Gatlinburg will take itself back to its traditional mountain heritage and culture, as it kicks off its first annual MountainFest June 9th at the Ripley’s Aquarium plaza on River Road. The
event will feature two fun-filled days of bluegrass and authentic
Appalachian mountain music, along with crafters and demonstrators. Local
crafters will demonstrate their skills as passed down from generation
to generation, and locals will get a taste of local food favorites such
as beans and cornbread, fried taters and onions and fried green
tomatoes, made by some of the area’s best restaurants.
“We decided to do
MountainFest since Springfest, Harvest Fest and Winterfest did so good,
and we incorporated our summer events into it,” said George Hawkins,
special events manager for Gatlinburg. “With all of the vendors we’ve got, 98% are local craftspeople that are demonstrating, and I’m really excited about that. We have so many in Gatlingburg, and they’re all coming together and excited about this event. It’s
given us an n avenue to roll out our Smoky Mountain Tunes and Tails
staff, and it will be their first nights of performances for the
season.”
MountainFest activities will continue through August 12th,
with numerous activities including the Fourth of July Parade, River
Raft Regatta, Fourth of July Fireworks Show, Gatlinburg’s Smoky
Mountain Tunes & Tales, and the Gatlinburg’s Craftsmen’s Fair.