives.
piedmontparkartsfestival.com
August 26-27
The Annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival
Lake Junaluska, North Carolina
Enjoy traditional Southern Appalachian string bands and clog dancing at this lively festival held in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. The festival celebrates the culture and heritage of the Appalachian region with performances at the historic Stuart Auditorium. Each night of the festival features free watermelon and an open tent show on the lawn before the main show of the evening. See some of the regions finest performers, including fiddlers, string bands, ballad singers, banjo players, buck dancers, and square dance teams. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of this event that keep the traditions of the Appalachian region alive for future generations.
www.smokymountainfolkfestival.net
