May 09 Saturday
Learn how to fly fish regardless of ability or accessibility. Adaptive equipment will be available to borrow, and volunteers to assist with navigating trails. Offered in partnership with Catalyst Sports. Free. Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Tenn. To learn more or register, visit CatalystSports.org/great-smoky-mountain-adaptive-hike-bike.
Join fellow artists on Saturday mornings for a creative refresh in a welcoming, lighthearted environment. You’ll have the option of being inside, in a spacious, light-filled space, or outside under a covered pavilion. You can bring a project you’d like to work on, sketch from provided still lifes, or work plein aire.
These mini-retreats are located in West Knox, in a 20+ acre bucolic setting with fields and woods, on the Tennessee River. All levels are welcome and no experience is needed.
$20 per session or $50 for 3 sessions includes art supplies and yummy snacks.
Space is limited to 15 participants--please RSVP at lunacreates.com/sketch-club the Friday before to save your spot!
Discover what life in the Cove is like for its inhabitants—past and present. Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger-led program. Cable Mill Historic Area in Cades Cove, Tenn. Free. Info and confirm details: nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/calendar.htm or 865-436-1200.
The 4th Annual Kids Take Over the Museum provides kids of all ages with hands-on activities rooted in rich Appalachian history.
There is no shortage of activities for your young crafter or artist. From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, they get their hands and minds busy on basket weaving, blacksmithing, and pottery making. Over 25 demonstrations, on-site vendors and special events are lined up for this huge day at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center.
Visitors play loads of games that were popular choices for kids on the mountain homestead. Plus, representatives from the Museum of the Cherokee will be on hand to share their cultural heritage. The Junior Appalachian Musicians show off their musical skills as they play traditional mountain music. The musical program culminates with a performance in the 350-seat amphitheater.
May 12 Tuesday
Blount Mansion is proud to present Emma Patterson speaking on “Women of the Progressive Era in Appalachia” as a part of our Centennial Celebration lecture series!
Emma Patterson is a senior at the University of Tennessee. Emma’s honors thesis focuses on the nature of women’s reform at the turn of the century through the life of Helen Dingman, with information about Mary Boyce Temple.
Helen Dingman as a mountain missionary and Mary Boyce Temple as a local club woman, both dedicated their lives and careers to the philanthropies of the Progressive Era. My lecture will discuss the distinction between life in urban and rural areas of Appalachia and connect these two women’s stories to broader themes defining this region at the turn of the century.
• Lecture will start at 6pm• The special speaking event will be at Blount Mansion Visitors Center, 200 West Hill Avenue, Knoxville TN 37902.• Limited free parking onsite• $10 Donation suggested at the door. Cash and card accepted• RSVP to Rose@BlountMansion.org
May 14 Thursday
Starting at an elevation of 4,650 feet, stroll through a northern hardwoods forest and observe the birds and blooms that call the high peaks home. Smokies Life Branch Out event. Thomas Divide Trailhead, Bryson City, N.C. If traveling from Tennessee, there is an option to carpool from Sugarlands Visitor Center. Cost: For Park Keepers, $45; to join and attend, $85 (Park Keeper basic membership $40 + event registration $45). Info – SmokiesLife.org/branch-out-events or email: membership@smokieslife.org.
Learn about black bears, an iconic symbol of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger-led program. Sugarlands Visitor Center, Tenn. Free. Info and confirm details: nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/calendar.htm or 865-436-1200.
May 16 Saturday
May 19 Tuesday