The 12th annual Greening Up the Mountains spring festival provides a fun-filled day in downtown Sylva on Saturday, April 25.

The festival draws its name from the way spring creeps up the mountain sides. It began as a celebration of Earth Day and has evolved into a community celebration of spring under the guidance of the Downtown Sylva Association.

Sylva’s Main Street will be lined with a variety of booths, showcasing everything from local artisans to environmental education groups to food vendors. There will be activities for children, along with live music throughout the day featuring well-known local and regional acts playing a variety of genres.

The center block of this year’s festival will be devoted to environmental education and other “green” initiatives, featuring demonstrations and information from community groups such as Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River, Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and the Jackson County Green Energy Park.

The Jackson County Cooperative Extension is hosting a scavenger hunt that will search the festival for all things “green.”

A special section of heritage craft demonstrations, called the Traditional Heritage Walk, will be hosted by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia. The walk will feature 10 crafters demonstrating skills passed down through the generations. This includes: caning chairs, quilting, wood carving, canning and preserving, sewing, pottery, cross-stitching and doll making. This area will also feature a return of the Heritage Alive Mountain Youth Talent Contest, showcasing local talent.

The free festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., begins with the annual Greening Up the Mountains 5K run/walk.

For more information, visit www.downtownsylva.org or call festival coordinator Larissa Miller at 828.586.1577. Lodging information is available by calling 800.962.1911.