Fall Creek Falls State Park Announces Mountaineer Folk Festival

32nd annual event slated for September 10th-12th

Nashville, TN – Fall Creek Falls State Park will host its 32nd Annual Mountaineer Folk Festival September 10th-12th, offering a weekend of traditional music, country cooking, pioneer skills demonstrations and more than 100 craft booths.

“This is an outstanding festival that celebrates the heritage of the Cumberland Plateau with great music, food and fun for the whole family,” said Jim Hall, park manager. “With special events planned throughout the weekend, the Mountaineer Folk Festival offers a wide range of cultural and educational opportunities for all ages.”

The three-day festival kicks off Friday, September 10th at 7:00pm with an old-fashioned square dance and jam session, with music provided by the Blue Creek Ramblers and the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers. The old-time train music of Roy Harper will add to the opening night’s fun.

Beginning at 10:00am on Saturday, September 11th, will be pioneer demonstrations, music and storytelling, in addition to crafts and food booths. Storytelling, music and demonstrations will continue on Sunday, September 12th, with crafts and foods booths officially opening at 10:00am. On Sunday, special musical guest Norman Blake – well-known guitar picker and singer and noted for his performance on the Emmy- winning soundtrack of “O’Brother, Where Art Thou?” – will play at approximately 2:00pm. Other Sunday performers will be Leroy Troy, the Rigney Family, Hickory Wind, the West Girls and Still House, with other groups and singers playing throughout the day.

Pioneer demonstrations will include sorghum making, sheep herding, blacksmithing, spinning and soap making among other time-honored skills. Wagon and pony rides will be conducted both days. A civil war encampment will feature cannon firing and drills. Two stages will highlight both music and storytelling, with several groups and individual performers sharing a variety of music. In the Park Village area, over 100 craft booths will display an array of handmade wares, including woodworking, folk art, soaps and candles, leatherworks and basket weaving. Tempting visitors’ taste buds, local non-profit groups will be on hand to serve homestyle country cooking, offering many menu options.

The event is free and open to the public, though optional donations benefiting Friends of Fall Creek Falls can be made at festival entry points. The event is co-sponsored by Fall Creek Falls State Park, the Tennessee Arts Commission and Friends of Fall Creek Falls, an organization focused on preserving the natural and cultural riches of the park.

About Fall Creek Falls State Park

Fall Creek Falls State Park is a 22,500-acre paradise in the eastern Cumberland Plateau. Located just 40 miles south of Cookeville and 65 miles north of Chattanooga, the park offers incredible scenic beauty and recreational opportunities. Beautiful waterfalls, tremendous canyons and dense forests are protected within the park’s boundaries. Visitors will find a 250-site campground, a hotel and conference center, an award-winning golf course and 30 cabins among the parks many amenities. Readers of Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living voted the park one of the most popular family destinations.

For more information about the 32nd Annual Mountaineer Folk Festival, please call the Betty Dunn Nature Center at 423-881-5708. Call the Tennessee State Parks reservation line toll free at 1-800-250-8610 to make a reservation at the park’s inn or visit the park’s Web site at www.tnstateparks.com/FallCreekFalls.