Our History

1928: Asheville, North Carolina. Well-known musician and folk historian Bascom Lamar Lunsford organizes performers to present traditional mountain music and dance to the public in this first iteration of what will become the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. This first festival was held at Pack Square as part of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s Rhododendron Festival. Prize money was offered for the best dance group and the best band and the great tradition of the festival was born. Cecil Pless and Sam Love Queen organized the dancers for Lunsford.
1930: The festival separates into its own entity as the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and was held at McCormick Field. Shortly after, it moves to the Asheville Civic Auditorium.
1967: Shindig on the Green is founded by Jackie and Earl Ward, Bob Lindsay, and Jerry Israel with the help of other Folk Heritage Committee members, as a place for musicians to gather and play on summer Saturday nights downtown, at City County Plaza.
1973: Bascom Lunsford passes away on September 4th. The Stoney Creek Boys become the official house band for the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.
1974: The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival moved to the Asheville Civic Center from the Asheville City Auditorium, and then subsequently to the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in the same complex, where it remained until 1998.
1998: The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival is held outside at Asheville’s City County Plaza on the 4th of July. Rain marred the event and Mrs. Herron (Lunsford’s daughter) and the Folk Heritage Committee make the decision to move back to the traditional date, and back indoors.
1999: The Folk Heritage Committee moves the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival to Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place, to be held annually on the first weekend of August.
2006: The Folk Heritage Committee temporarily relocates Shindig on the Green to Martin Luther King Jr. Park, two blocks away, while City County Plaza undergoes renovation and transformation into Pack Square Park.
2010: Shindig on the Green returns to the center of downtown in front of the City and County buildings, which is the new Roger McGuire Green at the new Pack Square Park. The new elaborate stage at the park is named the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Stage.
2017: The Folk Heritage Committee moves the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival to Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center during construction at Diana Wortham Theatre.
2019: The Folk Heritage Committee moves the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival to its current location, Lipinsky Hall Auditorium at UNC Asheville, to be held annually on the first full weekend of August.
2020: As the Covid Pandemic which arrived in the United States in late 2019 grew to epic proportions, all gatherings were cancelled to try to control the spread of the virus. The Folk Heritage Committee, not wanting an interruption in Shindig on the Green in its 54th year and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival celebrating 93 years conceived the idea of a virtual production of the two events on the dates and times they were due to be held. Advisor Kent Withington had filmed two or three years of both while he was an active member and even though he no longer lived in the area he had continued to edit these recordings. When we enlisted the help of Charlie Glazener who was active with the Festival several years ago, he and Kent produced ten creative and entertaining shows made up of Kent’s videos with some newly filmed performances added. These were made available at no charge using a dedicated YouTube channel. Due to the vision of the Folk Heritage Committee and the dedication and creative talents of volunteers Kent and Charlie, the energetic dancing was brought into living rooms, the storytellers entertained folks quarantined by Covid, the music was lively, and Bascom’s legacy lived on without interruption.
2021: The Folk Heritage Committee resumed production of Shindig on the Green in Pack Square Park and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Lipinsky Auditorium. Another important change in 2021 was conceived initially by member Bruce Peterson. He was concerned with the aging population of performers and the survival of our Southern Appalachian traditions of music, dance, and storytelling. Young performers were needed to assure that these customs lived on. In 2021 the first Youth Talent celebration was held under the direction of Josh Goforth and Bailee Brandon.
2024: Another move for the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival now in its 97th year! We were notified that funds had been allocated for the complete renovation of Lipinsky Auditorium cancelling all reservations until further notice. Member Carol Peterson was able to secure Kittredge Theatre on the campus of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa and with the excellent cooperation of the Warren Wilson Staff we had a very successful production of the Festival and the 4th Youth Talent Celebration.
2025: Hurricane Helene’s devastation September 27, 2024, changed the world for many Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee residents and businesses. There was some damage to the Warren Wilson College Campus and the Summer of 2025 saw the closing of Kittredge Theatre for complete HVAC system installation. Once again the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival was forced to relocate and once again Carol Peterson went into action. The 98th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and the 5th Youth Talent Celebration were held in the newly renovated auditorium at Asheville High School with the cooperation of Principal Derek Edwards and the tireless assistance of Theatre Arts Director Lori Hilliard.