The 31st annual Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair will be held Oct. 5 to 22 at the Convention Center. Promoters Sam and Tracey Large have developed and coordinated this event for three decades. It attracts over 180 craft people. The Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair is recognized as one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by Southeast Tourism Society.
Artisans not only make their art available for viewing and sale, but also demonstrate their special talents and skills. Potter David Howard discovered his interest in clay while taking pottery electives as an undergraduate at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. Twenty years later his hobby has turned into a full-time vocation. All of Howard's pieces are finished with a lead-free glaze. His production consists of about 250 original pieces of art each week.
Terry Rupert of Sevierville has mastered the art of manufacturing traditional handmade Nantucket basketry. "I enjoy introducing my craft to the southern marketplace," he said. "My craft was deeply influenced by idle whalers in Nantucket around 1840." Rupert boils the handles and secures them around a mold for shaping, then oven dries them to evaporate the moisture. The process is slow and only produces some four to five baskets a week.
Another craftsman who is very familiar with the fair is Charles Adams of Troy, Ala., who has a collection of stained glass works. Adams has been participating in the fair for nearly 18 years.
Although more than 80 percent of the participants in the show are perennial favorites, new exhibitors join each year. This year's fair will include the country, bluegrass and gospel music of Keith Longbotham and band, Tim Watson and Blackcreek and, on selected dates, Dennis Lee and Band. Hours of the fair will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Music shows will be at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. daily.