Fall is a transformative time of year that is centered around Mother Nature’s stellar beauty with the turning of the leaves. This year, The Cashiers Valley Leaf Festival also comes two weeks after Tropical Storm Helene tore a deadly path across the region, and hit Western North Carolina especially hard.

This weekend’s festival will take place in an area that avoided the worst of storm and The Village Green will be donating 10% of the vendor booth fees to the area’s Hurricane Relief Fund in addition to gathering relief supplies to be disbursed throughout the region.

Holding the festival is especially important this year. All those in our community need opportunities to connect, feel normal, and find some joy in the face of adversity.

I hope you will join us this coming weekend from 10 am-5 pm on October 11th, 12th and 13th.

The Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina have long been a creative inspiration to me and the subject of much of my work. With so many facing loss and devastation in WNC, I am donating 50% of the sale of all of my four North Carolina mountain prints to Samaritans Purse. Each print is numbered, signed, printed on archival paper and framed. Please help me give back to an area I love so much during a time when they need it most!