Be Inspired
Explore the unordinary.
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Yancey County is known for its charming rural-artistic vibe. Downtown Burnsville offers a walkable Main Street, colorful street murals, and quaint art galleries. Follow any road in Yancey’s Toe River area and you’re likely to arrive at an artist’s studio. Across this relatively small region are hundreds of artists and crafters making unique, original objects in clay, glass, wood, metal and fiber as well as furniture and musical instruments.
Toe River Arts maintains a gallery and gift shop in Burnsville and nearby Spruce Pine, and stages studio tours to give people an opportunity to meet and talk with artists. Toe River Arts has been involved in promoting the arts in Yancey and Mitchell Counties since 1976. Today the organization works to facilitate arts education projects and supports local artists through grants, scholarships, and workshops.
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Art Galleries
Parkway Playhouse
Established in 1947 and the oldest continually operating summer theater in NC, the Parkway Playhouse is a small professional theater company serving the mountain region.
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Toe River Arts
Hugging the curves of the mountains of Western North Carolina, Toe River Arts is one of the most significant concentrations of artists in the nation.
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The Burnsville Gateway
Burnsville’s Gateway project is a key part of the NC Arts Council’s SmART Community focusing on arts-driven economic development strategies to build stronger economies and communities.
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Photo by Toe River Arts
WNC Quilt Trails
With over 200 quilt blocks, we have the highest concentration anywhere in the USA! Nine contiguous counties host quilt blocks, with the highest concentration in Yancey, Mitchell and Haywood Counties.
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History & Humor
Walking Tour
An entertaining tour of the friendly, unique, and charming town of Burnsville. History & Humor Walking Tours are largely based on the memories and amusing stories of oldtimers whose families have been here since the 1700s.
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Mt. Mitchell
Crafts Fair
The Mount Mitchell Crafts Fair transforms the streets around Burnsville’s town square into a wonderland for craft and art lovers, with crafters displaying nearly every kind of handmade craft.
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