Get ready for the 42nd Annual Sourwood Festival

An annual Swannanoa Valley tradition will return for its 42nd year from Friday, Aug. 9 to Sunday, Aug. 11, when the Sourwood Festival comes to Black Mountain. 

Organized by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, the three-day event will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday with the 10th annual Sourwood Idol singing competition. 

The contest, which will be held in the entertainment tent in the parking lot on the west end of Sutton Avenue, features an adult division for ages 13 and up and a kids division for contestants under 13. 

The festival gets underway on Saturday with a musical performance by the 2019 Idol Contest winner and 2018 champion Tristan Robinson at 10:30 a.m. Sutton and Black Mountain Avenues will be closed to traffic as tens of thousands of attendees browse handmade crafts, art, jewelry and more offered by more than 200 vendors.

A lineup of regional musicians will hold shows every hour until the first day of the festival wraps up at 9 p.m. The festival will open at noon on Sunday, with musical performances until its conclusion at 5 p.m. 

A Kids Area, featuring rides, will be open in the lot south of the railroad tracks. 

The Sourwood Festival is a "great way to showcase area talent and businesses," according to chamber of commerce executive director Sharon Tabor, who took over the position at the June. 

"The Sourwood Festival is an area tradition," she said. "We invite everyone to check out the Sourwood Festival this year, whether it’s a family tradition or a new adventure.”