Would you like to make a berry basket? Learn how to cane a chair seat? Or perhaps you’d prefer to practice your musical skills on the harmonica? The Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center in Old Fort is offering a summer workshop series called “Second Saturdays” in which you can learn these skills and more.
The classes will be held the second Saturday of each month inside the ca. 1885 Morgan Cabin on the museum’s grounds at 24 Water St., Old Fort. Each workshop will begin at 10 a.m. and last roughly two hours. All materials and tools will be provided. Each class is limited to 12 people. Participants must be age 12 or older. Cost is $25 per person. Pre-registration is required, and payment must be made at the time of registration either by cash, check, debit, or credit card. The deadline for registering is 10 days before each class. Workshops will be held rain or shine. Let us know which class you want to sign up for from the list below.
- “Crafting a Bark Berry Basket” is the focus of the June 14 workshop. Participants will learn how to make a bark-covered berry basket with a handle, using all-natural materials. Joe Williams, a sixth-generation basket-maker and longtime craft demonstrator at both the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh and the Mountain State Fair in Fletcher, will teach the class. The deadline to register is 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 4.
- “Caning a Ladderback Chair” will occur on July 12. Participants will learn how to weave a new chair bottom using ash splits. The museum will supply old ladderback chairs, which students may take home, or they may bring their own chair. Sam Scroggin, an expert chair caner and woodturner at Asheville Furniture Repair, will be the instructor for the class. The deadline to register is 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 2.
- “The Beginner’s Guide to Playing Traditional Musical Instruments" takes place on August 9. Taught by well-known local musician, songwriter, and educator Freddy Bradburn, this workshop will cover the basic skills of playing the guitar, banjo, fiddle, and harmonica. No prior experience is necessary. The deadline to register is 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 30. Participants in this workshop will receive a harmonica to take home with them, thanks to the McDowell Arts Council Association (MACA), which donated the instruments.
To learn more, contact RoAnn Bishop at 828-619-5103 or roann.bishop@dncr.nc.gov.