“Festival of Christmas Past” at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on December 7, 2009 - 2:46am

The event will include traditional mountain music. NPS photo.

An upcoming event at Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers the combination of Smoky Mountain culture and a holiday celebration. The 34th annual "Festival of Christmas Past" will be held on Saturday, December 12 at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

The event is an annual celebration of the culture of the Smoky Mountains with an emphasis on the Christmas season.

“Around Christmas time, people gathered in churches, homes, and schools, and many of them celebrated the holiday through music, storytelling, and crafts. Festival of Christmas Past allows us to pause and remember some of these traditions,” said Kent Cave, North District Resource Education Supervisor.

The day's activities are scheduled to run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, which is located inside the park, two miles south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on US-441. There is no charge for the event, which is sponsored in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association.

The festival will include old-time mountain music featuring the "Lost Mill String Band," "Boogertown Gap" band, and "South of the River Boys." Demonstrations of traditional domestic skills such as the making of baskets, lye soap, quilts, and apple butter will be ongoing throughout the day.

“Local craftspeople and musicians come together to share their ancestral skills with the public during this annual festival. We invite the public to participate in the day’s activities and learn about winter life and work in the Great Smoky Mountains,” said Cave.

You'll find a complete schedule of activities during the day at this link, and the park website has driving directions, maps and other details to help you plan a visit.