Fall Creek Falls State Park Announces 35th Mountaineer Folk Festival
Annual Event Slated for September 6-8
PIKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fall Creek Falls State Park will host its 35th Annual Mountaineer Folk Festival Sept. 6-8, offering a weekend of traditional music, country cooking, pioneer demonstrations and more than 100 craft booths.
“The Mountaineer Folk Festival highlights and celebrates the heritage of the Cumberland Plateau with great music, food and fun for the whole family,” Park Manager Jim Hall said. “This year’s event promises to be the biggest and best to date with exciting opportunities for all ages. We encourage everyone to come out and join in the good times.”
The three-day festival kicks off Friday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m., with a dance presentation by the Rhythm Express Cloggers. Leroy Troy Boswell, an old-time musician and showman, is the featured performer of the night. There will also be square dancing to the music of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers and the Blue Creek Ramblers.
Pioneer demonstrations, storytelling, craft displays and food booths will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7. Saturday’s music lineup includes favorites such as The West Girls, Catoosa Canyon, Cumberland, Old Time Travelers, Tommy McCarroll and Roy Harper. Music and demonstrations will continue on Sunday, Sept. 8, with crafts and food booths officially opening at 10 a.m. Music stages will open at noon, highlighting both gospel and traditional secular music. Norman Blake, the special musical guest of the day and a well-known guitar picker and singer noted for his performance on the Emmy-winning soundtrack “O’Brother, Where Art Thou?” will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday’s music lineup also includes Lou Wamp and the Bluetastics, Cannon Creek, Hickory Wind and The Gilbert Family. The festival will conclude at 5 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. 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 visitors’ taste buds, local groups will be on hand to serve homestyle country cooking, offering a variety of menu options. Geared toward the younger crowd, a special “Kidz Korner” stage will offer hourly activities both days, including craft making, old-time toys and games, and storytelling.
The event is open to the public and there is a suggested $3 per day 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 Cumberland Plateau area. 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 35th 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 website at www.tnstateparks.com/FallCreekFalls.
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