Two Grammy award winning musicians will be a part of the many talented performers at Haywood Community College’s 40th anniversary celebration, Mountain Echoes: A Homecoming.

The birthday event will be held on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on the HCC campus. Admission will be free for children 12 and under and $8 for general admission. HCC students with proper identification may buy one ticket and get one free if purchased in advance.

Mountain Echoes will feature tents across campus filled with mountain music by Marc Pruett and the Whitewater Bluegrass Company, David Holt and the Lightning Bolts, Laura Boosinger, HCC’s own David Burnette, Raymond Fairchild, the McDowell Family, and Travis and Trevor Stuart. Richard Hurley, Ted White, and Bill Byerly will serve as emcees for the day.

Pruett, an HCC Foundation Board member, plays the banjo with Whitewater Bluegrass Company. He won a Grammy with Ricky Skaggs for Bluegrass Rules in 1998.

David Holt is a 4-time Grammy Award winner who plays 10 acoustic instruments. He is also a well-known television and radio host for such programs as North Carolina public television’s Folkways and the Nashville Network’s Fire on the Mountain. Holt has been a frequent guest on Hee Haw, Nashville Now, and the Grand Ole Opry. He was also a musician in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” The United States State Department has sponsored Holt’s performances in many parts of the world as a musical ambassador.

Laura Boosinger is an award-winning performer and recording artist whose primary focus is the interpretation of traditional music from the Southern Appalachian region. She plays old-time banjo, guitar, Appalachian dulcimer, and Raymond Fairchild has spent the last 45 years performing on the banjo in every state and abroad. He has recorded over 20 albums and videos and has tqo gold records for selling over 2 million copies. Fairchild is a lifetime member of the “Bluegrass Hall of Fame” and five-time recipient of the Bluegrass Banjo of the Year Award. He is a native of Cherokee and now resides in Haywood County.

The McDowell Family features Bryan, 13, Emma, 16, mom, Donna, dad, Steve, and family friend, Ray McElroy. The band formed in 1999. The Haywood County band recorded its first CD in 2002. Both Bryan and Emma sing lead and harmony vocals and play several instruments including: fiddle, lead guitar, mandolin, and bass.

Travis and Trevor Stuart are twins from Haywood County who have performed together for over 20 years. Travis plays the banjo and Trevor the fiddle. The duo is instrumental in teaching the next generation how to keep the art of traditional music alive through the Junior Appalachian Music Program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Stuarts have traveled throughout the United States and to England, Ireland, and Russia.

While the musical talent is outstanding, some of the area’s best storytellers will also be performing at Mountain Echoes. The storytelling lineup includes: Sheila Kay Adams, Davy Arch, Connie Reagan-Blake, Hawk Hurst, Jerry Wolfe, and Ila Jean Yount.

Sheila Kay Adams is a storyteller, musician, singer, and published author from Western North Carolina. Seven generations of her family have passed down the ballads of her ancestors. Adams plays the clawhammer banjo and sings traditional Appalachian ballads.

Davy Arch tells Cherokee stories, presents lectures on Cherokee history and culture, and demonstrates carving, flint knapping, and mask making. His carved masks have been on display at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His stories have been published in the award-winning book, Living Stories of the Cherokee. For six years, Arch has participated in the North Carolina Arts Council’s Visiting Artist Program. He has spoken at the North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Art, and on National Public Radio. He also works with public school teachers through the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

Connie Reagan-Blake has entertained audiences in 46 states and 14 countries as a storyteller drawing on her southern roots and gift of humor. Blake lives in Asheville and has seven award-winning audio and video recordings. She has been on Good Morning America, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and CNN’s Evening News.

Hawk Hurst is an animated storyteller and musician. He has been crafting and playing traditional Native American flutes and drums for nearly 15 years and began playing and teaching West African style drumming almost 20 years ago. Hurst is a long-standing member of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild, The Mountain Arts Program, and the Yarnspinners Storytelling Group.

Jerry Wolfe tells stories and talks about Cherokee History, culture, and language. He works in the Outreach Program of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

Ila Jean Yount is a storyteller and published author whose work focuses on her family history of pioneer settlers. Yount, a Haywood County native, taught creative writing at HCC for about 10 years. One of her books is on the reading list at area middle and high schools. She speaks at nearby schools and senior groups frequently.

And what’s a homecoming without food? Mountain Echoes promises to have lots to choose from. There will be many activities just for kids, everything from puppets and face painting to ghost stories and a giant inflatable slide. HCC’s Haywood Studios will hold a craft sale and HCC’s film and video technology program will show its 30-minute feature film, “Crazy Mary.”

For a sneak peak of one of the performers, join Hawk Hurst on Main Street of Waynesville on Friday evening, June 3. For more information call 828.627.4544 or visit www.haywood.edu.