Lansing, North Carolina, located in Ashe County, is one of the many small communities that was hit hard by Hurricane Helene last September. While the town has made progress in rebuilding, there's still a lot of work to do before its residents are fully back on their feet. This August, Lansing will be the host of Fly Around Fest, a celebration of Appalachia's musical heritage that will also serve as a fundraiser for several nonprofits working to aid victims of Helene.
"I've been really excited about the scene of musicians who are taking traditional Appalachian and folk music into new realms of experimentation," says festival organizer and Lansing resident Chris Jude. "I've wanted to organize a festival that juxtaposes those two genres of traditional and more experimental music for a while. After the hurricane last year, it felt like something that the community could use."
Fly Around Fest takes place on August 1st and 2nd and features an impressive lineup of some of the most notable names in folk music today. Headliners include Joan Shelley with Nathan Salsburg, and Myriam Gendron who will be making her first appearance in North Carolina at the festival.
"This was a dream lineup I had sketched out," Jude says. "When I started to reach out to people I couldn't believe how many of them were saying 'yes.'"
The festival will also feature performances from Durham based Magic Tuber Stringband, Black Twig Pickers, and many more.
Located in the High Country in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lansing is a "one stop sign" town with a population of 129. Jude says he expects around 400 people for the Saturday of Fly Around Fest and 150 people at the kickoff event the night before. "We know Lansing is a little out of the way for the average tourist, but that’s part of what makes this special," he says. "This is a beautiful and out of the way corner of the state that’s also the home of so much North Carolina culture." In the past Lansing has hosted other festivals such as the annual Ola Belle Reed festival and the Ashe County Fiddler’s Convention. It's also a popular destination for its scenery, cool temperatures, parks, and Conservation Properties.
Tickets for the festival are available now and can be found on their website where you'll also find information on lodging.
In addition to the festival, here are a few other places to check out while you're in Lansing.
Old Orchard Creek General Store
Friday night of Fly Around Fest kicks off at Old Orchard Creek General Store. In addition to the live music on Friday night, the store is a great place to grab local pastries, coffee, beer, groceries, and other items from local farmers and artisans.
Lansing's Farmer's Market is open every Saturday from 11am - 4pm at the Creeper Trail Park on the banks of Big Horse Creek.
Molley Chomper is a cidery and winery located inside of a remodeled schoolhouse that primarily uses fruits from small farms in the high country of North Carolina and Virginia. Stop by to try some of their ciders, or grab some to take home with you.
Hellbender Farm is a sustainably-run farmstead and sheep farm that offers "pick your own flowers" on Saturdays from June to October.
