Musicians warm up for some traditional music Saturday at the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College. The festival continues Sunday with music, craft displays and other events.
Gretchen Cope of Natural Tunmnel State Park demonstrates a 1747 recipe for a steak dinner while dishwater heats up in a bucket and apple cider warms in a pot over the fire Saturday at the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College.
Mark Ramsey shows how nails used to be made before folks bought them at chain hardware stores. Ramsey and other craftspersons will return Sunday to the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College.
Dopey the cat enjoys the view from his carrier bubble Saturday at the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College. Dopey came to the event with owner Sydney Sexton of Pound.
Musicians warm up for some traditional music Saturday at the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College. The festival continues Sunday with music, craft displays and other events.
Mike still
Gretchen Cope of Natural Tunmnel State Park demonstrates a 1747 recipe for a steak dinner while dishwater heats up in a bucket and apple cider warms in a pot over the fire Saturday at the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College.
Mike Still - Kingsport Times News
Mark Ramsey shows how nails used to be made before folks bought them at chain hardware stores. Ramsey and other craftspersons will return Sunday to the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College.
Mike Still - Kingsport Times News
Dopey the cat enjoys the view from his carrier bubble Saturday at the 50th annual Home Craft Days at Mountain Empire Community College. Dopey came to the event with owner Sydney Sexton of Pound.
Mike Still - Kingsport Times News
Potter Kipp Brixey throws a pot while explaining the process at Mountain Empire Community college’s 50th annual Home Craft Days.
Mike Still — mstill@timesnews.net
Jack Harvey stirs a batch of lye soap on Saturday at Mountain Empire Community College.
BIG STONE GAP — Mountain Empire Community College’s Home Crafts Days turned 50 Saturday as it made a live comeback after 2020’s pandemic left it a virtual event.
What started as chilly drizzle and cloudy skies turned into sunshine and a warm fall afternoon across rows of tents housing crafts and musical performances for the first day of the event. Attendees could watch blacksmithing, soapmaking, textiles, pottery, wood carving and even the preparation of a good old 1740s-style steak dinner.
Home Craft Days continues Sunday at the MECC campus. Admission is free for all festival events. MECC is located on US Route 23 just south of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Parking and free shuttle rides for the festival will be offered at five locations in Big Stone Gap. Masks are required on buses, no exceptions.
Locations include:
• Union High School (formerly Powell Valley High School) — front parking lot
• Curbside, Wood Avenue, in Front of Food City
• Curbside, Municipal Parking Lot behind Post Office/Federal Building
• Country Inn
• Quality Inn
For more information on the event, visit the Home Craft Days website at www.homecraftdays.org.
