Only About 5 Weeks Left! It’s All Freshy Fresh at Local Farmers Markets in the Smokies

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Fresh Air, Fresh Food, and Fresh Fun – that’s what we’re all about in the Great Smoky Mountains! And we now have four Farmers Markets in the area so you can get your fresh on while you’re here! There’s only about 5 weeks left – so be sure to visit your local markets before it’s too late!

Gatlinburg Farmers Market @ Covered Bridge in the Glades
Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon
May 16, 2016 through October 17, 2015
www.gatlinburgfarmersmarket.com

Sevierville Commons Farmers Market @ Sevierville Downtown Gazebo
Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
June 5, 2015 through October 9, 2015
www.facebook.com/seviervillecommons

Sevierville Farmers Market @ Sevier Farmers Co-op
Saturday at 8:00 a.m. to 12:000 noon
June 6, 2015 through October 10, 2015

Seymour Farmers Market @ First Baptist Church of Seymour
Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
June 6, 2015 through October 10, 2015
www.seymourfarmersmarket.org

Grab your cup of coffee, head out the door, and get your weekend mornings started off with freshness! Each of these Farmers Markets offer the opportunity to get up close and personal with the food you eat. You can chat with local farmers and growers who are happy to share their growing methods, techniques and information on farm life. Or you can meet with a local baker and probably share a couple of tasty recipes. Or you can pick up some great herbs and flowers to plant in your own garden at home. Take home some local honey, handmade jellies and jams, handcrafted soaps and more. The options of fresh happiness are just endless at a Farmers Market in the Great Smoky Mountains!

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Meet friendly and knowledgeable vendors at Farmers Markets in the Smokies.

And seriously, you can’t have a group of folks get together for any amount of time in the Smoky Mountains without some live music breaking out. So chances are that on that Friday or Saturday you wander over to the Farmers Market you’re bound to hear a fiddle or two along with some tall tales! Visit a Farmers Market in the Smokies and you’re sure to enjoy yourself thoroughly, and you might make a few new friends while you’re there!

 

Smokies Stadium October Events Feature Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bret Michaels Concert and Novice Autocross School

Smokies Stadium October Special Events Feature Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bret Michaels Concert and the East Tennessee Region Sports Car Club of America’s Novice Autocross School!

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Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bret Michaels at Smokies Stadium October 1, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

Vaunted rock band legend Lynyrd Skynyrd will take the stage at Smokies Stadium with a little help from rock icon and former Poison front man, Bret Michaels on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

Smokies stadium in Kodak is the perfect open-air venue for some kickin’ Southern classic rock tunes like Sweet Home Alabama, Freebird, Call Me the Breeze, What’s Your Name, Tuesday’s Gone, and more! 

General Admission tickets are $49.50 + tax. No chairs will be allowed behind or beside the reserved VIP on-field seating. Reserved Seating tickets are $42.50 + tax. The seats are regular baseball seats. A limited number of VIP Reserved Seats may still be available at $100 + tax. On-field General Admission ticket holders are welcome to bring a blanket and enjoy the show as stadium policy does not allow outside chairs. Only “VIP Reserved Field” and “GA Field” ticket holders will be allowed onto the field.

Tickets available online at www.yourstadiumevents.com. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show.

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Bat Week Events at Great Smoky Mountains National Park on October 30 Halloween Eve!

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Rafinesque’s big-eared bat is one of the endangered species of bats. (Photo: Brian Carver, Plateau Ecological)

Bat Week Events will be held at Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Friday, October 30, 2015 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina.

What better time than on Halloween Eve to learn all about the 12 species of bats found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the important role they play in maintaining our ecological balance. Park Rangers will be available at hands-on information stations for fun and educational activities about bats and their importance to our world and the current threat of white-nose syndrome to bats in the National Park and throughout the U.S.

“We first confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome in the park in 2010,” said National Park Wildlife Biologist Bill Stiver, “The impact has been devastating. We estimate that some of our cave-dwelling bat populations have already declined by 80% and we are doing everything we can to both slow the spread of the disease and protect the remaining animals by closing caves and areas near caves to the public.”

Whiteoak Sink Area Closed Until Late Spring 2015

All of the Parks 16 caves were closed to the public in 2009 and in September 2015 the Whiteoak Sink area was closed to public. The area may reopen in late spring 2015 depending on the results of Park scientists findings as they monitor the site throughout the winter hibernation period to help develop a plan to deal with white-nose syndrome. More than 5.7 million bats in the United States have died leaving more than 40% of the bat species at risk or endangered.

Most hikers access Whiteoak Sink via Schoolhouse Gap Trail near Cades Cove. The closure includes the area between Cades Cove and Townsend within Schoolhouse Gap Trail and Turkeypen Ridge Trail west to the National Park boundary. Turkeypen Ridge and Schoolhouse Gap trails will remain open.

Bat Facts

  • Scientists estimate that a single bat can eat between 3,000 to 6,000 insects (mosquitoes, moths, and beetles) nightly.
  • Humans are not affected by white-nose syndrome; the fungus requires a cold body temp to survive. However, never touch or handle a bat. Bats are the only mammal species in the Smoky Mountains that have tested positive for rabies.
  • For more information on bats in the Smokies, visit GSMNP Cave Bats in Crisis.

Don’t Miss Wears Valley Fall Festival October 16-18, 2015

Don’t miss Wears Valley Fall Festival on Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18, 2015. Each day the fun begins at 10:00 a.m. The festival closes on Friday and Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The event and all the activities are free, so there’s no excuse not to gather up the entire family and spend the day in beautiful Wears Valley!

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A highlight of the festival is the Vintage Baseball Game at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday for kids of all ages. There’ll be a Kid’s Craft Tent with old-time games and educational and fun recycling activities from upcycled products. And what’s a Fall Festival without a good old-fashioned Potato Sack Race and Obstacle Course (these races will be on Saturday only).

You’ll also have the opportunity to meet the cutest festival attendee, Evie Sue, the Litter Retrieving Dog, and her friends Ed and Susan Harp who’ve authored the children’s book, “Evie Goes Clean and Green.” This amazing yellow Lab will show you just how fun and easy it is to “Go Green!”

Of course no autumn get-together would be complete without a plethora of Southern eats and Arts & Crafts that reflect the traditions of Smoky Mountains. And the traditions of the Smokies continue with the live bluegrass and old-time mountain music by Boogertown Gap. And for those that still believe Elvis is everywhere, well he can be spotted in Wears Valley as the King is channeled by talented Elvis impersonator Robert Keifer.

keep-sevier-beautiful-heysmokiesThe Wears Valley Fall Festival is the largest fundraiser for Keep Sevier Beautiful whose mission includes waste reduction and recycling, litter prevention, and the beautification of Sevier County’s public spaces. For more information, please call 865-774-6677.

Regen Film Sneak Peek Event on Nov 6th at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies

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The movie Regen, filmed locally, tells the story of Pigeon Forge resident Regen Morris who passed away on Christmas morning of 2013 from a rare brain cancer at the age of 12.

The film captures the spirit of this young man, wise among his years, whose story continues to touch thousands of lives with memories of his brave smile, love and undeniable faith.

During his battle with cancer, everyone, and we mean everyone, was Rootin’ 4 Regen. Come to this event and you’ll see how this remarkable young man and his family have blessed so many lives worldwide with their story of hope, faith and community.

On Thursday, November 5, 2015 join supporters at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg for a VIP event beginning at 6:00 p.m.

For tickets and more info, call 865-654-0766.

Be sure to check out Regen Film on Facebook.

Follow the film’s progress on its website at RegenFilm.