Celebrating 75 years, the Village of Yesteryear is an exhibit that demonstrates traditional handicraft and heritage skills. Held every year at the N.C. State Fair, the village has featured more than 100 artists and crafters creating, displaying and selling time-honored handmade crafts. “A Maker’s Dozen” is a series that tells the stories of these artisans and educates about their heritage crafts.
“Most people don’t ever see how anything is made. That adds real value to the people visiting the Village of Yesteryear,” said Dan Dye, an experienced silversmith who has spent 41 years showcasing his talent at the N.C. State Fair. “There, I have met some truly remarkable people. They are the real treasure in American culture.”
Silversmithing is a type of metalwork by which objects are crafted from silver and other precious metals. Dye specializes in crafting jewelry. From a young age, he always enjoyed drawing and painting. “I suppose I always had a talent to see things and notice details. Like my dad’s daffodils in his garden,” he said.
His journey as a silversmith began by working for a friend in the jewelry business in 1971. He was hired to polish the jewelry that his friend made. “When she saw that I could do more, she handed me silver wires to craft earrings,” said Dye. “I worked with her for a year and a half before college. She helped me discover new things and gave me a basic start into developing my own style of craftsmanship.”
Dye’s inspiration comes from shapes. “Straight lines, curves and spirals are my inspiration. These fascinating shapes can be found most in nature,” he said. “Nature is the best artist. Using pliers, clippers and other tools that get to those details, I craft jewelry and other decorations. All of my pieces are completely handmade.”
How long it takes Dye to finish a piece varies. Small projects like earrings can take an hour or less, bigger projects can up to several days.
“I find it flattering that some people not only buy my work but collect it too,” Dye said. “In fact, I had four generations of a family buy from me. I like those cool little details — that influence and impact my work had on people’s lives.”
“Now, I wasn’t a silversmith for a living,” said Dye. “I just enjoyed doing it. It gave me a certain amount of freedom to do as I wanted with the design. It was more therapeutic than anything. Working for a living is a whole other thing. I retired in 2007 and have been doing jewelry full time since then.”
Although the fluctuating price of silver can be a challenge, Dye is committed to keeping his jewelry affordable for his new and returning customers alike.
Dye usually does one or two shows a year, with the N.C. State Fair being the biggest. His wife, Nancy, is his business manager. The couple have been married for 55 years.
“I always see a lot of people at the fair. The customers always help me produce as much as I care to make,” said Dye. “If you notice in the Village of Yesteryear, everyone is always working. Mainly, because they want to keep their stock of products up and because they like their crafts.”
Dye’s favorite part of the fair, besides the Village of Yesteryear, is the food, especially a good turkey leg. “What really brings the fair together for me is the people,” he said. “My Village family and those customers that keep coming back is what makes it all worth it.”
Be sure to stop by the Village of Yesteryear during your trip to the 2026 N.C. State Fair, taking place Oct. 15-25 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh!