Harlan County is a place where people are proud to be from. No matter the time of year, people are excited for a celebration. If you’re looking for something to celebrate, come to any of these events in Harlan! We would also be remiss if we didn’t mention that this not a comprehensive list of events in Harlan County. The following are just a handful of events in Harlan County:
- Poke Sallet Festival – The Poke Sallet Festival is the unofficial celebration to start summer in Harlan County. The children are out of school and the weather is warm. The festival is hosted at the Harlan Center on the weekend of the first full week of June. The festival includes live music, food vendors, crafters and vendors, snow cones, train rides, kid shows, and so much more. For more information check out: https://www.pokesalletfestival.com/.
- Off Road Celebrations: The Black Mountain Off Road Adventure Area hosts a variety of offroading celebrations in Harlan! Their celebrations kick off in April with the April Fool’s Ride and you can find rockcrawlers and ATV’s at the Southern Shine Crawl and Fall Crawl! For their full list of events check out: https://www.blackmountainoffroad.com/about1.
- Labor Day Fest – Hosted in Evarts, KY on Labor Day, you can find lots of family fun with vendors, food, concerts, and more in downtown Evarts!
- Fun Filled Fourth of July Fest – We all love to celebrate our nation’s independence, especially those in Harlan. On July 4th, Harlan has live music, a parade, vendors, food, and amazing fireworks! It is one of the celebrations in Harlan that you definitely don’t want to miss. You can also catch firework shows in Cumberlands, Evarts, and Lynch!
- Pine Mountain Settlement School Fair Day – Join the 100 year-old traditions of Pine Mountain Settlement School at Fair Day. Visit exhibitions of local food and crafts, shop from local vendors, take part in making sorghum, and listen to live bluegrass and gospel music. This event takes place in September! Pine Mountain Settlement School hosts monthly events and you can find their full lists of events at: https://www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com/events.
- Swappin’ Meetin’ – Hosted on the Southeast Community College in Cumberland, KY, this festival puts on a huge display of Appalachian arts, crafts, and food! This festival is usually hosted on the first weekend in October.
- Festival of the Mountain Masters – Held on the weekend after Thanksgiving, the Festival of the Mountain Masters will feature vendors and music as well as other performers. Come to Village Center Mall to experience and celebrate an authentic handcrafted show that displays the work of local artisans from the Southeast region!
- Harlan HauntFest – The Harlan HauntFest is a pop culture and horror festival that features cosplay, crafts, music, celebrity guest appearances, and more. Come celebrate the haunted season at the Harlan Center on the first Saturday in October! You can find more information here: https://www.harlanhauntfest.com/.
- Motorized Sport Events – Backroads of Appalachia has been bringing motorized sports to Harlan County for couple years now and you can always find an event to take part in and bring your motorcycle, luxury car, or other to Harlan County and find companions to join your trip! Keep up with their events at www.backroadsofappalachia.org.
- Christmas at the Center and Christmas Parades – Harlan County is a fantastic place to experience Christmas magic! Christmas at the Center takes place the first weekend of December and is filled with arts, crafts, Christmas contests, you can write a letter to Santa and drop in the magic mailbox at the Harlan Center, and so much more! That evening the Harlan County Christmas Parade takes place in downtown Harlan. You can also find Christmas Parades in Cumberlands & Evarts!
This is not even the full list of events that occur in Harlan County! There is always something going on. For a more comprehensive list of events be sure to check out: https://www.harlancountytrails.com/events/. No matter the occasion, Harlan County always has something to celebrate. Visit Harlan County on the dates of these events to experience an Appalachian celebration like no other!
