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Mills River Day
About the Event
Save the date! May 6, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at North River Farms (3333 North Mills River Rd., Mills River, NC 28759)! Mills River Day is a free-to-attend large-scale community event that highlights agriculture, natural resource management, water quality, and the talents and related businesses in and around the Mills River Community. It features live music, vendors, food trucks, a kid zone with bounce houses, a tractor show, a horse show, a farm tour, hands-on activities, and more!
*We love your pets, but please leave them at home for this event. Trained service animals are welcome*
Interested in becoming a Vendor?
In keeping with the spirit of the event, no multi-level marketing products will be permitted to be vendors at this event. We encourage non-profit organizations, makers of handmade goods, artists, farmers, and civic organizations to apply.
Application Deadline: We are no longer accepting vendor applications as of 4/27/2023.
Interested in becoming a Sponsor?
There are three levels of sponsorship for this event: The Harvester ($1,000+), The Cultivator ($250-500), and the Gardener ($100+).
If your business is interested in Sponsorship for this event, please fill out the Sponsorship Form and return it to the Town of Mills River Parks and Recreation Department.
Thank You To Our Harvester Level Sponsors
The Laurel Of Asheville Magazine
Schedule of Events
(this schedule is tentative and subject to change)
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Start your day at the Mills River Farm Market, located at the Mills River School parking lot.
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Tractor Show: Apple Country Engine and Tractor Association and North River Farms presents antique tractor and engine show from past to present and a field plowing demonstration! Come see antique tractors, antique hit-and-miss engines, and antique plows!
10:00 a.m. - The Davis Ranch Spring Open Horse Show:
Davis Ranch is excited to have our First Spring Annual Horse Show take place on Saturday, May 6th, 2023 during the Mills River Day Festival at North River Farms in Mills River, NC. We welcome ALL ages and levels of riding. Our shows are open to anyone who would like to participate and attend, these shows are great for beginners and kids as well! It's free for spectators (recommend bringing chairs) and $10 for participants. You can sign up for classes online or on the day of, but cash only day of the show. Gates open at 8 a.m. and the show starts at 10 a.m. Mary Barker will be our photographer at both shows - she does absolutely beautiful work! You can check out her website here: Branded Bay Photography or find her on Facebook. Davis Ranch is partnering with Etowah Riding Club this year to present an open show series with championship classes and high-point end-of-year awards in youth and adult divisions. More info and rules at Davis Ranch or Etowah Riding Club!
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - The Gathering Dark
Josh Dunkin and Steve Durose started The Gathering Dark in 2016. Today they are supported by a full-on honky-tonk band with a blend of original tunes and covers. The Gathering Dark currently hosts the ongoing Takes All Kinds open mic at Oklawaha Brewing and has created custom-built shows for venues around Hendersonville including Poe Show: Party Like Nevermore and Dylan at Connemara. The Gathering Dark has been featured on Blueridgenow.com and in The Laurel of Asheville magazine and has appeared on CBS’s Carolina Morning show and WLOS morning news.
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. -Lonesome Road Band
One mic, three voices, and great music. Based in Mills River, NC, J. Larry Keith, guitar and vocals, has been the driving force behind LRB for 25 years. Today the band is made up of Jeremy Babb on banjo and Reese Combs on bass. LRB has played events all over the US and even in Austria! With a mix of traditional and non-traditional bluegrass, LRB delivers high-energy delicate harmonies to enthusiastic audiences.
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Apple Country String Band
Since 2017 Apple Country String Band (ACSB) has been playing Americana string band music around Hendersonville NC since 2017. Steve Pettis on guitar and vocals, Chris Price on 12-string guitar and vocals, Jim Poe on guitar and vocals, Bryan 'B2' Byrd on percussion and vocals, and Kyle Bartley on drums. ACSB plays ‘feel good music’ that you know the words to!