The Greening Up the Mountains Festival, now in its 26th year, is a heritage arts festival that celebrates the arrival of Spring through both traditional and contemporary forms of Appalachian art, music, food, and beverage which honor our community and local artisans. The festival is sponsored by both the Town of Sylva and the Main Street Sylva Association and will be held in Historic Downtown Sylva, North Carolina. The Greening Up The Mountains Festival enjoys crowds of upwards of 12,000 attendees and has 150 vendor booth spaces.

Our footprint has a slight change in the overall footprint due to upgrades with the gravel lot beside Bridge Park. This year our food vendors and some arts/crafts vendors will be moved to the paved lot on the opposite side of Bridge Park where the Farmer’s Market booths have been located. The Farmer’s Market is working on finding another area close to the festival to locate for this year. Plans are to also have public restroom facilities completed by the festival date.
In addition to a variety of arts, crafts, and food vendors, attendees can enjoy a 5k run, beverage arts featuring local craft breweries, and live music throughout the day.

​Be sure to visit both Main Street and Bridge Park to enjoy all the festival has to offer.

Greening Up the Mountains Festival
April 27, 2024 10 am - 4 pm

The Greening Up the Mountains Festival, now in its 25th year, is a heritage arts festival that celebrates the arrival of Spring through both traditional and contemporary forms of Appalachian art, music, food, and beverage which honor our community and local artisans. The festival is sponsored by both the Town of Sylva and the Main Street Sylva Association and will be held in historical downtown Sylva, North Carolina. The Greening Up The Mountains Festival enjoys crowds upwards 12,000 attendees and has 175 vendor booth spaces. In addition to a variety of arts, crafts, and food vendors, attendees can enjoy a 5k run, beverage arts featuring local craft breweries, and live music throughout the day.

​Be sure to visit both Main Street and Bridge Park to enjoy all the festival has to offer. Like us on Facebook to receive festival updates and information.

COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
​In honor of earth day and the Greening Up the Mountains festival origins, we are committed to sustainability. Thank you to Jackson County Solid Waste and our team of recycling volunteers to help us make the festival clean and green.

No single use plastic water bottles are permitted to be sold or given away at the festival. TWSA has generously provided water bottle refilling stations at Bridge Park and on Main Street. We are also giving away reusable water bottles at this year's festival at the information booths.
No single use plastic bags are permitted to use by our vendors. This does not apply to products packaged in plastic bags, such as kettle corn, or food items, such as pastries, that are pre-wrapped in plastic.
No styrofoam containers, including, but not limited to, cups and plates, are permitted. Vendors must use reusable or recyclable products (paper or plastic food containers are recyclable in our area).​
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​The Jackson County Transit shuttle will be running from the Jackson County Justice Center and Jackson Plaza to the downtown festival area from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on festival day. Rides are $1 per person. Pets are not allowed on the shuttle, but service animals are permitted.

TWO GREAT PARTNERSHIPS

The GUTM Festival is excited to announce its continued Partnership with the Jackson County Farmers Market, located in the Town Parking Lot next to the Bridge Park Stage, and a new Partnership with the Jackson Arts Market, located in the gravel parking lot next to the Sylva Herald on Main Street. Be sure to stop in and say hello to them on April 22.