Broom Making: Craft a Turkey-Wing Whisk Broom w/ Emileigh Zola

August 30 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

About the Workshop: Broom Making: Craft a Turkey-Wing Whisk Broom w/ Emileigh Zola

Join longtime Firefly friend Emileigh Zola, for an afternoon of broomcraft and belonging. More than a traditional handcraft class, this workshop is a community-oriented gathering, a connective space; an invitation to slow down, settle in, and create with intention.

Emileigh brings Rhythm & Ritual to everything she does and won’t be able to join us at the Annual Gathering this year; so now is your chance to soak up the calm and meditative vibe that Emileigh creates, while learning an ancient skill that serves form, function and connection.

Together, we’ll slow down and work with natural materials to create a traditional turkey-wing whisk broom, learning each step of the tying process along the way. Using broomcorn stems, participants will also weave a decorative handle, gaining a versatile technique that can be adapted to make other styles of whisk brooms in the future.

This class is designed to be accessible to beginners and welcoming to all. The repetitive motions of broom-making offer a grounding, meditative experience, while the shared space encourages presence, intention, and creativity in community.

Participants can expect to:

Learn about broomcorn and its historical role in traditional broom-making
Set intentions for the time together
Take part in an inclusive, supportive creative space
Tie a traditional turkey-wing whisk broom
Weave a decorative handle using broomcorn stems

Participants will leave with a finished whisk broom, the foundational skills to continue making brooms on their own, and a renewed sense of connection: to themselves, to community and to keeping traditional Appalachian craft alive through shared practices and hands-on learning.

This class will be held indoors on Sunday, August 30th, 2026, from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm in Marshall, NC.

All Firefly Gathering workshops are hosted in the greater Asheville area, sometimes at private venues. For that reason, the actual venue address will be included in your Welcome email, approximately one week before the workshop.

Class Price includes all Materials for the Class

This class is beginner friendly, but requires moderate hand/upper body strength and use of feet. Minimum age is 12 and participants under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

About the Instructor: Emileigh Zola

RHYTHM & RITUAL was born from a deep inner knowing—a whisper on the wind, the voice of an ancestor, the strength of a woman. It is a living, ever-evolving offering, rooted in the same natural rhythms that shape us all. At its heart is Emileigh Zola, a woman of the woodlands with a deep reverence for the quiet wisdom of mountain creeks, forested hills, and the unseen threads that connect us to the Earth.

Emileigh is devoted to curating spaces rooted in depth, belonging, and inspiration. She leads with her heart and is widely known for her grounded, embodied presence and her ability to make others feel welcomed, seen, and included. Her path has been non-traditional, shaped by years of study with many teachers in Earth-centered practices, and she is currently in the midst of a seven-year training at a local Earth-based healing school.

Whether crafting brooms, teaching broom-making, or guiding women’s retreats, Emileigh brings patience, devotion, and a deep belief in the healing power of creating sacred, practical tools with one’s hands. Intentionally made, her brooms carry this resonance—holding space for ritual, daily use, and transformation.

When she is not in her broom workshop, Emileigh can be found tending plants, making medicine, baking, sitting quietly in the woods, studying spiritual texts, learning new skills, or facilitating women’s gatherings. She lives in Marshall with her partner, two daughters, a bonus son, two dogs, a cat, and a snake.

Find out more about Emileigh and her offerings at her Rhythm & Ritual website: handmadebrooms.com

Equitable Pricing Model $50 – $100

* Please click here to learn about your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events, so you only need to do it once!

In order to make our workshops more accessible, we offer two price options for each class, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout.

Sponsor Price $100: For those who have enough to share, thank you for being a Sponsor. This is an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the class for someone else.
Standard Price $75: The Standard reflects one person’s share of what it costs to produce the class and cover basic expenses.
Equity Discount $50: We offer an additional Equity Discount for those from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to this workshop without this discount:
- Indigenous or Native American, Black, Latino/a/x
- Other peoples of the global majority, or racialized communities
- Ethnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community

Thank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance, resilience, and opportunity for all.

Which Price Option is Right for You?*

Find your Pricing Option

*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events, so you only need to do it once!