The Tennessee Volunteer Gourd Society will hold its fifth annual spring gourd festival, Home Grown and Hand Made, at the Bledsoe Community Complex, on April 20-22. The complex is at 234 Allen P. Deakins Road in Pikeville.
This show is an opportunity for the public to meet regional gourd artisans, crafters and growers.
As the theme indicates, all products displayed and demonstrated will be "home grown" and "hand made." Several gourd growers from the region will be displaying and selling a variety of gourds--all dried and ready for crafting. Crafters use gourds to create masks, decorative vessels, statues, seasonal ornaments and elegant objects d'art.
A ribbon competition will be held this year with approximately 22 classes and judging by American Gourd Society certified judges according to the AGS judging criteria. There will be gourd crafting workshops and demonstrations available throughout the three-day event. Some techniques used in crafting gourds are pyrography, pine needle weaving, silk dyes, acrylic painting and decoupage.
The Tennessee Volunteer Gourd Society is the Upsilon Chapter of the American Gourd Society. They are a 501(c)(3) organization. Their purpose is to band together those persons who are interested in the history, horticulture, culture, uses and art/crafting of gourds. For information about the festival and the TVGS, visit www.tennesseevolunteergourdsociety.org or call 304-5637.
Admission to the event is free to the public and parking in available on the grounds.