There’s a certain kind of music that seems to belong to the Plateau. You hear it in the lift of a fiddle tune, the bright call of bagpipes across a green lawn, and the steady shuffle of feet moving through an old square dance at Helen’s Barn – or, if you’re newer to town, the barn dances at The Bascom.
It’s the sound of memory, of neighbors finding one another again, and of a community tapping its toe while remembering where it came from.
On Saturday, September 26, from 1:00 to 7:30 P.M., that spirit returns to Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park when the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC presents the fifth annual Highlands Heritage Jamboree.
The free, family-friendly celebration tips its hat to the traditions, music, food, and stories that have shaped this little slice of heaven we call home.
Highlanders have always had a mighty fondness for their mountain heritage. Generations before us worked hard, sacrificed much, and carried a vision for building a life in these hills. They knew community wasn’t something extra tacked on after the chores were done. When neighbors gathered, they brought music, dancing, stories, laughter, and something good for the table.
Festivities begin at 1:00 P.M. with the stirring sounds of the Highlands Bagpipers. The Highlands Historical Society will also share a historic moonshine display, offering a peek into one of the region’s more colorful traditions.
From 1:30 to 3:30 P.M., the U.S. Fleet Forces Navy Band: Four-Star Edition takes the stage with a lively, polished performance.
Later, the Foxfire Boys will fill the park with bluegrass mountain music, carrying forward sounds long at home on front porches and anywhere folks gather in the Southern Appalachians.
Highlands Smokehouse begins serving barbecue at 4:00 P.M., and a moonshine tasting will also be available, adding to an easygoing afternoon of food, music, and fellowship.
The celebration builds toward an evening finale with the Darren Nicholson Band from 5:00 to 7:30 P.M. Blending bluegrass, western swing, classic country, folk, and gospel, the band brings an authentic mountain sound that feels both timeless and fresh. A special guest square dance caller will invite attendees to join hands and give the old steps a whirl.
Admission is free, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Whether you come for the music, barbecue, history, or simply a September afternoon in the park, the Jamboree is a homecoming of sorts – a chance to honor those who came before and keep the music of the mountains playing for generations to come.
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