Play Music on the Porch Day
2023-08-26 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Tennessee
Immerse yourself in an enchanting musical experience at the Heritage Center on this special day. As part of a worldwide movement, we are hosting the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club for an unforgettable musical gathering. Revel in the melodious tunes of the dulcimer, a unique string instrument with deep roots in American folk music.

This event is more than just a musical performance; it’s a day to celebrate the universal language of music, and its power to bridge gaps and bring people together. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to soak up the sounds, feel the rhythms, and unite with music lovers from all walks of life. Be part of the global ‘Play Music on the Porch Day’ and embrace the shared language of melody and rhythm that transcends borders.

playmusicontheporchday.com

www.knoxvilledulcimers.org

Smoky Mountain Storytellers
2023-09-24 14:30 - 15:30 | Tennessee
Join the members of the Smoky Mountains Storytellers Association.

Smoky Mountain Tellers

Tuckaleechee Pottery Festival
2023-10-28 10:00 - 16:00 | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Dr, Townsend, Tennessee, 37882
Interested Vendors Click Here!

Saturday, October 28 | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Townsend, the festival is a gathering of some of the nation’s most esteemed potters. This event is more than just a showcase; it’s an immersive experience where attendees have the rare opportunity to witness the craftsmanship that goes into each piece of pottery. From intricately designed ceramics to rustic hand-thrown creations, the vast array of unique pottery and handmade goods promises to captivate and inspire.

Both connoisseurs, with a refined eye for quality, and novices, eager to dive into the world of pottery, will find joy in interacting directly with the artists. They can glean insights, hear the stories behind each creation, and even pick up a few techniques from these seasoned experts.

The festival is not just about appreciation but also education. Those with a keen interest in pottery can deepen their understanding, witnessing firsthand the artistry and skill that these expert potters pour into their work. Whether you’re in search of a decorative centerpiece for your living room or a functional piece for daily use, the Tuckaleechee Pottery Festival caters to all tastes and budgets, ensuring that every visitor leaves with something special.

Cancelled-Smoky Mountain Storytellers
2023-12-03 14:30 - 15:30 | Tennessee
Join the members of the Smoky Mountains Storytellers Association.

Nestled amidst the captivating backdrop of the Smoky Mountains, the Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association is a vibrant collective of individuals deeply passionate about the age-old art of storytelling. These tellers, drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of the region, weave tales that range from traditional Appalachian narratives to contemporary fiction, and from classical tales of distant lands to intimate personal chronicles. As they breathe life into their stories, listeners are transported on a journey through time and imagination, encapsulating the essence of what makes the Smoky Mountains so enchantingly timeless. Whether around a campfire or on a grand stage, the storytellers of this association ensure that every tale is a memorable journey.

Smoky Mountain Tellers

Closed for Holidays
2023-12-24 08:00 - 2023-12-25 17:00 | Tennessee

Closed for Holiday
2024-01-01 08:00 - 17:00 | Tennessee

Smoky Mountain Storytellers
2024-03-03 14:30 - 15:30, 2024-09-01 14:30 - 15:30 | Tennessee

Mornings in the Garden
2024-06-02 10:00 - 2024-06-08 12:00 | Tennessee
Join the Tuckaleechee Garden Club at the GSM Heritage Center the week of June 2-8, to learn more about our kitchen garden. Learn about heirloom plants and their planting techniques. This event is free of charge.

Maker Mondays
2024-06-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Tennessee
Join the Tuckaleechee Garden Club at the GSM Heritage Center on Monday, June 3rd, from 10a-12p for some fun in the garden! Our first Maker Monday event will focus on several fun activities for kids including a scavenger hunt, planting and harvesting, and a fun craft! This event is free of charge. Please email JBowen@gsmheritagecenter.org to register.

Maker Mondays
2024-06-10 10:00 - 12:00 | Tennessee
Join us for a fun dive into nature crafts! Master how to make a nature journal using simple materials and let your creativity shine. Learn with step-by-step instruction to make your own seed balls to begin your own flower garden!

Each child will make seed balls and one nature journal to take home. Cost is $10/child. Ages 5+. Younger kids may need adult help in the project. To register please email JBowen@gsmheritagecenter.org

Maker Mondays
2024-06-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Tennessee
This Maker Monday will focus on tie-dying! Bring your own tshirt or use a provided bandana. All ages welcome.

Messy! Wear clothes you don’t mind getting stained or dirty. Please email JBowen@gsmheritagecenter.org to register.

Music for Seniors
2024-06-27 15:00 - 16:30 | Tennessee
We are partnering up with Music for Seniors to have an intergenerational music event. Including an instrument petting zoo, opportunities for hands on instruction, and a low impact square dance lessonwith caller Leo Collins! This event is free of charge.

Please let Sarah Pirkle know if you are interested! Email SPirkle@gsmheritagecenter.org

Tastes of the Smokies
2024-10-13 17:00 - 19:30 | Tennessee
Tastes of the Smokies features more than a dozen local eateries onsite, cocktails, living history, and live music .

Mingle with living history demonstrators while you relax in the Appalachian Village and enjoy artfully prepared food and drink provided by respected local restaurants known for their quality regional Appalachian fare.

See what our restaurant partners think about this year’s Tastes of the Smokies!

Holiday Handcrafters Festival
2024-11-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Tennessee
Mark your calendars and prepare to immerse yourself in a delightful display of creativity at the Heritage Center for our annual Holiday Handcrafters Festival! This beloved event is more than just a shopping trip—it’s a cherished holiday tradition that perfectly ushers in the spirit of the Christmas season!

This year, our Handcrafters Fair is shaping up to be the biggest one yet! Showcasing the talents of more than 30 local artisans from the Smoky Mountain Region and beyond, we are proud to display a cornucopia of unique, handmade and handcrafted goods. Rest assured, there won’t be a single mass-produced item in sight!

We eagerly await your presence on Saturday, November 15th. Please remember, while the Fair itself is free to enter, we highly recommend bringing enough funds to indulge in the rich, diverse selection of crafts and goods. It’s an ideal opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones, or to treat yourself to something special! Be a part of this vibrant community event and celebrate the unique charm of handcrafted goods with us!

Interested Vendors click here

Giving Tuesday 2024
2024-12-03 00:00 - 23:59 | Tennessee
Give to the GSM Heritage Center on Giving Tuesday, December 3, 2024

“Do good on the largest possible scale.” – Isaac Anderson, Founder, Maryville College

If you are looking for something good to do this holiday season, give to the GSM Heritage Center where your contribution will help provide countless benefits to our regional quality of life. The Giving Tuesday year-end campaign, like our annual campaign, is intended to fund our mission to collect, preserve, protect and interpret our regional history by maintaining the assets of the Heritage Center. This year’s funding will focus on the repair and maintenance of our structures and artifacts, additional interpretive signage for galleries, the Appalachian Village and the Farmstead. Each of these structures and exhibits are instrumental in telling the stories of the peoples who called these mountains home.

Join our journey of preserving history.

Junior Appalachian Musicians Registration
2025-02-03 16:00 - 18:00 | Tennessee
The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is excited to announce the continuation of our JAM Program for the Spring of 2025.

JAM seeks to preserve our important mountain music heritage by offering low cost lessons in fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin, as well as other instruments of the Appalachian region to small groups of students in an after-school setting.

Cost is $180.

Great Smoky Mountain Fiber Fair
2025-04-25 09:00 - 2025-04-26 09:00 | Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountain Fiber Fair

Friday and Saturday | April 25-26 | From 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day

Discover a new craft, skill, or hobby! Join us for the 4th annual GSM Fiber Fair, where skills are learned, wool is spun, and a fiber enthusiast can shop to their heart’s content! Over 20 vendors are set up throughout the Heritage Center’s 10 acre campus from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day and a variety of classes are offered. Check out our Social Time and bring your knitting, crochet, or other project, a mug of tea or coffee and get to know one another! Share stories and learn from one another.

Experienced fiber artists will share their knowledge and demonstrate techniques. There are two days of classes, demonstrations, and sales and you’ll enjoy spinning and weaving demonstrations from local spinning and weaving guilds.

Kids Take Over the Museum
2025-05-10 10:00 - 16:00 | Tennessee
The 3rd Annual Kids Take Over the Museum will provide kids of all ages with hands-on activities that are rooted in rich Appalachian history.

There will be no shortage of activities for your young crafter or artist. From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, they’ll enjoy 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 will play loads of games that would have been popular choices for kids on the mountain homestead. Representatives from the Museum of the Cherokee will be on hand to share their cultural heritage.

The Junior Appalachian Musicians will be around the campus showing off their musical skills as they play traditional mountain music. The musical program will culminate with a performance at the 350-seat amphitheater.

With living history interpreters and demonstrators throughout the Heritage Center’s 10 plus acre museum site, kids are the focus all day long. Don’t miss it!

Grace Notes Flute Choir
2025-05-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Tennessee
The Grace Notes Flute Choir is playing on stage at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center on May 18 at 2:00 pm. For more information contact Laura Whitson at gracenotesflutechoir@yahoo.com or call 865-335-2807.

The concert is free for guests with admission.

Come celebrate Scottish heritage with us and enjoy some Appalachian-style Gaelic music by the Grace Notes Flute Choir!

Concert on the Fourth
2025-07-04 18:30 - 22:00 | Tennessee
Bring family and friends to an exuberant musical celebration featuring a 35-piece, American brass band, and special guests, celebrating our Declaration of Independence.

• At 8:00 pm in the GSM Heritage Center’s Large Covered Amphitheater

• Doors open at 6:30 pm. Overflow to be seated on the lawn.

• Complimentary American Flags For the First 300 Guests!

• Enjoy live portrayals of historically relevant characters in 1776 revolutionary-era costume.

• Thrilling music, led by internationally-celebrated conductor, Danny Griffin, includes rousing John Phillip Sousa marches, Appalachian-themed music, and a tuneful salute to active-duty military personnel and our beloved veterans.

• Fireworks Display in Downtown Townsend to follow! The concert ends with plenty of time to get there!

Admission is a suggested $10 donation to the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, which houses a celebrated museum, a village of 18 authentic, historic homes and structures, indigenous peoples exhibits, and educational programs for children and adults.

Having joined the Heritage Center last December as its CEO, Francis Graffeo is energized to bring to life a special 4th of July celebration at the Heritage Center. “We aim to provide our guests with a moving, sensory, and participatory experience,” Graffeo explains, “one that delivers a rousing tribute to 18th-century American leaders, the world-changing declaration they created, and the very birth of the nation we cherish.” Graffeo encourages families to bring the kids and enjoy a spectacular Fourth of July.

Buy Your Tickets Today!

Blue Ribbon Country Fair - 2025
2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:00 | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Dr, Townsend, Tennessee, 37882
Would you like to win a coveted blue ribbon? Click here to enter the fair and for more information about what to expect!

The deadline for Fair entry forms is Monday, September 22 at 5 PM.

Join in a fall celebration in the tradition of old-time county fairs, featuring all-around family fun.

Celebrate all that’s good (and delicious) about an old-fashioned country fair with activities including living history demonstrations of open-hearth cooking, spinning, weaving, wood turning, blacksmithing. Enjoy the gathered livestock, featuring cows, chickens, and goats.

Don’t miss the historical games, like Farmer in the Cove and the Ladies’ Skillet Throw. Farmer in the Cove is a hands-on experience for children in the chores of a busy and productive 19th century family farm. Some of the key chores children can experience include apple picking, gathering eggs, tending to the cabin porch (a vital family area), doing laundry by hand, corn shelling, and even planting crops.

Museum Events Coordinator:

Storytelling Sunday at the Heritage Center
2025-10-19 14:30 - 15:30 | Tennessee
Join the members of the Smoky Mountains Storytellers Association for this favorite event.

Coming up: 10/19/25, 2:30-3:30pm

Nestled amidst the captivating backdrop of the Smoky Mountains, the Smoky Mountain Storytellers, a vibrant collective of individuals deeply passionate about the age-old art of storytelling, weave stories drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of the region. Their tales range from traditional Appalachian narratives to contemporary fiction and from classical tales of distant lands to intimate personal chronicles.

Through their telling, full of life, listeners are transported on a journey through time and imagination encapsulating the essence of what makes the Smoky Mountains so enchantingly timeless. Whether around a campfire or on a grand stage, the storytellers of this association ensure that every tale is a memorable journey.

About the Smoky Mountain Tellers

From Norway to the Smokies — Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra
2025-10-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Dr, Townsend, Tennessee, 37882
Southern Appalachia introduced Bluegrass to the world almost a century ago. Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra is bringing it back this Fall. From Norway to the Smokies — celebrate autumn in the mountains with the true-to-its-roots sound of Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra!

This talented and energetic ensemble is coming to the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, Tennessee during their 2025 U.S. Tour. Join us for a unique concert in our 400-seat covered amphitheater surrounded by mountains and fall foliage.

Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra is a seven-piece acoustic band from Oslo, Norway, that has captured hearts in both Norway and the US with its unique blend of bluegrass and Nordic folk that delivers a fresh take on American roots music wrapped in a finely tuned folk sound. Fronted by Rebekka Nilsson – winner of the 2022 IBMA Momentum “Vocalist of the Year” award – Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra combines original songs, classic tunes, and timeless covers into an energetic and soulful repertoire.

Highlights

Billboard Chart Success: Debut album Migrants (2021) debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart and stayed for 11 weeks. Follow-up live album The Broken Circle Sessions (2023) reached #9 on the Bluegrass chart.

Awards: Migrants was nominated for Norway’s Spellemannprisen (Grammy) 2021 and was nominated “Band of the Year” in 2022 and 2023.

Online Popularity: The band has amassed over 18 million views on YouTube, including a viral performance of “Wayfaring Stranger” (nearly 10 million plays).

International Acclaim: Hayde was an official showcase artist at the IBMA World of Bluegrass (2022, 2024) and at Folk Alliance International 2022. In 2021 they were invited for a three-week engagement at Dollywood in Tennessee, and even booked to perform on the legendary Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville – opportunities unfortunately derailed by COVID.

New Music: In fall 2025 they embark on a three-week US tour with copies of their upcoming 2026 album – available here before anywhere else! With an expanding international fanbase, audiences at upcoming shows may be treated to exclusive premieres of brand-new songs!

Listen & Watch

Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra – Wayfaring Stranger | Live at John Dee

Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra – Back Home to Harlan / Heaven and Hell / Smokey Mountain Railway | Live

Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra – All My Tears | Live at Riksscenen

Hear more: Both albums Migrants (2021) and The Broken Circle Sessions (2023) – as well as numerous singles – are available on SPOTIFY and all streaming platforms.

Holiday Handcrafters Fair
2025-11-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Dr, Townsend, Tennessee, 37882
Come celebrate the season at our annual Holiday Handcrafters Fair! Wander through a warm and welcoming marketplace filled with local artisans, handmade treasures, and the sounds and scents of an old-fashioned Smoky Mountain Christmas. It’s more than a place to shop — it’s a time-honored tradition that brings friends, families, and neighbors together to share the simple joy of the holidays.

Admission to the fair is free, so come on in and enjoy the sights, sounds, and spirit of the season! We do encourage you to bring a little spending money — with so many talented artisans on hand, you’re sure to find something special. It’s the perfect chance to pick up one-of-a-kind gifts for family and friends, or maybe treat yourself to a handmade treasure while you’re here. Join us and celebrate the heart and craft of our mountain community!

Whether you are selling or shopping, we hope you will be a part of this beloved holiday tradition in the Smokies!
