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2008 Calendar of Events
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area
January - December Traditional Arts Workshops
Join us for these great workshops that offer a unique opportunity to learn traditional and primitive art forms from expert instructors! Pre-registration will be required in addition to an instructor and materials fee.
January – December Garrisons & Living History Events
Re-enactors join us at Fort Watauga during various weekends of each month to present demonstrations and glimpses into frontier life during the 18th century in this region. Please check with the park for scheduled weekend dates.
March – October Guest Naturalist Tour & Lecture Series
Throughout the year, area naturalists will be joining us at varied times to share in their areas of expertise. Guided tours, hikes, talks, and field trips will explore the park and other areas of natural interest.
One Saturday per month Mountain River Concerts
except July, November, & December
Our continuing series of performances highlight the talents of traditional musicians, cloggers, storytellers, and more. Meeting in the theater of the Visitors Center. Please call the park for a listing of scheduled entertainers and times. Admissions Charge.
Throughout the year History at Home
A creative mix of historical & natural programs presented throughout the year by our interpretive staff. Please call for weekly schedules.
Fridays in June Colonial Kids
June 13, 20, & 27 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Spend a day at the Carter Mansion for a day of historical & natural activities for young people ages 9 - 13. Registration is limited to 10 each week. Small fee for each session.
June –October Sunday Jams at the Carter Mansion
Last Sunday of the Month 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Our open pickin’ and sharin’ session is open to musicians of all levels, dancers, listeners, and toe tappers! Join us for this home-style gathering!
Saturdays- May & October Bird Walks w/ Lee & Lois Herndon TOS Chapter
May 17 and October 4, 11, 18, & 25 8:00 a.m
Meet these wonderful birders and naturalists at Sycamore Shoals for a morning of birding during the migratory season.
January 5 Chipping of the Greens
Saturday 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Bring your Christmas tree down to the upper parking lot at the Visitors Center and the city will chip it into mulch. Save room in the landfill and take home a garbage bag of mulch for your yard. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
January 5 & January 6 Old Christmas: Winter Garrison at Fort Watauga
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am- 4:00 pm
Join Hardin’s Rangers, a French and Indian War period re-enactment group, at Fort Watauga for a living history look into the 18th century. Featuring a host of frontier life demonstrations that you can participate in!
February 9 & February 10 Fort Garrison
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am
The Company of Overmountain Men will garrison at Fort Watauga and present insights into life of the backwoods Militia during the Revolutionary War. Join us for drill, cooking, battle demonstrations, and much more.
March 15 Overmountain Weavers Guild Fibers Show and Sale
Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Don’t miss this great opportunity to visit with some of the best weavers of our region! They will be demonstrating on a variety of looms & spinning wheels, and offering handmade items for sale.
April 19 Landscape Seminar & Plant Auction
Saturday 9:00 am
An exciting array of unusual ornamental & native perennials, trees and shrubs will be auctioned during this event. A great opportunity to add new species to your landscape! Sponsored by The UT Extension Service, E.Tenn. Nursery Assoc., and the Eliz/Carter Co. Chamber of Commerce.
April 26 Community Plant Exchange
Saturday 9 am
The front parking lot will be bustling this morning! Bring cuttings and potted outdoor and indoor plants, to exchange for species you don’t have. A fun way to meet other gardeners and increase your collection.
May 17 & May 18 15th Annual Siege at Fort Watauga
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am
The Revolutionary War comes to life at the site of the muster of the Overmountain Men prior to the Battle of King’s Mountain. American and British re-enactors along with Native American Allies from all over the Southeast will demonstrate life on the western frontier during the late 1700’s. Battle demonstrations both afternoons. Sponsored by the Company of Overmountain Men.
June 7 & 8 Sycamore Shoals Native American Festival
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
A two-day celebration of our Native American Heritage. Come and discover the arts, music, dance, crafts, legends and stories of our Native Americans with emphasis on the Cherokee culture. Admissions Charge.
Month of July Fine Arts Show with the Watauga Valley Art League
Opening Reception: Sunday, June 29 2 – 4 pm
Monday - Saturday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Stop by the museum at Sycamore Shoals to view the beautiful artwork of the Watauga Valley Art League. Local artists display their talents during the entire month of July.
July 5 An 18th Century Independence Celebration
Celebrate the beginning of our nation’s independence! We will be hosting a gala that will include the arrival, by courier, of the Declaration of Independence, raising of the Continental Colors, refreshments, and contests!
July 5 & 6 Independence Weekend Garrison
A fine opportunity to visit with the Company of Overmountain Men and become a part of the excitement of 1776! The celebration will take place of Saturday; the garrison will continue until Sunday at 3 pm.
July 10-12, 17-19, & 24-26 Liberty: The Saga of Sycamore Shoals
Thursday – Saturday Our 30th Year!
Don’t miss Tennessee’s longest running outdoor drama, depicting the 18th Century settlement of Northeast Tennessee. Presented each year by local performers in the shadow of Fort Watauga. The drama tells the story of the major events surrounding the Watauga Settlement on the grounds where they actually happened. Seating is available in the Fort Watauga Amphitheater and performances begin evenings at 7:30 pm. Sponsored by Friends of Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area. Admissions Charge.
Month of August 4th Ann. Newell-Hendershot Watermedia Exhibition
Opening Reception Saturday, August 2 – 10 am – 4 pm
Monday - Saturday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Watercolor presents a style & beauty all its own. Entries are submitted by four art organizations to this judged show. The August 2nd opening includes watercolor demos, presentation of awards at 2 pm, and much more.
August 3 7th Annual Elizabethton Butterfly Count
Join naturalist Don Holt for this day long winged adventure. Come for all or part of the day. Sponsored by the North American Butterfly Association & Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. (Rain Date: Saturday, August 9.)
August 9 & 10 Carter Mansion Celebration & Garrison
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Join us at the oldest frame house in Tennessee, the beautiful Carter Mansion, located on Broad Street Extension for two days of music and fun. The detailed interior of this house, built around 1775, is unparalleled in Tennessee. Camped along the bank of the Watauga River, you can visit 18th century re-enactors, demonstrating period skills.
September 5, 6, & 7 8th Annual Sycamore Shoals Celtic Festival
Friday Night Torchlight Ceremony 6:30 pm
Saturday – Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Come celebrate our Celtic heritage! Opening with a torchlight ceremony Friday Night, Clans and Family Societies will be on hand to help with family history; dance, music, food, vendors, demonstrations, reenactments of 18th & 19th Century heritage, lectures, and a special musical concert on Saturday evening. Admissions Charge.
September 20 & September 21 Overmountain Victory Trail Celebration
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am
Join us for an encampment by the Company of Overmountain Men militia before the Battle of King’s Mountain in 1780. Call the park for the schedule of events.
September 25 Overmountain Victory Trail March
Thursday
Members of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association have recreated the historic march of the Overmountain Men since 1975. This year the marchers will cross the Watauga River at Sycamore Shoals, just as the militia did 227 years ago for the muster before they rode to victory at King’s Mountain. Approximate time of crossing the river is 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
Month of October Mysterious Candlelight Tours
Dates & Times TBA of the John and Landon Carter Mansion
Have you ever wondered what goes on at the Carter mansion after dark? A house that is over 200 years old is bound to have some mysterious stories. At select times during the month of October, you will have the rare opportunity to visit the oldest frame house in Tennessee and explore the mysterious side of this historic place.
October 4 & October 5 Fort Watauga Knap-In
Saturday &Sunday 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
Help us celebrate Tennessee Archaeology Week at Fort Watauga with demonstrations of how pre-historic man made stone tools and weapons. Displays of replicated primitive artifacts and demonstrations with primitive weapons such as bow and arrow and atlatl fill the days. Come and make your own projectile points!
October 2-5 14th Annual Sycamore Shoals Quilt Show
Thursday - Saturday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
This four-day exhibition, sponsored by the Sycamore Shoals Stitchers, features a show and demonstrations by local quilters held in the park museum. Bed quilts, wall hangings, holiday and baby quilts, miniatures and antique quilts will be on display.
October 30 Scary Stories at the Carter Mansion
Thursday 7:30 pm
Strange things happen around the time of All Hallows Eve, especially in a graveyard. Join us for tales of woe and terror, the weird and macabre, with a touch of wit thrown in for good measure. Don’t be afraid, the graveyard at the Carter Mansion isn’t haunted, we don’t think!
November 14,15,&16 Christmas Craft Show
Friday 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Don’t miss this tremendously popular craft extravaganza just in time for Christmas. Forty-eight local crafts persons exhibit and demonstrate their talents with a Christmas twist.
November 22-23 Thanksgiving Garrison at Fort Watauga
Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Join us as Hardin’s Rangers provide a glimpse into the past with an 18th century Thanksgiving at Fort Watauga. Plenty of food and demonstrations.
Month of December Winterfest Christmas Tree Exhibit & Art Show
Opening Reception November 30 1:30 pm
Monday – Saturday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
With an annual Winterfest theme, this event opens with a reception to view the trees, artwork, and an opportunity to meet the artists. The exhibit features Fraser fir trees decorated by local organizations with handmade ornaments. The Watauga Valley Art League displays the artwork.
December 5 & 6 Christmas at the Carter Mansion
Friday & Saturday 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Spend the evening in this 18th century home built on the frontier around 1775 featuring the beautiful interior craftsmanship decorated for Christmas in the style of 1780. Costumed interpreters, candlelight, refreshments, and music highlight the evening.
December 6 & 7 Christmas Garrison at Fort Watauga
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Ring in the Christmas season with the Company of Overmountain Men as they celebrate with living history demonstrations of the 18th century in the backwoods of Colonial America.
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area
1651 West Elk Avenue
Elizabethton, TN 37643
(423) 543-5808 – Sycamore Shoals (423) 543-6140 – The Carter Mansion
www.sycamoreshoals.org www.tnstateparks.com/SycamoreShoals/