Dillsboro's Music on the Porch Festival Returns This Saturday With Bluegrass, a Cherokee Choir and a New BBQ Cook-off

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  September 3, 2026

The Appalachian Women's Museum is hosting its biggest Music on the Porch yet this Saturday, and for the first time it comes with a barbecue competition. The seventh annual festival takes over Monteith Farmstead Park in Dillsboro from 2 to 8 p.m. on September 5, mixing live Appalachian music with local food, crafts and a new cook-off.

Dillsboro sits just a few minutes from downtown Sylva off US 23/74, the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, and it's roughly an hour's drive from Asheville. For folks in Jackson County or nearby Swain and Macon counties, it's an easy Saturday outing. For everyone else, it's a good excuse to spend a fall afternoon in one of the region's most walkable little river towns.

What is Music on the Porch?

Music on the Porch is the Appalachian Women's Museum's signature annual event, built around celebrating the region's musical traditions while raising money for the museum's work. The museum operates out of the historic Monteith Farmstead and focuses on preserving the stories of Appalachian women. This year's proceeds will go toward making the museum's exterior spaces more accessible and expanding exhibits that connect Appalachian roots to the land.

"Music on the Porch, at its core, is a celebration of musical traditions and a time to bring the community together to experience and enjoy a shared history while making new memories," said Danielle Duffy, the museum's operations manager.

Who's performing this year?

The lineup leans heavily on Appalachian tradition, with folk, bluegrass and banjo performances spread across the afternoon and evening. The Cherokee Language Repertory Choir takes the stage at 3 p.m. for a performance rooted in Cherokee heritage, a nod to the region's history well before Dillsboro was a stop on the map.

What else is there to do at the festival?

The event is kid-friendly and built for wandering. Local artisans will be demonstrating crafts throughout the day, including leatherworking from Morrow Leatherworks, quilt weaving with Susan Leveille, and cornhusk doll making with Anna Marie. Kids can try their hand at paper-plate banjo making or head to the back lawn for games, and there's a tarot card reading booth for anyone who wants a little extra entertainment.

WATR, the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, will also host a nature activity near the hillside building facing the park, showing visitors how to measure water quality using macroinvertebrates. It's a small but genuinely interesting addition for anyone curious about the rivers that shape this part of Jackson County.

What's new this year?

The big addition is the Dillsboro Smokeshow BBQ Competition, the museum's first time hosting a cook-off alongside the festival. Visitors can sample smoked meats and sides across categories including smoked pork, wildcards and desserts, then vote for the People's Choice winners themselves.

Tasting access starts at $3 for individual samples, with a $25 option for a 12-ticket bundle. Anyone who wants the full experience can go for the $50 "High on the Hog" VIP ticket, which includes unlimited samples, 30 minutes of advance tasting, and a first look at the wildcard fixin's category before the general crowd. Innovation Brewing will be running a beer tent alongside the competition for anyone who wants to make an afternoon of it.

Is the festival free to attend?

Getting in the gate is free, covered by sponsorships from local businesses. There will be a donation booth on site for anyone who wants to support the museum's work directly, and that's really the only ask. Between the music, the food and the setting at Monteith Farmstead, it's the kind of low-key, community event that makes for a good weekend in this part of Western North Carolina.

If afternoons like this one make you start picturing what life in a town like Dillsboro or Sylva could actually look like, Jon Tharp is always happy to talk through what's out there.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Music on the Porch start in Dillsboro?

The festival runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 5, at Monteith Farmstead Park in Dillsboro. The Cherokee Language Repertory Choir performs at 3 p.m., with additional folk, bluegrass and banjo acts filling out the rest of the afternoon and evening. Vendors, food and the new BBQ competition run throughout the event, so there's no single must-arrive time, though earlier in the afternoon tends to be less crowded for families with kids.

Is Music on the Porch free to attend?

Yes, admission to the festival itself is free thanks to sponsorships from local businesses. A donation booth will be set up for visitors who want to support the Appalachian Women's Museum directly. The Dillsboro Smokeshow BBQ Competition tastings are the exception, with individual sampling tickets starting at $3 and a VIP "High on the Hog" experience starting at $50.

How far is Dillsboro from Asheville?

Dillsboro sits in Jackson County, roughly 50 miles west of Asheville. The drive takes about an hour via US 23/74, the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, and Dillsboro is just a few minutes from downtown Sylva. It's a manageable day trip for Asheville residents and a common stop for visitors heading toward Cherokee or the Smokies.

What is the Appalachian Women's Museum?

The Appalachian Women's Museum is housed at the historic Monteith Farmstead in Dillsboro and is dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of Appalachian women through exhibits, tours and community events. Music on the Porch is its signature annual fundraiser, now in its seventh year. Proceeds from this year's festival will go toward upgrading the museum's exterior spaces to make them more accessible and to expand storytelling exhibits tied to Appalachian heritage and land.