Schedule: Fourth Saturday in September

Hiddenite is a small town in Alexander County‚ North Carolina. The name of the town comes from a type of mineral found in abundance there. Among the prospectors who settled there to mine Hiddenite was "Diamond Jim" Lucas‚ an eccentric who built a three-story‚ twenty-two room Victorian house in town. In 1981‚ the Hiddenite Center for the Arts was established in the old Lucas mansion‚ and an annual festival called The Hiddenite Celebration of the Arts has been held there ever since. The performances at the festival cover a variety of musical forms ranging from brass bands‚ steel drum bands‚ and mariachi groups to bluegrass‚ blues‚ and old-time mountain music. This festival is very much of the community‚ from performers to volunteers to vendors to festival attendees.

Directions: The Hiddenite Center is located three blocks north of NC Highway 90 in Hiddenite‚ NC on Church Street. From Interstate 40‚ exit on Old Mountain Road and follow it north approximately twelve miles.

For additional regional information contact
Alexander County Chamber of Commerce‚ 828-632-8141