15th Annual Kraut Creek Festival in Downtown Boone

Boone North Carolina Kraut Creek Festival

September 2007

Where is Kraut Creek? Kraut Creek is most likely a nickname for Boone Creek which runs through downtown Boone, largely hidden by streets and sidewalks.

The 15th annual Kraut Creek Festival was held in downtown Boone on Howard St. between Water and Depot streets on Saturday September 22.

Kraut Creek or Boone Creek which runs through downtown Boone North Carolina

Watauga County was one of the largest producers of cabbage in North Carolina at one time. The cooler mountain summer temperatures were great for growing cabbages.

The Blair family opened the Watauga Kraut Factory on King Street in 1922 near where the Agricultural Extension Office is today. After the cabbage was cooked, the excess liquids were piped into the creek, earning it the name of "Kraut Creek."

The days' schedule:

10 - 5: Children's Council of Watauga Children's Activities
10 - 5: Arts & Crafts Vendor Booths
10 - 5: Mountain Peace Keepers Peace Celebration Fair
10 - 5: Music
10 - 5: High Country Water Media Society: Art Show at the High Country Press
10 - 2: Watauga Arts Council Local Music
12 - 12:15 : NC Extension Office: Clean Sweep Awards
12 - 5: Thistle Meadow Winery Wine Tasting at MoonShine Restaurant

Kraut Creek Festival in downtown Boone North Carolina

The list of musicians included the Forget-Me-Nots, a local group of 3 Celtic Fiddlers, The Sugar Grove Sweet Talkers, an old-fashioned String Band, the country blues and jazz group The Lazybirds, and the Barefoot Manner.

The Cooperative Extension Service grace its Big Sweep awards to volunteers who participated in this year's cleanup of Watauga County streams. The 118 volunteers collected 5,500 pounds of trash, much of which was recycled. The cleanest approximately 19 miles of creeks and streams.

Flowers along the Kraut Creek in Downtown Boone North Carolina

"The New Life Mobility Assistance Dogs booth. NLMAD specializes in the rescue and training of shelter dogs to assist the disabled. A dog was on hand to accept donations from festival guests. The organization fills a great need- one that volunteers are excited about. In North Carolina, approximately 214,664 people between the ages of 16 and 64 live with disabilities that cause mobility limitations. Other groups represented included Wine to Water and Political Action Committee Citizens for Change." ~ GoBlueRidge.net (see link below)

Appalachian State University in Downtown Boone North Carolina

Kraut Creek is mentioned in some Watauga County Histories. In "Recollections and Reflections" former Boone mayor Wade Edward Brown wrote:

"I would park my Model T on Depot St. headed downhill. If the weather was cold enough I would turn the water out of the radiator. I can now see that little trickle of water running down the street. In the afternoon when I was ready to go home, I would let it roll down the street to get it started. It had no electric starter, only a hand crank, and it was quite a problem to start when it was cold. We called the street "Crank Avenue" but it worked! After the car was running I would stop at Boone Creek (nicknamed Kraut Creek) branch, dip up some water, and put it in the radiator." ~ Wade Edward Brown "Recollections and Reflections" Click here to visit Parkway Publishers