GATLINBURG, Tenn. — After three years, a festival that celebrates and preserves the diverse and unique Appalachian customs practiced for generations will return to the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Mountain Life Festival will be at the Mountain Farm Museum on Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. It is meant to honor the legacy of families who lived on the land before it became the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
During the event, participants will reflect on the spirit of cooperation between families and neighbors in Appalachian communities, especially during a harvest. They will have a chance to learn what life was like from historians and cultural demonstrators. They will be able to learn about blacksmithing, sorghum milling, apple cider pressing and soap making while listening to live music.
The event is free and open to the public. The museum where it's held is located next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, two miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina. Saturday will also be a fee-free day across the National Park Service, to celebrate National Public Lands Day, so parking tags will not be required for the event or for other activities in GSMNP.
Anyone interested in attending can also call the visitor center at 828-497-1904 for more information.
