Home Craft Days


john-mccutcheon-wayne-erbsen-rich-kirby-21-705x470.jpg


About Us

 The first celebration of mountain culture in the region was realized with the establishment of Home Craft Days in 1972. Since that time, the festival has served as an integral part of Mountain Empire Community College’s longstanding commitment to promoting and preserving the rich musical and cultural heritage of Southwest Virginia.

For more than 40 years, MECC’s Home Craft Days has featured musicians and artisans from throughout Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and Eastern Kentucky. Demonstrations of weaving, pottery making, grist milling, wood crafting, basket weaving, broom making, quilting, tatting and much more are offered, along with musical performances throughout the three-day event.

The 2025 Home Craft Days celebration will be held October 17-19, 2025 on the campus of Mountain Empire Community College. The event kicks off with a free Friday night concert on October 17. Saturday and Sunday will feature performances every hour on our two stages- Legends and Legacy. The Crafts Festival will begin on Saturday, October 18 from 10-6 and Sunday, October 19 from 10-5. Enjoy the food, fun, and friendship of Southwest Virginia and come home to the Home Craft Days festival.

For more information, call (276) 523-9113 or (276) 523-9114.


 

Celebrate the tradition of craftsmanship in the Appalachian Highlands with crafts from around the region. You won’t want to miss the wide array of gifts and mountain keepsakes from our vendors!

 

Warm apple butter and savory southern snacks are in store for your palette at Home Craft Days! Choose from a wide array of food vendors for a taste of the mountains.

 

Parking is limited on the Mountain Empire Community College Campus during the festival. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the convenient shuttle bus service offered by Mountain Empire Older Citizens (MEOC). Service is available from the parking lot of Union High School, Comfort Inn, Country Inn, Food City and the Big Stone Gap Post Office.

Shuttle Runs 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Shuttle Stops:

 Union 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

Jessie Lea RV Park and Campground* 

 

*(Friday concert pick-up and return available at this site)

All rides are $1.00 per boarding. If you have questions about the Shuttle Service, please call (276) 523-7468.

Southwest Virginia is immersed in rich, musical talent. Experience the quiet, soulful strum of the autoharp, the ringing melody of the bluegrass banjo, and the high, lonesome vocals of a gospel tune. The endearing harmonies and haunting ballads of our mountain music are regarded as national treasures.

 

 

Show Dates and Hours

October 18th– 19th, 2025. The hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Setup Dates and Hours

Food Vendors can set up from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 16th, 2025 or by appointment. Craft Vendors can set up from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on October 17th, 2025. For more information, please call Workforce Solutions at (276) 523-9113 or (276) 523-9114.

Vendor Screening

Entries by new applicants will be screened by a jury. All decisions by the jury are final. Photos of recent work are required.

Please e-mail photos to Kimberly Perry-Hampton at kperryhampton@mecc.edu or Lori Dingus at ldingus@mecc.edu or provide a URL to your website or Facebook page on your application. A Notice of Acceptance or Non-Acceptance will be emailed to applicants within 2 weeks of their application submission.

Acceptable Vendors

Quilts, Needlework, Woodcraft, Basketry, Straw Brooms, Corn Husk craft items, Woodburning, Leather Work, Lye Soap, Grapevine Wreaths, Chair Caning, Storytelling, Art-Traditional, Candle-wicking, Pottery, Candle-making, Wagon Rides, Country Carving, Crochet, Bees and Honey, Wooden Toys, Stained Glass, Portraits, Dulcimers, Porcelain Painting, Berry Buckets, Fiddles, Caramel Apples, Apple Cider, Rag Dolls, Banjo, Tatting, Weaving, Net Darning, Homemade Ice Cream, Goat Cheese, Apple Butter, Funnel Cakes, and Molasses.

Unacceptable Vendors

Plastic Canvas Needlepoint, Plastics, Velvet Paintings, Plastic Doll Faces, Plastic Fruit, Styrofoam, Silk Flower Hats, PVC/Plastic Pipe Items, Pre-painted Fabric (pillows and quilts), Pre-quilted Items, Stenciled Quilts, Moveable Eyes, Plastic Eyes, Purchased Baskets (all must be handcrafted), Fake Furs, Painted T-Shirts and Sweatshirts.

*No retail jewelry permitted–all jewelry must be handmade. No Swarovski or Ginger Snaps jewelry. All information vendors must represent **non-profit** organizations.

Registration Fee-Crafts

If you are accepted to participate in Home Craft Days, there will be a registration fee of $100 per craft booth (two parking spaces). All checks should be made payable to “MECC- HCD.” To avoid a $25.00 late fee, your application, payment of registration fee, signed contract, and W9 form (required by demonstrators and musicians only) must be received in our office by July 31, 2025.

Registration Fee-Food Groups

If you are accepted to participate in Home Craft Days, the registration fee for commercial food groups will be $150 per vendor space (two parking spaces). Vendors may request additional space(s) if needed, at the cost of $75 per additional parking space. All checks should be made payable to “MECC- HCD.” The registration fee for non-profit civic organizations, schools, and churches will be $100. To avoid a $25.00 late fee, your application, payment of registration fee, and signed contract must be received in our office by July 31, 2025.

Registration Fee-Authors

If you are accepted to participate in Home Craft Days, there will be a registration fee of $50 per author booth (one parking space). All checks should be made payable to “MECC- HCD.” To avoid a $25.00 late fee, your application, payment of registration fee, and signed contract must be received in our office by July 31, 2025. Printed Applications need to be mailed to MECC, Attn. Workforce Solutions, 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations and refund requests must be submitted by August 15th, 2025.

 

 

INSERT FORM

Insert form

Home Craft Days Sponsors