The Shelton House Turns 150, and Waynesville Is Throwing It a Two-Day Party

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  July 22, 2026

A house in Waynesville turns 150 this summer, and instead of a plaque and a handshake, Haywood County is giving it a two-day festival. Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend returns to the Shelton House campus at 49 Shelton St. on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8-9, and this year it doubles as a birthday party for the building itself.

The Shelton House has been home to the Museum of North Carolina Craft and History for decades, sitting a few minutes off US-23/74 and about 35 minutes west of Asheville on I-40. Admission is free, the event happens rain or shine, and after eight years the festival has grown into one of the better craft gatherings in the region.

What is actually happening at Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend?

The anchor is the juried arts and crafts fair, which brings in artisans working in both traditional and contemporary Appalachian forms. New this year is the Haywood Market, a separate marketplace inside the historic Shelton Barn devoted entirely to Haywood County artists and makers.

That split is a smart addition. The juried fair pulls talent from a wider circle, while the barn market keeps the spotlight on people working right here in the county. If you have ever wanted to know who is throwing pots or weaving or carving within twenty minutes of your house, the barn is where to start.

Both days include free self-guided tours of the house and the barn. The museum reinstalled its exhibitions recently, so even people who toured it years ago will see something different. The displays cover North Carolina craft traditions, Appalachian history, and the families and makers whose work shaped the region.

Live demonstrations run throughout the weekend, which is the part worth slowing down for. Watching someone work a loom or a lathe explains more about mountain craft in ten minutes than any wall text can. Add live music, food vendors, family activities, and a handful of local nonprofits, and you have a full Saturday without spending a dollar to walk in.

Why does a 150 year old house matter in Haywood County?

The Shelton House went up in 1875, which puts it a decade after the Civil War and well before the railroad reshaped this part of the mountains. Waynesville at that point was a small county seat, not a destination. The house predates most of what people now think of as Haywood County's identity, including the tourism economy, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Main Street that draws crowds every fall.

Buildings that old are not common here, and the ones that survive usually did so because somebody decided they were worth saving. That the Shelton House became a craft museum rather than a private residence or a teardown says something about how Haywood County thinks about its own history. The collection inside is not a curiosity cabinet. It is a record of how people in these mountains made what they needed, and then made it beautiful.

What does this say about life in Waynesville?

Free festivals with real substance are one of the quieter arguments for living in a small mountain town. Nobody is charging forty dollars a head at the gate. The museum board and a pile of volunteers put this together because the community shows up for it, and because that is how things work in a county of about 62,000 people.

If you are considering a move to Waynesville or anywhere in Haywood County, weekends like this one are a useful preview. Main Street is a short drive from the Shelton House, and the same August weekend gives you access to the Parkway, Lake Junaluska, and the whole Balsam range. The town has grown, but it has not traded away the part where a 150 year old house gets a birthday party and half the county turns out.

Come early if you plan to shop. Parking around the Shelton House campus fills in on festival weekends, and the artists who bring limited work tend to sell through by Saturday afternoon.

If a weekend like this one has you wondering what it would be like to live within a few minutes of it, Jon Tharp knows the Haywood County market well and is always up for a conversation.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend in Waynesville and how much does it cost?

Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend takes place Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8-9, on the Shelton House campus at 49 Shelton St. in Waynesville. Admission is free, and the event runs rain or shine, so a typical August mountain afternoon shower will not shut anything down. This is the eighth year for the festival, and 2026 is a bigger one than usual because the Shelton House is marking its 150th anniversary. Free self-guided tours of both the house and the barn are included, which is worth planning around if you have never been inside the museum before.

What is the Shelton House in Waynesville?

The Shelton House is a historic home on Shelton Street in Waynesville that now serves as the Museum of North Carolina Craft and History. It holds collections of North Carolina craft traditions, Appalachian history, and the stories of the families, artists, and makers who shaped the region. The property includes the main house and a barn, both of which are open during Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend. The museum recently reinstalled its exhibitions, so returning visitors will find the displays laid out differently than they may remember from previous years.

What is the new Haywood Market at the festival?

The Haywood Market is a new addition for 2026, set up inside the historic Shelton Barn as a dedicated marketplace for Haywood County artists and makers. It runs alongside the festival's juried arts and crafts fair, which draws artisans from a wider area. The distinction matters if you are shopping specifically for work made close to home. Visitors can buy directly from the artists, and craft demonstrations throughout the weekend give you a chance to watch traditional techniques in person before deciding what to take home.

How far is Waynesville from Asheville?

Waynesville sits about 30 miles west of Asheville, roughly a 35 minute drive on I-40 and US-23/74. The Shelton House is just off the main corridor through town, close to Waynesville's Main Street, so it is easy to combine the festival with lunch downtown or an afternoon on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Coming from Franklin or Sylva, you are looking at a similar drive time heading northeast. Parking in the Shelton House area fills up on festival weekends, so arriving earlier in the day tends to make for a smoother visit.