Mountain Empire Community College Hosts 54th Annual Home Craft Days Festival, October 17-19, 2025

Mountain Empire Community College will host its annual Home Craft Days Festival on October 17–19, 2025, celebrating the unique music, crafts, food, and artistry of the Appalachian region.

The 54th Home Craft Days Festival will feature two full days of concerts, craft vendors, and demonstrations of traditional Appalachian arts, such as weaving, pottery making, grist milling, wood crafting, basket weaving, broom making, quilting, tatting, and more. A special free Friday night concert, co-sponsored by Wise Pro-Art, will kick off the event with an opening reception.

Friday, October 17 Evening Program Lineup: Jeff Little Trio, The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee, Tommy Bledsoe, Rich Kirby, Todd Meade, and Tyler Hughes.

The Friday concert begins at 6:00 p.m. in MECC’s Phillips-Taylor Hall Goodloe Center. Guests are invited to enjoy free Dough & Joe and Kettlecorn while supplies last beginning at 4:30 p.m. Black Bear BBQ will offer paid dinner options, and Mountain Rose Vineyard’s wine selections will be available for purchase.

Festival coordinator Lee Davis said, “This year’s festival will feature all of the incredible vendors, music, and food options that Home Craft Days is known for. We’re excited to welcome new vendors in all areas – crafts, food, and demonstrations. The staff at MECC love seeing our community come out to enjoy the music, food, and crafts.”

Craft and food vendors will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The weekend will feature performances from various artists across both days.

Admission to the festival is FREE. MECC is located on US Route 23 just south of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Parking and shuttle services will be available at five locations in Big Stone Gap for $1 per person, or $2 round-trip. Shuttle locations include:

• Union High School (formerly Powell Valley High School) – Front Parking Lot
• Curbside, Wood Ave, in Front of Food City
• Curbside, Municipal Parking Lot behind Post Office/Federal Building
• Country Inn
• Comfort Inn

For more information, including a detailed schedule of vendors and musicians, visit the Home Craft Days website at www.mecc.edu/home-craft-days