Fall Creek Falls State Park will host its 33rd annual Mountaineer Folk Festival on Sept. 9-11, offering a weekend of traditional music, country cooking, pioneer skills demonstrations and more than 100 craft booths.
“The festival is a delightful event that celebrates the heritage of the Cumberland Plateau with great music, food and fun for the whole family,” said Stuart Carroll, Fall Creek Falls State Park’s ranger naturalist.
“This year’s event promises to be the biggest and best to date, with exciting opportunities for all ages and we encourage everyone to come out and join us.”
The three-day festival kicks off on Friday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m., with crafts, an old-fashioned square dance and music provided by the Blue Creek Ramblers and Roan Mountain Hilltoppers. The old-time train music of Roy Harper and a special appearance by the West Girls will add to the opening night’s fun.
Beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, will be pioneer demonstrations, storytelling, crafts and food booths. Saturday’s music lineup will include favorite Leroy Troy Boswell, the New Binkley Brothers Band, Lantana Drifters, Catoosa Canyon, Cumberland and more. Music and demonstrations will continue on Sunday, Sept. 11, with crafts and foods booths officially opening at 10 a.m. Music stages will open at 1 p.m. on Sunday, highlighting both gospel and traditional secular music.
Special musical guest on Sunday will be Norman Blake – well-known guitar picker and singer, noted for his performance on the Emmy-winning soundtrack “O’Brother, Where Art Thou?” – slated to play at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Pioneer demonstrations throughout the weekend will include sorghum molasses making, blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, broom and soap making, among other time-honored skills. A Civil War encampment will feature cannon firing and drills. Two stages will highlight both music and storytelling, with 20 different groups and individual performers sharing a variety of music.
More than 100 craft booths will display an array of handmade wares, including woodworking, wrought iron, folk art, soaps and candles, leatherworks and basket weaving. Tempting visitors’ taste buds, local groups will be on hand to serve homestyle country cooking, offering a variety of menu options.
The event is open to the public and there is a suggested $3 daily entry fee or $6 for entry during the entire weekend, with all proceeds benefiting the festival.
The event is co-sponsored by Fall Creek Falls State Park, the Tennessee Arts Commission and Friends of Fall Creek Falls, an organization focused on preserving the natural and cultural riches of the park.
Fall Creek Falls State Park is a 25,500-acre paradise in the eastern Cumberland Plateau. Located just 40 miles south of Cookeville and 65 miles north of Chattanooga, the park offers incredible scenic beauty and recreational opportunities. Beautiful waterfalls, tremendous canyons and dense forests are protected within the park’s boundaries. Visitors will find a 250-site campground, a hotel and conference center, an award-winning golf course and 30 cabins among the parks many amenities. Readers of Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living voted the park one of the most popular family destinations.
For more information about the 33rd Annual Mountaineer Folk Festival, please call the Betty Dunn Nature Center at 423 881-5708. Call the Tennessee State Parks reservation line toll free at 800 250-8610 to make a reservation at the park’s inn or visit the park’s Web site at www.tnstateparks.com/FallCreekFalls.