Summer has a way of calling families out onto the road. The children are out of school, the days are long, and even the grown-ups start looking for a reason to wander a little. Here in Southern Appalachia, we do not have to look far to find beauty. It is in the mountains, the music, the pottery, the quilts, the glass, the stories, and the hands of people who still know how to make something worth keeping.
So, if you are planning a summer adventure, I hope you will make room for a few places where art and heritage are still alive. These are not just places to pass through. They are places to slow down, look closely, and remember that creativity has always been part of mountain life.
Alabama: Mentone Arts & Shops — Mentone, Alabama
Perched on Lookout Mountain, Mentone is the kind of little mountain town that invites you to slow down, wander, and look in the windows. You can find locally owned shops, artisan boutiques, art galleries, gift shops, and handmade treasures tucked into a town that still feels personal and welcoming.
Georgia: Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia — Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia
The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia tells the story of pottery as one of the South’s great grassroots art forms. Located on the campus of the Sautee Nacoochee Center, the museum shares the history and changing role of folk pottery in Southern life.
South Carolina: Hagood Mill Historic Site — Pickens, South Carolina
Hagood Mill in Pickens is one of those places where history, music, and handcraft all meet in one setting. The site helps preserve upcountry life and culture, and its Third Saturday events bring together live demonstrations, traditional folk arts, music, and community. Families can explore the old mill, visit the petroglyph site, shop in the gift shop, and meet people who care about keeping old ways alive.
North Carolina: Folk Art Center — Asheville, North Carolina
The Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a treasure for anyone who loves Southern Appalachian art. It is home to the Southern Highland Craft Guild and features traditional and contemporary art, exhibitions, demonstrations, a craft library, and the Allanstand Craft Shop. In season, visitors may watch artisans at work and talk with them about what they are making.
Tennessee: Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community — Gatlinburg, Tennessee
In Gatlinburg, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community offers a whole trail of makers, studios, and shops. Visitors can find pottery, woodwork, paintings, jewelry, and other handmade goods, while also seeing artisans use skills passed down through generations
Kentucky: Appalachian Artisan Center — Hindman, Kentucky
The Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindman is doing the kind of work that matters deeply to communities like ours. It supports area craft artisans, offers learning opportunities, and serves as an anchor for the creative economy in Eastern Kentucky. A visit here is not just about seeing art. It is about seeing how art can help a community hold onto its heritage.
West Virginia: Tamarack Marketplace — Beckley, West Virginia
Tamarack Marketplace in Beckley shows creations by West Virginia artists from across the state, with handmade work, local food, and an Appalachian restaurant.
Virginia: Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace — Abingdon, Virginia
The Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace in Abingdon shows regional art through ’Round the Mountain, Southwest Virginia’s artisan network, and also serves as the headquarters of The Crooked Road, Virginia’s heritage music trail.
Southern Appalachia has always been rich, though not always in the ways people think. We are rich in stories. Rich in culture. Rich in hands that know how to make useful things beautiful. So this summer, take the children, pack a lunch, drive the mountain roads, and go see what our people have made. You may come home with a basket, a bowl, a piece of pottery, or a song in your head. But more than that, you may come home remembering that our culture is still very much alive.