Band Schedule

Friday, September 25
12:00 TN Brushfire
1:00 Carolina Bluegrass
2:00 TBA
3:00 Dinner Break
3:30 Carolina Bluegrass
4:30 Brand New Box of Matches
5:30 JAM Kids
6:30 TN Brushfire
7:30 Blackberry Jam
8:30 Carolina Bluegrass

Saturday September 26
12:00 TN Brushfire
1:00 Wilson and Cross
2:00 Blackberry Jam
3:00 Dinner Break
3:30 Carolina Bluegrass
4:30 Brand New Box of Matches
5:30 Blackberry Jam
6:30 Double Cross
7:30 Timberline Road
8:30 Carolina Bluegrass
(Bands and times subject to change without notice.)

Food Vendors

A & R Texas BBQ – Texas style BBQ
B&D Concessions – Chicken on stick, hamburgers, corn dogs, turkey legs, tea, lemonade.
Fred’s Kettle Corn & Hotdogs – Kettle corn, carmel corn, bottled water, slushies.
Irvey’s Ice Cream Co. – Homemade ice cream, milkshakes, floats.
Lemony Squeeze – Fresh squeezed lemonade, fruity flavored lemonades, bright and tangy limeades, or refreshing fizzy drinks.
Lucky 13 Lattes – Espresso lattes, Americano, coconut milk refresher, lemonade, Tea.
Red Box Hibachi – Hibachi and specialty egg rolls.
Smokeshow BBQ – Slow wood smoked meats, house made sides and sauces.
Tennessee Tater – Gourmet loaded baked potatoes, fresh-cut fries, pub chips, smoked meats.
The Crave Food Truck – Burgers, pulled pork, fries, hotdogs, nachos, funnel cake, ribbon fries.

Other Activities

865 Axe Throwing
865LIFE
PartyWOW Parties – WOW Factor Balloon Company

Townsend Fall Heritage Festival

The foothills of the Smoky Mountains come to life with Bluegrass music, arts and crafts, time honored traditions and Appalachian cooking at the Townsend in the Smokies Fall Festival, September 25-26, 2026. The festival provides an atmosphere where family and friends of all ages can partake in time-honored Appalachian traditions at a free community event.

An event for all ages, the festival centers around traditional and contemporary Bluegrass and mountain music; along with clogging and square dancing; art and craft booths; numerous Appalachian demonstrations; old-fashioned kids’ games; and Southern food, such as fried pies and kettle corn.

NEW LOCATION: Greater Smokies Event Grounds, 7930 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Townsend, TN 37882
This is next door to the Townsend Visitor Center. All events will be held at the Greater Smokies Event Grounds.

Event Sponsors

Shuttle service provided by Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center

Daily Schedule

September 25 & 26
Crafts & Demonstrations: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Food: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Music: 11 a.m.

Parking

Parking is $10 per day. Proceeds benefit the Townsend Volunteer Fire Department.

FREE Townsend Shuttle

Don’t forget the FREE shuttle that takes you around Townsend.

Buses, donated from the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, do pick ups and drop offs at the Heritage Center, Little Arrow Outdoor Resort, Jeep Outpost, Big Meadow Campground, The Abbey, Little River Railroad Museum, Apple Valley Cafe, Townsend Event Center.

Two buses runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

The last bus leaves the Event Grounds at 6 p.m. and returns to the Heritage Center, on both Friday and Saturday.

Crafter Vendors

Check back for updated listing
C & T Quilts & More – Quilts, Bowl Cozies, Headbands, Bag Holders, Pillows, Potholder Towels, Embroidered Blankets, Bookmarkers, Cloth Napkins, Embroidered Towels, Aprons, Bird Feeders, Birdhouses, Carpenter Bee Traps .
SJN Crafts – New and Recycled Horseshoes decorated using a variety of mediums.
Smokey Mountain Firehouse BBQ Sauce
Smokey Ridge Apiaries – Beekeeping material. Shampoo and Conditioner. Soaps, lotion, and lip balm. Honey and creamed honey.
Sophisticated Country Design – Door hangers, signs, decor, ornaments and custom headwear.
Southern Chic Boutique – Handmade leather earrings, bracelets, hair clips, keychains, and hats with designs on hat patches
Southern Soul Ink – Shirts, tumblers. laser wood and unique images.
Specialselections – Goatmilk soaps, lotions balms, scrubs, beard oils, shampoo bars, dog shampoo and more.
Trombino T-shirts – Shirts depicting Smoky Mountains themes, including a lot of bears.
Written in Time – Vintage postcards focused on themes of public interest.
RusticRed Rose Quilts & Crafts – Handmade quilts, bowl cozy’s, kitchen towels, baby sensory blankets, woodworking, cutting boards, wooden Christmas trees.
RoosterCat Leather & Canvas – Handmade leather goods (wallets, bags, books) as well as block prints to enhance the brand. Canvas goods (bags, totes, aprons).
CCBJ – Muscadine juice.
Chickadee Designs – Custom handmade marble and granite coasters.
Harvest Gourmet – Gourmet mustards, jams, jellies, and spices.
Nonnies Barn Bakery – Homemade baked goods using old fashioned family recipes
Baskets and Bowls – Handcrafted wooden bowls made from local wood: cedar, walnut, maple and box elder. Handwoven baskets and quilted panels.
Bella’s Balloon – Helium/air filled walking animal balloons.
Blue Hound Brew – Canned lattes and roasted bagged coffee
Brenda Hancock – Stained glass, fused glass vases, and mosaic art
Bronze and Bare Co. – Enamel, sterling silver, gold filled and PVD jewelry welded or clasp offered. Custom made jewelry, lip glosses with charms, hats
Brown House Scentsations – Hand poured candles and wax melts, room sprays, foaming hand soaps, car diffusers, laundry booster, lip balms.
C’s Enterprises – Ceramics, clay or slip that has been fired in a kiln and then painted in glaze, stains or glaze & stains.
Fannin Franks – Wood log cabin lamps.
Raven’s Moon – Wire wrapped natural stones, hand strung beads & woven reed baskets.
Glen Stanley McGroom – Handcrafted wood cutting boards and charcuterie boards.
House Mountain Publishing Books: Southern fiction, children’s books, middle grade fantasy series.
Lola’s Wood Creations – Wood floral arrangements.
Lucky Break Jewelry – Unique jewelry made from vintage broken china.
Maries Kitchen Wares – Potholders, towels, crochet dishclothes and scrubbies, crochet top towels, bowl cozies, kids cloth books, adult bibs.
Nana’s Bird Realty – Custom handpainted wood birdhouses.
WOW Parties – WOW Factor Balloon Company.
Picture This Creations – Embroidery, sublimation and DTF clothing, handmade jewelry, knitting, and woodworking
pressed. – Uniquely designed graphic apparel – tees, sweatshirts and custom items
Quilts by Leona Variety – Hand quilted table runners, quilts and crocheted afghans.
Seasons by the Sea – Crushed glass resin art to include framed pictures, suncatchers, lanterns, bookmarks, crosses, earrings, coasters/paperweights.

Other Events

Blue Ribbon Country Fair

September 26 (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
123 Cromwell Dr., Townsend
(865) 448-0044 | www.gsmheritagecenter.org

The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is hosting its annual Blue Ribbon Country Fair September 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Celebrate all that’s good (and delicious) about an old-fashioned country fair with activities including living historian demonstrations of open-hearth cooking, spinning, weaving, wood turning, blacksmithing, and more. Get up close and personal with quality livestock, including cows, chickens, sheep, and goats.

Don’t miss the historical games, like Farmer in the Cove and the Ladies’ Skillet Throw.

The Farmer in the Cove game is a hands-on experience for children in the chores of a busy and productive 19th century family farm. Some pioneer chores for children to sample include apple picking, gathering eggs, tending to the cabin porch (a vital family area), laundry by hand, corn shelling, and even planting crops.

Competitions of all kinds abound in the style of the classic American County Fairs.

$20 Parking Donation.

Fall Railroad & Heritage Event at Little River Railroad & Lumber Co. Museum

September 26-27 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
7747 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Townsend
865.448.2211 | www.littleriverrailroad.org

Join us for a full weekend of historic fun with trains, tractors and more. There will be history demonstrations, craft vendors, music, food & fun.

The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company is a non-profit corporation founded in 1982 to preserve the heritage of the Little River Lumber Company and the Little River Railroad. We operate a museum in Townsend, Tennessee, collecting, preserving and exhibiting the history of these companies, and of the people in this region.

Trillium Cove

117 Painted Trillium Way, Townsend

Trillium Cove provides visitors a unique shopping experience, at the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Intertwining walkways meander through the Appalachian style village, offering cabin rentals & real estate, if you’re in the market to relax and enjoy panoramic mountain views.