Fiddlers and Fiddleheads Festival

These were taken last weekend at the 19th annual "Fiddlers and Fiddleheads" Festival at the Unicoi Gallery and Gardens. It's an all day affair with bluegrass music, a vintage car show and lots of good food. The last Saturday in April is the date for the festival.  Fun times!

Breakfast with the Balloons

 

One of the most popular events of the annual Kingsport Fun Fest is "Breakfast with the Balloons". The overcast weather and low visibility prevented the launch, but still, approximately 10 balloons were inflated to give spectators a chance to see the fascinating process of preparing the balloon for launch (takes only 10-15 minutes).  Fun Fest concludes tonight with a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert and a fireworks display.

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.
--Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher.

Celebrate

Celebrate what you want to see more of.
--Thomas J. Peters (b.1942)  American Author.

Did you notice I added a new tab on the website entitled "Events & More"? With all the wonderful and exciting fairs and festivals that take place throughout the year in our region, I thought it might be helpful to put together a list of some of the best and most popular events.  I'm sure I've missed some, so if you have suggestions to add, please leave a comment or send me an email. Here are some upcoming events in our region that you won't want to miss!

• Fun Fest in Kingsport, TN is underway through July 21st -- lots of great events.
• Liberty!, the outdoor drama celebrating the Lost State of Franklin, is being performed now through July 30th in Elizabethton, TN.
• Bele Chere celebrates music and the arts in Asheville from July 27-29th.
• Appalachian Fair, one of the largest, most popular festivals in our region, runs from August 20-25th in Gray, TN.
• Virginia Highlands Festival, showcasing Appalachian arts and crafts, is July 28-August 12th.

Also included on the Events & More page is a listing of area ski resorts and hiking/biking clubs. Check it out and let me know if I've overlooked anything.

Above: The Appalachian Fair, 2010. 

amusements

The finest amusements are the most pointless ones.

--Jacques Chardonne (1884-1968) French writer--

Fun at the Appalachian Fair in Gray, TN.

Roan Report

The organizers of the Roan Mountain (TN) Rhododendron Festival and the North Carolina Rhododendron Festival in Bakersville, NC usually pick just the right weekend -- and this year is no exception. A visit this weekend or anytime next week should be spectacular. While some of the rhodos are already in full bloom in the Rhododendron Gardens on top of the mountian, I'd say the majority of them could still use a few days of warmth and sun to fully open (which just so happens is our forecast for the rest of the week!).

If you visit this weekend, be sure to stop at Carver's Gap (where the rhododendrons are already at their peak) and hike up the beautiful Appalachian Trail over Round Bald and on to Jane Bald to see the stunning Flame Azalea in all their glory. Other bloomers you'll see: Bluets, Mountain Ash, and Yellow Hawkweed.

Click here for my post describing all there is to see and do on Roan Mountain, with links to individual hikes and directions. Click the festival links above for more information and schedules of events.

Related links:
Roan Mountain State Park
Friends of Roan Mountain

"A Jewel of Nature"

The 62nd annual Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival is underway! As you can see the festival planners picked the perfect weekend for the celebration -- the rhodos on top of Roan Mountain are at their peak this weekend. If you hike the balds from Carver's Gap, you'll also find that the flame azalea are also in bloom (although they're a little past their peak). The Gray's Lilies are blooming on Jane Bald, and will probably reach their peak this coming week. The festival activities take place down at the state park -- click here for the schedule of events. Click here for more information on Roan Mountain.

Directions: Take Route 19E to the town of Roan Mountain, turn onto Route 143 and travel 12.8 miles to the TN/NC state line (Carver's Gap). On your way up the mountain, you'll pass through the Roan Mountain State Park. Eventually, you leave the state park and enter the national forest. At Carver's Gap turn right, following the signs to the Rhododendron Gardens two miles up!

Other things to do: Click here for a list of all the things to see and do on Roan Mountain.

With thanks and wonder

I enjoyed meeting lots and lots of folks at the Festival of Seasons holiday market at Milligan College this weekend. Especially fun was meeting long-time Trekkie's who've been loyally following my Appalachian adventures (Thanks for all the encouraging comments and emails I've received over the past 10 months of doing this blog). The craft show, held in Derthick Hall (above), was my first. My friend Lee (check out her amazing photos on her blog "From these Hills") and I had a table together there of our photography and had a great time talking about this wonderful region and showing off its special beauty. A big THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by to say hello! It's fun to meet people who love this part of the country as much as we do!

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
--G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), author

Unicoi County Apple Festival

Here are a couple of shots from the 30th annual Apple Festival in Erwin, TN. As you can tell from the sea of faces above, it's a popular event -- the two day event is expected to draw in excess of 100,000 people to this town of approximately 18,000. There's lots of arts and crafts, food, shopping, bluegrass and gospel music, and games and rides for the kids. The festival is typically held on the first Friday and Saturday in October, with hours both days from 8am to 8pm. To the right is a photo of fiddler Joel Shimberg.

Jonesborough Storytelling Festival

Tennessee's oldest town is all decked out and ready for this coming weekend's National Storytelling Festival. The 35th annual event runs October 5th thru 7th in historic Jonesborough, TN.

God created man because He loves stories.
--Elie Weisel (1928- ), author, Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Exchange Place

This weekend is the 35th Fall Folk Arts Festival at the Exchange Place in Kingsport, TN. Located on the grounds of a 1850s farm, the festival features traditional crafts, demonstrations, living-history reenactments, horse rides, and all sorts of other activities. Today is the final day (Noon to 5 pm) - Admission is only $1!

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Exchange Place is a restored farm complex of ten buildings including the main house, schoolroom, smokehouse, kitchen, store and blacksmith shop. The narrow gravel lane running through the property is the original "Old Stage Road," which ran from Virginia to Knoxville. The farm's name derives from its function as a stagecoach stop where horses and state currencies were exchanged. It's open seasonally (May thru October) with limited regular hours: Saturday and Sundays 2pm to 4:30pm. Check their website for upcoming special events for Halloween and Christmas.

Directions: From John B. Dennis Highway (Highway 93), take the Orebank Road exit and travel east (away from town) 1 1/2 miles - the Exchange Place will be on your left. Click here for map.

Last Day of the Fair

Begun in 1926, the Appalachian Fair in Gray, TN is one of the most popular summer events in the Tri-Cities.

Fun Fest at Bays Mountain

Fun Fest, on now through Saturday. For this week admission to the amazing Bays Mountain Park is free. Another favorite is the "Taste of Tri-Cities" being held from 4pm to 9pm in Memorial Park. Click on the Fun Fest link above for details and a list of other events.
One of the Tri-Cities most popular summer festivals is Kingsport's

The Bays Mountain website says that the best time to see the gray wolves, like the one above, is in the early morning or late evening. The summer hours at Bays are: Mon.-Sat. 8:30am - 8pm., Sunday 1pm - 8pm. Four wolf pups are being introduced to Bays Mountain this summer, see their website for some cute pics!

[This is a photo I took in February -- it seems I've already posted all my most recent pics of Bays Mountain, click here to see them and then scroll down]

Rhododendron Gardens

Referred to as a "Jewel of Nature," the rhododendrons on top of Roan Mountain are putting on their annual show. I'd say they are at their peak this week (right now!) leading up to the Rhododendron Festival this weekend. The rhododendron gardens are a breathtaking display of hundreds upon hundreds of Catawba rhododendrons carpeting the mountainside. The three dollar per car fee is well worth it to see this incredible display of nature.

Directions: Take Route 19E to the town of Roan Mountain, turn onto Route 143 and travel 12.8 miles to the TN/NC state line (Carver's Gap). On your way up the mountain, you'll pass through the Roan Mountain State Park. Eventually, you leave the state park and enter the national forest. At Carver's Gap turn right, following the signs to the Rhododendron Gardens two miles up!

Other things to do: After walking the paths through the gardens, drive on to the trail head for the Roan High Bluff -- a short hike will take you to a breathtaking overlook. Another hike to consider is to stop at Carver's Gap on your way down from the gardens and to take the Appalachian Trail to the top of Round Bald -- this short hike will give you an amazing 360 degree views of the mountains.

Elizabethton Covered Bridge

Built for $3000 in 1882, the covered bridge in Elizabethton, TN has stood the test of time. The 137 foot long bridge, which spans the Doe River, has become the most recognized and photographed landmark in Carter County. Click here to learn more about the bridge's 125 year history. It wasn't very long ago that you could still drive across the bridge -- today however, only pedestrian traffic is allowed. The 40th annual Covered Bridge Festival begins this week and runs from June 6-9th and includes music, arts and crafts, classic cars, food and, of course, fun.

Blue Plum Festival

The annual Blue Plum Festival which features music and the arts (along with plenty of food) concluded in Johnson City last night. I've always wondered why it's named "blue plum." I suspected it was chosen to draw attention to the blues/jazz music that is often featured. Perhaps, I thought, it's also a subtle nod to the fact that Johnson City was once referred to as "Little Chicago" (which is known for its blues music). However, standing next to Fountain Square downtown I looked over and read the historical marker which says the following...

Johnson City
Incorporated - December 1, 1869

The town was formerly known as Green Meadows, Blue Plum, Johnson's Depot, Haynesville, then Johnson city. It is situated on land grants of 1782 to Robert and Joseph Young and in 1792 to Joseph Tipton. The town charter was repealed in 1879, but reincorporated in 1885. The name honors Henry Johnson, prominent merchant and postmaster. As industrial and educational center, it is the home of Milligan College, East Tennessee State University, and Steed College.
So now I know. But then another question arose, what the heck is Steed College?!? From the few references I could find, it was a business college that existed in Johnson City from 1940-1982.

Click here for a site detailing the history of Johnson City, TN.

Festival of Flowers

The Biltmore Estate's Festival of Flowers begins this Saturday -- but you should try to get away early because of the threat of freezing temps this weekend. Last weekend one of the Biltmore gardeners suggested that they expect the tulip blooms to reach their peak on Wednesday or Thursday. The picture above is a view of the gardens from this past Saturday (just a few days too early!). The Festival of Flowers runs from April 7th through May 20th.