This year is the 100^th anniversary of the Tryon Toymakers and Wood Carvers, first established in Tryon in 1915. A committee chaired by Christine Mariotti has planned several events for the weekend of September 26 and 27 in the Town of Tryon to commemorate this historic anniversary.

During the month of September, joyful life-size and larger toy replicas will appear around the town of Tryon. These bright hand painted soldiers, clowns, animals and interpretations of Charlotte Yale and Eleanor Vance will designate Tryon as a magical place where toys for children and collectibles for adults were first created in little cottages within the town.

One of these cottages is well known as the Toy Cottage and is easily visible on E. Howard Street across from Stott’s Ford. It has been closed for some time but will be open for tours during the Toy Story Weekend. Other sites associated with the toy making history will also be part of a walking tour map showing their location and available in a commemorative booklet.

The focus of the efforts of the Tryon Toy Story committee is to bring attention to Tryon as the birthplace of toy making and wood carving, the beginnings of Morris, our local equestrian mascot, but also because Tryon is now the home of a new non-profit organization, the Tryon Historical Museum. The funds generated by the activities of the Toy Story event will go to the museum, which will have its grand opening on the same weekend.

Along with the toys on display, Tryon Arts and Crafts will have an exhibit entitled 100 Years of Craft and will display earlier crafts such as rug hooking, quilling, tole painting, scrimshaw carving, wood carving, forged artifacts, weaving, pottery and many others.  This show will open on September 11 and continue into October. Saturday, September 26 will be a Festival of Craft with invited artists, vendors and demonstrations on the grounds of the center at Harmon Field.

Many other galleries are planning coordinating historical exhibits as well. The Tryon Fine Arts Center will have an exhibit of hand made and hand carved furniture and Tryon Painters and Sculptors will have an open show entitled “Scenes from Childhood.”

Local galleries and businesses will stay open late on Saturday night as part of a stroll to encourage visitors to Tryon to stay late and shop and dine in the town.

John Calure has written a one-act play about the two women who started toy making, and it will be performed at Sunnydale on Sunday, September 27. A discussion and a gala party to celebrate Tryon’s history and the establishment of the Tryon Historical Museum will follow it. Many art items are being produced by local artists and will be for sale or open for bidding at the event. A live auction of the large toy replicas will complete the evening.

Many volunteers will be needed to help with the events. If you would like to be part of the Tryon Toy Story Weekend, please contact Christine Mariotti at 828-859-8392 or cmariotti@windstream.net.

– Submitted by Christine Mariotti