PRESS RELEASE
June 9, 2025 from Graham County Travel & Tourism
The Flame Azalea Festival celebrates a rare stand of native flame azaleas on Hooper Bald in the Nantahala Forest. This year’s festival takes place this Saturday, June 14th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at 301 Sweetwater Rd.
The day is filled with arts & crafts, music, food trucks, and educational activities, including guided hikes at Hooper Bald courtesy of the Partners of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. Hikes are Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and on Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Come out and learn all about native azaleas with the Azalea Society of America, the NC Arboretum, the Graham County Extension Office, and Betty Satterfield of Satterfield’s Briarpatch. Learn how to track the timing of their bloom with a phenology wheel from naturalist Grey Lakey. Discover the perfect varieties of azaleas for your conditions and purchase a Hooper Bald azalea for your garden!
There are so many ways to enjoy the day including glass blowing demonstrations with Devan Cole of Hot Glass Academy and printmaking demonstrations from this year’s poster artist, Anna Rose Garrett. There are Cherokee pottery demonstrations, a drone flying demo, an azalea propagation demo, fly fishing demos, and more.
There is also a Jam tent for local musicians to gather and pick together. Below are a few scheduled activities that you don’t want to miss.
Activity Schedule:
11:30 AM Azalea Propagation Demonstration
12:00 AM Drone Flying Demonstration
12:30 PM Vocal Harmony Talk with performers Shelton & Williams
2:00 PM River Cane Walk and Demonstrations with Davy Arch
3:00 PM Meet & Greet with Brenna MacMillan
4:30 PM Worldwide Knit In Public Day Stitch In (all fiber crafts welcome; gather at the music tent)
The Flame Azalea Festival also brings together an incredible lineup of performers throughout the day – a large, shaded listening tent is provided but don’t forget your chair!
Performer Schedule:
10:30 AM Shelton & Williams
Hailing from Danville, VA, Shelton & Williams are known for clear-noted harmonies and lead guitarist Johnny Williams’ timeless voice. The band’s material is a variety of styles, including original, classic country, gospel, blues, traditional and progressive bluegrass and Americana.
12:00 PM Sundown Band
The Sundown Band livens things up with an eclectic mix of country, soft rock, and Motown covers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s – Americana at its best. This local favorite is a blend of Alabama harmonies with a bit of Positive Force funk which keeps audiences anticipating the next song.
1:15 PM Warriors of Anikituhwa
A family-friendly, interactive performance by this wonderful cohort of Cherokee Dancers designated as official cultural ambassadors of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. They have traveled the world sharing their revitalization of Cherokee dance culture.
2:30 PM The Sternwheelers
The Sternwheelers are a Nashville-based band performing a unique blend of Americana, Irish traditional music, and roots rock. The band celebrates the influences the two nations have had on one other — with pioneer spirit, sardonic wit, tragedy, pining and humor. Traditional Irish Instruments.
4:30 PM Darren Nicholson Band
Darren Nicholson Band is a group of Appalachian musicians who have a common respect for and love of American acoustic music. They are known for creatively blending bluegrass, folk, gospel, and swing, into a new music experience.
6:00 PM Brenna MacMillan (at Tapoco Lodge)
Born in the hills of Kentucky and coming to us from Nashville’s bluegrass scene, Brenna Macmillan has been playing the banjo since the age of nine. She has opened for greats such as J.D. Crowe & Bobby Osborne, and her latest album, ‘Dear Life’, includes tracks with Ronnie McCoury, Peter Rowan, and Sarah Jarosz. She has an incredibly lyrical voice and seamlessly blends modern bluegrass and Americana styles. Don’t miss her Meet & Greet at the festival Jam tent at 3:00 PM!
