Calendar of Events

Save the date for the Mountain Makins Festival, October 26 - 27, 2019,
Rose Center, Morristown, TN 37814.

Mountain Makins is an award-winning festival which started in 1976 as a way to raise funds to save historic Rose School. The festival continues to support the preservation of the Rose School building, provides Arts Education for residents of 5 counties, and serves to keep Appalachian history and culture vibrant and alive for generations to come. Festival goers come year after year, from distances far and wide, to immerse themselves in the very best of Appalachian culture, food, music, dance, crafts, artwork, and fun!

The Rose Center, 442 West Second North St., Morristown, TN, 37814. Hours: M-F 9-5. Information: 423-581-4330, www.rosecenter.org

Save the Date, October 26 and 27, for the First Annual Lakeside of the Smokies Balloon Fest!
Come experience the autumn colors and fall foliage of East Tennessee at the Lakeside of the Smokies Balloon Fest!
Join us for music, food, activities, wine tastings, and more. Guaranteed fun for the entire family!

Chilton Farm
White Pine, TN
1:00PM – 9:00PM

tickets and information at lotsballoonfest.com

Next weekend, October 26 and 27 from 4-9pm, the Museum of Appalachia will transform into a historic storytelling and trick-or-treat trail for the second annual Haunts and History. Guests will have the rare opportunity to tour the Museum grounds under the cover of darkness, while listening to true and inspired stories about our Appalachian ancestors and collecting vintage candies and treats.

Guests may also enjoy hay rides, live music, blacksmithing demonstrations, pumpkin carving demonstrations, animal education programs, and festive snacks. For an additional charge, attendees may take a ride through the Museum grounds to the pumpkin patch to choose a pumpkin to take home. The event will take place on the picturesque grounds of the Museum of Appalachia, which includes historic log structures and barns, multiple exhibit buildings, and tens of thousands of artifacts.

Tickets for Haunts and History are on sale now at museumofappalachia.org; the event is free to Museum members. For additional information and admission details, please visit the website or call 865-494-7680.

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy., Clinton, TN 37716 (16 miles north of Knoxville at I-75, exit 122, then one mile east). Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

"BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR" WITH MIKE MELDRUM including a box lunch

Tour Cades Cove and discover parts of Cades Cove that most visitors never experience or hear about. Discover Cades Cove a short walking distance off the Cades Cove Loop Road and see and learn about:
*Gregory's Cave and the thriving business of Joe Gregory
*The story of the Primitive Baptist Church
*Managing wildlife in Cades Cove and the Deer Exclosure
* The CCC Camp
*The WW II Memorial Tree
*Cable's Lodge
...and much more

Departs at 9:30 am from the GSM Heritage Center, returns at approx 4:30 pm. Tour will be conducted rain or shine. Guests must be able to walk on uneven ground. $65 per person (Includes box lunch)

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, Cades Cove Heritage Tours, PO Box 268, 123 Cromwell Drive, Townsend, TN 37882. Call 865-448-8838 - ask about our private "Behind the Scenes" tours for groups of 10 or more.

James White’s Fort Halloween Bash!
October 26 @ 7:00- 1:00PM

Make the Fort your first stop of the night, or spend the evening with us. Spooky surprises await you at Knoxville’s premier Halloween Event: the Fort’s Halloween Bash!

The Fort will be transformed into a scary landmark on Saturday, October 26, 2019, from 7:00-11:00PM for an evening of Halloween costumes and fun. Come dressed in your most impressive costume!

Proceeds benefit preservation at James White’s Fort.

Cash bar with beer, wine, and cocktails. Free gourmet finger foods.
Costume contest with a photo area to post your costume pics.
More details to be announced soon, including admission rates, entertainment, and special guests!
Must be 21 or over to attend.

James White's Fort, 205 E. Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: 865-525-6514, www.jameswhitefort.org

We invite you to join us on Saturday, October 26th, for family-friendly Halloween fun at Navitat!

Guest Costume Contest! Come dressed in costume to be automatically entered for a chance to win 2 FREE PASSES for a return visit to Navitat. 2 winners will be selected by random drawing – one at 3pm and one at 8pm. All guests dressed in their Halloween best will receive free goody bags!

Halloween-Themed “Navitat at Night”! During our evening hours, we’ll crank up some spooky tunes, bust out glowsticks for all our guests, turn on the twinkling lights and adventure until late! This special Halloween edition of Navitat at Night is included in evening adventure times at no extra charge.

Make plans to join us for Trick or Trees!
7-11 years old $37.95 (+tax), 12+years old $47.95 (+tax)

Navitat Knoxville
2915 Island Home Avenue
https://navitat.com/knoxville-tn/
Knoxville, TN 37920

6:30 PM

EVERYONE IS INVITED!

Come dressed in your most creative costume, enjoy some yummy snacks, dance your heart out, and play some festive games. You don't want to miss this!

Reservations are strongly recommended. Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

by Ken Ludwig, Agatha Christie

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer – in case he or she decides to strike again.

“Hang on for the ride!” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Murder On The Orient Express is a funny, fast-paced thrill ride!" —The Hartford Currant

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 800 S. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

For tour descriptions and to purchase tickets, visit knoxvillewalkingtours.com

10/25 at 7:30pm - Shadow Side 2: Old City Ghosts
10/26 at 10:30am - Knoxville Botanical Gardens
10/26 at 8:00pm - Shadow Side Ghost Tour
10/28 at 7:30pm - Shadow Side 2: Old City Ghosts
10/29 at 7:30pm - Side Street Shadows Ghost Tour
10/30 at 7:30pm - Shadow Side 2: Old City Ghosts
10/31 at 7:30pm - Shadow Side Ghost Tour
11/1 at 10:30am - The Civil War in Knoxville
11/1 at 5:00pm - Knoxville's Music History
11/2 at 11:00am - Old Gray Cemetery
11/3 at 4:30pm - Gunslingers

Wails of the dying and shrieks of the sick will pierce the night air in downtown Knoxville as Blount Mansion presents a special multi-evening Halloween program titled Days of Dread: Knoxville’s Historic Epidemics. Visitors will be guided into the dark days of the past, when blistering, bleeding, and purging were common medical treatments. A troop of volunteer actors will recreate scenes including William Blount’s fatal fever in 1800, the terrible cholera outbreak of 1873, and the flu epidemic of 1919. This chilling history will come alive inside one of Knoxville’s most historic houses, with actors portraying real characters from the city’s history. It’s terrifying—and true, researched and written by Laura Still, author of the best-selling book A Haunted History of Knoxville. *Note: this program may not be suitable for young children.

Tours last approximately one hour, and begin every half hour at the Blount Mansion Visitors Center at 200 W. Hill Ave. on the following dates and times:

Friday, Oct. 25: 8-9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 30: 8-9:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 31: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Admission is $10 per person.

Blount Mansion, 200 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

Fort Dickerson Civil War Weekend, October 25th-27th.

Fort Dickerson was built and occupied by the Federal army in 1863-1864 across the Holston (now the Tennessee) River from Knoxville to prevent the Confederates from bombarding the city. This year is the 156th anniversary of the fort.

The living history weekend event is sponsored by the City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department and hosted by the Knoxville Civil War Roundtable.

The event will include a school day on Friday Oct 25 and two days of public tours and military demonstrations on Oct 26 and Oct 27.

Activities include living history campsites, infantry drilling and firing, Civil War medical and surgical exhibit, and much more. The fort is just south of Knoxville across the Henley Street bridge on US-441. The address for the fort is 3000 Fort Dickerson Road. For more information, contact Tom Wright at (865)621-2093, e-mail: thomaswright8@comcast.net or Perry Hill at (865) 283-1691.

https://kcwrtorg.wordpress.com/

As the evenings get darker and the first hint of winter hangs in the air, the western world enters the season of the dead. It is time when restless souls, vengeful spirits, and mythical creatures can more easily cross the plane between the two worlds. With All Hallowed Eve’s approach, it is a time when ghost stories and haunted tales more easily cross into the realm of our daily lives as these accounts help us remember the dead and contend with the unexplained. Along with the historic buildings, grounds, and family history, Mabry-Hazen House also preserves a darker history of Americans' experiences with death, funerals, spiritualism, and the occult. For the second year, the historic house museum will exhibit those macabre, yet fascinating cultural moments during their Victorian Séance Experience.

Mabry Hazen House will host “A Victorian Séance Experience” inside the parlors of the 1858 historic house. Relying on primary sources from the nineteenth century, Mabry-Hazen House will reenact a Victorian séance and give “investigators” an immersing experience filled with “mysterious and startling wonders.” Under the guidance of a Victorian medium, the séances will follow the rituals of nineteenth century Spiritualism and investigators will participate in historic “demonstrations” of mediumship. Whether true manifestations of spirits or clever parlor tricks, sitters at the séances will experience this eerie, yet ubiquitous aspect of 19th century American life.

Séances will occur every 20 minutes starting at 6:00 pm and ending at 10:00pm. Guests select a specific date and time to reserve a seat at the table. They should arrive 15 minutes before their table reservation. Each session is limited to 8 guests, it is strongly recommended tickets be purchased in advance, and all sitters must be 12 or older. Tickets are $20 per person and $12 for children (ages 12-16). Tickets go on sale Tuesday, October 1st, but members receive early access on Tuesday, September 24th! Join today and reserve your seat!

In addition to the séances, psychics, astrologers, and tarot card readers will be perform their craft for interested parties. Once a séance concludes, guests may purchase $5 vouchers to exchange to have their fortunes told. “We want people to have sense of the past and present through this event,” says Patrick Hollis, Executive Director at Mabry-Hazen House. These sessions use the traditional tools of the Victorian séance to attempt spirit communication for entertainment purposes. This is not a demonstration of mediumship or a way to contact deceased relatives. It is not recommended for the recently bereaved.

Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com