The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center

Give your mom the gift of memories this year! Join our Foxfire family and explore the history, culture, and crafts of Southern Appalachia. Our family membership offers unlimited entry for two adults and all kids under 18! She'll also get a 10 percent discount in our museum shop, so she can pick out special mementos, like handwoven guest towels, books, or beautifully scented soap. Visit https://www.foxfire.org/shop/membership/ to to sign up today and discover all the benefits of joining our family.

New month = new podcast! We took a break from our archives this month to sit down with Rachel Newcomb over at @mainspringconserves. Based in Macon County, North Carolina, Mainspring Conservation Trust works to protect the land, water, and culture of this rich and diverse region. In our conversation, we talk land and identity, history and culture, and our favorite spots to explore! Listen at https://www.foxfire.org/it-still-lives-season-3-mainspring/

There are just never enough photos of our museum in springtime. Stop by and see the beauty for yourself this weekend. Open 10 - 4 Saturday and 12 - 4 on Sunday!

Hard to believe it's already been a year since our latest #FoxfireBook was released! Foxfire Story is a collection of folklore from the magazines and interviews conducted by Foxfire students, dating way back to 1967. One of our favorite stories is from May Justice, who talked about foxfire (the phosphorescent fungus). In this interview, she sums up how some of the more magical tales of the mountains get created: "And that’s, all so much that is legendary has its truththe tra...dition on the legendaryit has its spark of truth in reality." Read May's story--and so many more!--for yourself in Foxfire Story, or take a listen to our podcast, featuring just a few excerpts from this captivating book: https://www.foxfire.org/it-still-lives-foxfire-story/ [Image description: a copy of Foxfire Story rests on a light wooden background. The book is navy blue with white text.]

This image was taken in the 1970s at the Barker's Creek Mill in Rabun Gap, Georgia, but the mill still runs today! The @hambidgecenter operates the mill for demonstrations and for community milling on the 1st Saturday of each month. Community mills like this one used to be common throughout the region, as farmers would regularly take their corn, and later wheat, to be stone ground by their local miller.

Mark your calendars! This June, we are celebrating all the amazing native plants that call Southern Appalachia home. Join us for additional demonstrations and activities during your self-guided tour of the museum. A full schedule will be posted in the next few weeks, including information on guided plant walks and virtual events. Head on over to https://www.foxfire.org/event/native-plant-week/ for the latest info on the event.

Visit with fiber artist Kelly in the weaving studio today and tomorrow and watch her make these adorable felted mice! You can also pick some up for your Christmas tree. Kelly will also be doing a pop-up ice dye demo tomorrow as part of our Christmas at the Cabins. Activities tomorrow will take place outdoors, weatherpermitting, but please still wear your mask!

This steamy, hot, fluffy piece of cornbread could be yours! Stop by Friday Dec. 11th and 18th from 12-3pm for woodstove cooking demos with free samples (read: fried chicken). Can't make it to the museum? Make your own cornbread with recipes from The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery!

Time to add the perfect ornament to your tree! Show your Foxfire love with this handmade tree cookie ornament, designed after the cover of our most recent publication "Foxfire Story." Visit https://www.foxfire.org/shop/category/local-artisans/ to find this and other wonderful handmade items for everyone on your Christmas list.

Are you keeping up with the latest season of #GreatBritishBakeOff? To celebrate, and get prepared for the holiday season, we invite you to bake along with us, Appalachian style! Every Friday in November we'll be sharing a recipe from the Foxfire Archives for you to add to your baking repertoire. Bake the recipe and tag #FoxfireBakeAlong to be featured as a star baker in our story!

Join us for a virtual gingerbread house competition! Gather your supplies and have your very own "house-raising"! Five houses will be selected as finalists and the vote will go to social media for our winner. Winner will receive a special Foxfire Christmas ornament. Entering is easy, just follow these steps: 1) Take a clear photo of your creation 2) Email photo with your first and last name and contact info to [email protected] by Sunday, December 13th. 3) Check back to... Foxfire's Facebook page on Monday, December 14th to vote! Voting ends December 17th. 4) Winner will be announced Friday, December 18th! *By submitting your photo to Foxfire, you agree to let The Foxfire Museum use said image for promotional purposes, including, but not limited to, social media and website publication.

Although we are still without power, the museum is open. We are offering a discount today to tour the museum, Adults are $8. You might want to bring a flashlight as some of our cabins may be dark.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Before pre-lit Christmas trees, inflatable holiday squirrels (yes, these exist), and even light-up nativities, people turned to nature to decorate for the season. Simple boughs of holly, hemlock, and magnolia freshened up dark, cozy cabins and spiced up the scents of a cabin in wintertime. To learn more about Christmas in the mountains, visit the museum or listen to our latest podcast https://www.foxfire.org/it-still-lives-season-2-christmas/

Molasses candy, potato candy, grapefruit candy, chocolate candy...you get the idea. Even though we're stuck inside this #Halloween, we can still make it special! Try out one of the many candy recipes in the Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery, made with simple pantry staples like potatoes and peanut butter. Measure out your social distance and see if you can pull taffy six feet long!

Today we remember the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the war that changed so many lives. "The war affected my life in many different ways. I suppose the best part of it was that it made a man out of me. I guess I learned to appreciate freedom, the United States, and everything we have here. The only thing is that it was rough, but sometimes there were good times. I hope to the good Lord that others don't ever have to go through it." ~Mack Suttles Times are tough, but together we'll make it through, just like we have before.

Did you pick up an new hobbies during #quarantine? Activities like quilting were--and still are--a popular activity among women within Appalachian communities. This quilt, known as a friendship quilt, was a wedding gift made by women in the Wolffork and Germany communities in Rabun County as a wedding gift in 1898. The pattern is a variation of flying geese. Learn more at foxfire.org/exhibits/friendship-quilt/

Great news! We are extending our field trip days through Nov. 9th. Join us the next two Mondays for special student pricing, demos, and a free activity booklet while supplies last! More info available on our website. No registration necessary.

What's your favorite Foxfire cabin? We love them all, but Warwoman especially for it's working woodstove. Color is still clinging to the leaves here in Mountain City, so stop by this week for some stunning (and social-media-worthy) photos! Don't forget to tag your #hikethroughhistory and share your adventure with us!

Looking to show off your love for Foxfire? Check out our Foxfire Bumper stickers! We have six colors available! These water-resistant stickers are brightly colored and are great additions to your car's windows or water bottles! Get yours today https://www.foxfire.org/shop/foxfire-stickers/

It was a pretty incredible morning up here on the mountain, but the sun is coming out and breaking up the clouds. Stop by for a visit and some hands on activities today at the museum! Thanks to @cinemaship for this great drone shot of the Foxfire property!

Mark your calendars for this pop-up demo at the Foxfire Museum! Next Wednesday, October 28th, from 11 am until 1 pm, our fiber artist Kelly will be demonstrating how to ice dye silk. No registration required; included with general admission to museum. Demo will continue as long as supplies last, so get there early!

"Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." While a large bubbling kettle might seem menacing, there's certainly no tricks in this cauldron of apple butter! Apple butter was just one of many fall harvest favorites, but as the Brooks told Foxfire, "It's so good that if you put some on your forehead, your tongue would slap your brains out trying to get to it!" Sour apples were top choice for apple butter. After they were washed and peeled, the apples were slowly heated over an open fire until soft and thick. Get the full recipe in Foxfire 3 or the Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery.

Don't forget tonight the @tigerdriveinga we are hosting a *FREE* showing of the Foxfire film! Starring Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, and John Denver, this heartwarming film tells the story of land, life, and love in the north Georgia mountains. This is event is family-friendly and a great opportunity to connect with your community in a socially-distanced manner. Pre-show starts at 7:15, movie at 7:30 EST. Head on over to our story to check out more behind the scenes footage!

How dreamy are these biscuits??? Today @wildcraft_kitchen brought their pod learners to our Warwoman cabin to cook on the woodstove! These biscuits were made with just two simple ingredients: self-rising flour and buttermilk! A perfect fall snack for any visit to the mountains!

In need of a #TuesdayTreat? Take a page from Aunt Arie's book and pop some corn over a warm fire! Popcorn was--and is--a favorite snack in Appalachia (and pretty much everywhere else in America). Corn was grown on nearly every homestead, in many different heirloom varieties. If you're one of the lucky ones who has leftover popcorn, check out our recipe for popcorn balls in The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery!

Join us from 9 am until 3 pm today for our fall Field Trip Days! Watch a blacksmith work the forge, learn how sheep hair is spun into thread, or try your hand at pressing cider! Special discount admission for K-12 learners and their educators/families.