Special events scheduled for June 2008 at the Vance Birthplace on 911 Reems Creek Road.  For more information about any event, call  645-6706.

Saturday, June 7, 1-4 p.m.
Quilting Program
Learn all about quilting from local Artisan Nancy Baker. Baker is an experienced quilter with extensive knowledge of quilting traditions in antebellum and post antebellum Western North Carolina.

Saturday, June 14, 1-4 p.m.
Weaving Demonstration
Explore the world of late 18th and early 19th century textile production, with Buncombe County Native Mandy Maude. Mandy will be demonstrating the art of weaving using a 200 year old foot-powered loom from the Watauga Region of the state.

Saturday, June 21, 1-4 p.m.
Lye Soap Making
Join tradition bearer Carolyn Rice, a native of Madison County, to learn the art of Lye Soap Making. This unique demonstration will show folks how to make soap, the old- fashioned way, using a cast iron pot over the open fire. (*In the event of rain the demonstration will be moved to the porch of the main house).

Mountain Music Program
Join Tony Thomas, a legendary old-time/mountain bluegrass musician from Tennessee, for an afternoon of pickin’ and grinin’! Thomas plays a traditional style of music he learned growing up in the coal mining towns of the Cumberland Mountains. In addition to performing, Thomas will give a short history describing the traditional instruments and songs he will be performing.

“Living History Saturdays” will be held Saturdays at the Vance Birthplace State Historic Site from April through June. All activities begin at 1 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Here’s the May schedule:

May 10—Appalachian Music Program
Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with an afternoon of melodic acoustic music. Primrose, a group of life-long musicians interested in preserving and sharing Appalachian and other styles of traditional music, will be performing.

May 17—Old-time Music and Dance Frolic celebrating Zeb Vance’s Birthday
Lace up your dancing shoes or bring out your lawn chair and help us celebrate Governor Zebulon Vance’s birthday with an evening of good ol’ mountain music and dance. Peter Gott will be calling dances and music be provided by legendary fiddler Roger Howell and the Carolina Old-timers. Festivities will begin around 5 p.m.

May 24—Open Hearth Cooking Demonstration
Meet Madison County Native Carolyn Rice in the kitchen of the Vance Birthplace, and learn how the Vance Family might have prepared “supper”. Rice has been demonstrating the art of cooking over the open fire for many years at the historic site and many returning visitors fondly remember her cooking!

May 31—Confederate Money and Appalachian Basketry
Join expert Larry Allison at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. in the Vance Birthplace auditorium for a glimpse into the Confederate currency system during the Civil War. Participants will be able to view some of Allison’s collection and learn about Zebulon Vance’s role in issuing Confederate money and bonds. At 2:30 p.m., local crafter Alma Lambert will present a program on Appalachian basketry. She will reflect on the Cherokee influences on basketry in this region and display several pieces of her work.

For more information, call 645-6706. The Vance Birthplace State Historic Site is located at 911 Reems Creek Road.

“Living History Saturdays” will be held Saturdays at the Vance Birthplace State Historic Site from April through June. All activities begin at 1 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Here’s the April schedule:

• April 5 — Fiber and Dye Pot Demonstration
  Explore the world of late 18th and early 19th century textile production, with two of the most skilled mountain weavers in our area. Artisans Ann and David Allison will be looking at two fundamental steps in the production of fabrics.
• April 12 — Appalachian Music featuring: Primrose
  Enjoy an afternoon of traditional mountain music with Primrose, a group of life-long musicians interested in preserving and sharing Appalachian roots music. Primrose performs with a variety of traditional instruments.
• April 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Long Hunter Encampment
  Join historian and artist Steve Ricker as he teaches about the men who made “long hunts” into the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee and the necessary skills they needed for survival.
• April 26 — Gunsmithing
  Meet Homer Sales, a native of the Fairview section of Buncombe County and observe him combine woodworking and metalworking to construct an authentic 19th century hunting rifle.

For more information, call 645-6706. The Vance Birthplace State Historic Site is located at 911 Reems Creek Road.