Fall Creek Falls State Park Announces Mountaineer Folk Festival

NASHVILLE – Fall Creek Falls State Park will host its 31st Annual Mountaineer Folk Festival Sept. 11-13, offering a weekend of traditional music, country cooking, pioneer skills demonstrations and more than 100 craft booths.

 

“This is an outstanding festival that celebrates the heritage of the Cumberland Plateau with great music, food and fun for the whole family,” said Jim Hall, park manager. “With special events planned throughout the weekend, the Mountaineer Folk Festival offers a wide range of cultural and educational opportunities for all ages.” 

 

The three-day festival kicks off Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. with crafts and an old-fashioned square dance. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, will be pioneer demonstrations, music and storytelling, in addition to crafts and food booths. Storytelling, music and demonstrations will continue on Sunday, Sept. 13, with crafts and foods booths officially opening at 10 a.m. 

 

Pioneer demonstrations will include molasses making and blacksmithing, among other time-honored skills. A civil war encampment will feature cannon firing and drills. Two stages will highlight both music and storytelling, with a number of groups and individual performers sharing a variety of music. Over 100 craft booths will display an array of handmade wares, including woodworking, wrought iron, folk art, soaps and candles, leatherworks and basket weaving. Tempting visitor’s taste buds, local non-profit groups will be on hand to serve homestyle country cooking, offering many menu options. 

 

Making an appearance again this year is Kidz Korner, which will be located in the courtyard area of the Recreation Hall on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kidz Korner is designed to give children of all ages an up-close view of a variety of demonstrations, crafts and other activities. Demonstrations will include marble games, tiny treasures and button fun, making fishing lures using bottle caps, an artists’ workshop, a ventriloquist act, and an opportunity to create your own tie-dyed T-shirts. There also will be a live snake show introducing some of the parks lesser known residents and a discussion about weaving wool using Angora rabbit fur. 

 

The event is free and open to the public, though optional donations benefiting Friends of Fall Creek Falls can be made at festival entry points. 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 22,500-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 31st 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 1-800-250-8610 to make a reservation at the park’s inn or visit the park’s Web site at www.tnstateparks.com/FallCreekFalls.

 

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