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East Tennessee History Fair is August 17, Downtown Knoxville

 
east tn history fair
Reenactments will take place at the East Tennessee History Fair. Images courtesy of East Tennessee Historical Society.
 
blacksmith
Live blacksmith demonstration
will be a highlight of the Fair.
   
KNOXVILLE -- On Saturday, August 17, Downtown Knoxville, including Market Square and Krutch Park, Clinch and Gay Streets, will be filled with music, historic crafts, historical characters, and authors to commemorate East Tennessee's History. History of the Cherokee to the Present will be portrayed in a variety of ways. The 2013 East Tennessee History Fair will be celebrating the region's history with reenactments, activities, and tours. Starting at a 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. there will be children's activities, historic home tours, graveyard and museum tours, living history, and a celebration of Davy Crockett's birthday.

Presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society, along with dozens of businesses, historical organizations, museums, musicians, and individuals from across the region, the East Tennessee History Fair features fun and educational activities highlighting the people, places, stories, and events that comprise the shared history of our 35-county region. The event is free and open to the public.

Special highlights include:
• Free admission to the Museum of East Tennessee History, including Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee and Of Sword and Pen: Pivotal Moments in Civil War East Tennessee exhibitions, plus the Streetscape with Streetcar 409 and Corner Drug Store, c. 1920-1930.
• WDVX and Clayton Country Music Stage featuring Russ and Becky Jeffers, Sarah Morgan (2012 Mountain Dulcimer champion, Nancy B. Strange, Jamie Laval, Good Time Ceilidh Band, David West and the Cider Mountain Boys, and Sean McCullough
• Living History Timeline--Cherokee to Vietnam War
• Abraham Lincoln and wife Mary Todd Lincoln will roam the crowd
• Dozens of historical and genealogical societies representing county, regional, and state organizations
• Book sales by Friends of the Knox County Library featuring Civil War, WWII, and other local and American history-themed books for children and adults
• “History Hound” Dog costume contest--guests are invited to bring their pets to Krutch Park dressed as their favorite historical character. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the contest begins at 10:15. Celebrity judges will award prizes for “Best Costume” and “Most East Tennessee Spirit.”
• Civil War-themed bus tours
• Bus tours featuring free admission to open house at Park House, Blount Mansion, James White Fort, Mabry Hazen House, and Bethel Cemetery Museum.
• Blacksmith, spinning, cornhusk dolls, raku pottery, woodworking, and other craft demonstrations
• Graveyard and stained glass tours at First Presbyterian Church from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
• Painted Glimpses of Olde Knoxville by Patricia Sprouls, an exhibition at Art Market Gallery on Gay Street
• Children’s activities include storytelling by the “King of The Wild Frontier,” Davy Crockett, along with a birthday party with cake for Davy’s 227th birthday, plus a musical show by Sean McCullough
• Walking tours of Downtown Knoxville’s African American Heritage
• Historical reenactments
• Market Square Farmers Market
• Higher Ground exhibition at Knoxville Museum of Art

New this year is:
• Tours of the Tennessee Theatre led by Bill Snyder
• Tour Underground Knoxville, sponsored by the Arts and Cultural Alliance and Dewhirst Properties.
• Visitors will have a chance to hold and be photographed with an exact replica of Davy Crockett’s first “Old Betsy”
• Visitors can come face-to-face with history in the Voices of the Land exhibit, as they visit with owners of family artifacts that now tell important stories in the museum. These include Joe Swann whose family has owned the Crockett rifle for nearly 200 years, Alex Brandau, a descendant of Colonel John Williams of the War of 1812. Alex and his daughters own the flag of the 39th U.S. Regiment, commanded by Colonel Williams. The flag is beautifully handmade by Williams’ sister-in-law Polly McClung. Bud Albers, a grandson of A.J. Albers who came to Knoxville and started a wholesale drug business during the Civil War, will visit with folks and share stories from his memories of Knoxville and the history of the family business and of when Knoxville was a leading wholesale city in the Southeast. Wilhemina Williams of Greeneville will be here to talk about the pistol (on display) given by General John Sevier to her ancestor Felix Earnest, following the Battle of Kings Mountain. David West, Russ and Becky Jeffers and other names familiar to East Tennessee’s country music past, will visit and share memories of their early times in country music and some of the legendary performers from Knoxville.


Schedule of Events & Times:

"History Hound" Dog Costume Contest
9:30 a.m. Registration, Krutch Park
10:15 a.m. Judging
Bring your canine companion in his best historic costume to have him crowned History Hound! Local celebrities will be judging your pet for “Most East Tennessee Spirit” and “Best Historic Costume.” Registration begins at 9:30 am in Krutch Park in downtown Knoxville. The contest begins at 10:15 am. Prizes provided by PetSafe.

WDVX and Clayton Country Music Stage
11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Enjoy live music in Krutch Park from the WDVX and Clayton Country Music Stage. (times subject to change)
11:00 ​Sarah Morgan – 2012 International Mountain Dulcimer Champion
12:00​ David West and the Cider Mountain Boys with Special Guests
1:00​ Nancy Brennan Strange and the Strangefellows
2:00​ Good Time Celidh Band
3:15 ​Sean McCullough
4:00​ Russ & Becky Jeffers
5:00 ​Jamie Laval​


Mast General Store
11:00 a.m.-1 p.m. Meet the Author & Book Signing
Dr. Gail Palmer of Maryville, author of When Mama was the Doctor: Medicine Women of the Smokies

1:00 p.m.-3 p.m. Meet the Author & Book Signing
Adam Alfrey, author of Great Smoky Mountain National Park: A Postcard History

Art Market Gallery – Painted Glimpses of Olde Knoxville Exhibition
11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Visit the Art Market, 422 S. Gay Street for a special history-themed exhibition “Painted Glimpses of Olde Knoxville,” composed of several works by Patricia Sprouls, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 90. One of the first members of the Art Market, she was well known in the Knoxville area for creating complex but delicate watercolor and pen-and-ink paintings illustrating local historic buildings replete with people of that time period.

Market Square Farmers Market
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
All products at the Farmers Market is grown or made by a vendor in the East Tennessee region. Products vary by the seasons and include produce, eggs, honey, herbs, free-range meat, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, and artisan crafts.

Special Children’s Events
Children’s Activities
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Children are invited to experience the past through games and crafts. Among crafts to make will be dolls, old-fashioned cup and ball toys, bead necklaces, and paper items. Other activities will include ride-on tractors, storytelling, and Davy Crockett’s Birthday Party.

Davy Crockett’s Birthday Party
1:45 p.m. “Friend of Davy” Storytelling
2:45 p.m. Birthday cake with Davy Crockett
It’s the 227th birthday for famous Tennessee frontiersman Davy Corckett! Put on your best bonnet and coonskin cap to hear friend of Davy, Jim Claborn, tell entertaining stories about the “King of the Wild Frontier.” Cake and lemonade will complete the celebration. Fun for both children and adults. Birthday cake and lemonade is presented by Food City.

Sean McCullough- Kidstuff Music Show
3:15 p.m. Clayton Country Music Stage
Join musician Sean McCullough, host of WDVX’s weekly children’s radio show Kidstuff, as he plays the guitar, banjo and mandolin and draws heavily on the music of the Appalachian Mountains for a fun and interactive show for children and families.

Tours
First Presbyterian Church
1-4 p.m.
Costumed guides will have interesting stories about the graveyard and stained glass windows of Knoxville’s first church, founded in 1792.

Historic Homes Bus Tours
11:00 a.m.-3 p.m. (depart from Krutch Park, Gay Street)
Between the hours of 11:00-3:00, you can board the bus at the corner of Gay and Clinch and ride to open houses at the Civil War Gateway Center, Blount Mansion, James Whites Fort, Mabry Hazen House, Bethel Cemetery and Museum, and Underground Gay Street.

Tours of Underground Gay Street
100 Block of Gay Street, Open from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Many Knoxvillians, even those who live, work, or spend time in downtown Knoxville may not know that the street and sidewalks on 100 Block of Gay Street are actually built on a bridge-like support structure, one full story above the original street level. Enjoy a rare opportunity to step back in time and see “Underground Gay” Street that has been hidden from view since 1919. Guests will enter through the Emporium at 100 S. Gay Street.

Tours of the Tennessee Theatre
Time to be announced
Bill Snyder will take folks on a tour of the Historic Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville’s Grand Entertainment Palace.

Tours of the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection
10:30, 11:30, 12:30, & 1:30​
Guests will be given a guided tour of the McClung Historical Collection, the southeast’s leading genealogical library, by Knox County Historian Steve Cotham. Learn about the book, microfilm, manuscript, and internet facilities on this 30 minute tour.

Civil War Bus Tours
Bus Tours: 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on the hour
At the top of the hour from 11 am to 3 pm, a tour bus will leave from the East TN History Center with local Civil War experts as guides to explore the Civil War geography that is so much an invisible part of present day Knoxville. Space on the tours will be limited—first come, first served.

African American Heritage Walking Tours of Downtown
10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. (depart from the Steps of the East Tennessee History Center)
Laura Still of Knoxville Walking Tours will focus on the African American heritage of downtown Knoxville. Approximate tour length is 30-45 minutes.

All Day Events Free Admission to Museum of East Tennessee History
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
In celebration of the 5th anniversary of the feature exhibit Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee and the 20th anniversary of the Museum of East Tennessee History! Exhibits include the East Tennessee Streetscape, Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee and the feature exhibition Of Sword and Pen: Pivotal Moments in Civil War East Tennessee. Historians and artifact owners will be on hand throughout the exhibit to share special stories with the public, including Joe Swann with his replica of Davy Crockett’s rifle “Old Betsy”- a gun passed down through his family for generations and will be available for photos, Alex Brandau of Nashville to discuss the Col. John Williams flag from the War of 1812, Bud Albers to represent his family’s wholesale drug business Sanford, Chamberlain, & Albers, Wilhelmina Williams from Greeneville with the Felix Earnest pistol- a gift from John Sevier after the Battle of Kings Mountain, and many more.

Living History Timeline
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
History is around every corner of Krutch Park with the “Living History Timeline.” From the Cherokee to the Revolution to the War of 1812 to the Civil War, World War I and World War II, Korean and Vietnam War, period-dressed historians will be happy to share their special eras of history with the public. Be on the lookout for Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln and General Lee perusing the park.

Historic Craft Demonstrations
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Enjoy blacksmithing by Mike Rose, raku pottery demonstrations from Peter Rose, spinning demonstrations by Dale Liles and Jenny Bennett, cornhusk dolls by Anne Freels, weaving by Stella Lamon, woodworking by Proffitt’s Woodworking from Gatlinburg, primitive crafts by Corn Cob Cove and Karen Micheletta, assorted crafts and art from Serendipity Artist Gallery, and handmade black powder accoutrements by Pop Adams Trade Company.

History, Genealogy, and Preservation Groups
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Learn about your family and local history by visiting with historical, genealogical, historic sites and museums, and other groups from across our 35-county region. Representatives will be on hand to answer questions and provide literature about what makes East Tennessee history so special.

Friends of the Library Book Sale
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Everyone loves a book sale! The books will include Civil War and other history-themed topics, plus a collection of WWII and American history. Books for children will be $1 or less and books for adults will be $2 and up.

Make Your Own Raku Pot
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Decorate and take home your own pot fired in a raku kiln under the tutelage of local wood-fire potter Peter Rose. Learn from Mr. Rose all about wheel-thrown pottery and traditional wood firing, as well as nontraditional pottery. There is a $10 cost to decorate and fire a pot.

Hoof Farm Fresh Food Truck
10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The 2013 East Tennessee History Fair is sponsored by Knoxville CBID, Tennessee Arts Commission, Arts & Heritage Fund, Clayton Bank & Trust, City of Knoxville, Mast General Store, WUOT, WDVX, PetSafe, Boyd’s Jig & Reel, Comcast, and WBIR Channel 10.

Established in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society is one of the most active history organizations in the state and enjoys a national reputation for excellence in programming, teacher and student education, and exhibitions. For 178 years the East Tennessee Historical Society has been helping East Tennesseans hold on to our unique heritage -- recording the events, collecting the artifacts, and saving the stories that comprise the history we all share.

The historical society pursues its educational mission through publications, lectures, conferences, school programs, museum exhibits, and heritage programs such as the popular “First Families of Tennessee” and the new “Civil War Families of Tennessee.” The East Tennessee Historical Society and Museum are housed in the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, across from the Tennessee Theatre. Also located in the center are the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection and the Knox County Archives.

Published August 11, 2013

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