Townsend Festivals and Special Events 2024
Townsend Spring Heritage Festival and Old Timers Day - May
Bluegrass music (concerts and jam sessions), clogging, arts and crafts, BBQ and other vendors, Appalachian skills demonstrations, storytelling, and wildflower walks. Parking on the premises is $8 a day. Alternatively, FREE shuttle service is available to take people between stops at the Townsend Visitor's Center, Trillium Cove, Little River Railroad and Lumber Co. and Museum, Heritage Center.
Location: Townsend Visitors Center, 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway
Townsend Spring Festival, Appalachian Bear Rescue (10am-4:30pm)
Join Appalachian Bear Rescue at the Trillium Cove Shopping Village to celebrate the 2023 Townsend Spring Festival. Musicians, local artists, food and games will provide lots of entertainment for everyone! Appalachian Bear Rescue will offer educational classes, a guided hike, as well as information about our cubs. For more information and to sign up for classes, visit www.appalachianbearrescue.org
Nawger Knob Arts and Crafts Festival - May
A two day Arts and Crafts Fair under the trees at Nawger Knob Shopping Area. Dozens of crafts persons and booths, runs all day.
Studebaker Car Show - May
Car Gathering and Show hosted by the Talley Ho Inn. Call for more information. 865-448-2465
Memorial Day Bear Splash (10am-4:00pm)
Join Appalachian Bear Rescue for a cold bottle of water at the Townsend IGA to learn more about ABR's mission and to support its cubs!
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Music of the Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Independence Day Bear Splash *Friday: 1pm-5pm, Saturday: 10am-4pm
Join Appalachian Bear Rescue for a cold bottle of water at the Townsend IGA to learn more about ABR's mission and to support its cubs!
4th of July Celebration and Fireworks - July 4
Field adjacent to Highland Manor Inn.
Volkswagen Car Show - July
Summer Jam will feature a huge display of air- and water-cooled Volkswagens vying for tops in their vehicle category, bicycle show, new and used parts vendors, swap meet vendors, children’s activities, and games.
Music of the Mountains - July
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival - August
Townsend Visitor Center
gsmballoonfest.com
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Great Smoky Mountain Marathon - September
The course for the Great Smoky Mountains Half is a beautiful run through the woods just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The course begins near Heritage High School in the Hubbard Community outside Maryville and ends in Townsend, just under a mile from the National Park boundary. The finish line is at the visitors center in Townsend with beautiful views of the mountains. 619-567-9191
greatsmokymountainshalfmarathon.com
Tuesdays @ Two - September
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Fall Concert Series
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Townsend Fall Heritage Festival and Old Timers Day - September 2024
A celebration of mountain and Appalachian arts and crafts. Features demonstrations, bluegrass and mountain music, an antique tractor and engine show, storytelling, children’s activities, crafts by local artisans, basketry, spinning, weaving, sorghum molasses, apple butter making, lye soap, beekeeping, and blacksmithing. 9 am-10 pm daily.
Events are held at Townsend Visitors Center & Cades Cove. Bring your lawn chair!
www.smokymountains.org/what-to-see/fall
FREE Townsend Shuttle
Don’t forget to hop on the FREE shuttle that takes you around Townsend.
Buses, donated from the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, will run from the Heritage Center to Jeepism to Trillium Cove to Little River Railroad Museum to Cades Cove Cellars to Apple Valley to the Townsend Visitors Center and back to the Heritage Center.
One bus runs from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a second from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., both days.
The last bus will leave the Townsend Visitor Center at 6 p.m. and returns to the Heritage Center, on both Friday and Saturday.
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Blue Ribbon Country Fair - September
Held at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, the fair is in its ninth year. This annual celebration of the old-fashioned county fair features competition, games, music, historic demonstrations, and more.
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Tuesdays @ Two - October
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Fall Concert Series
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Quilters Road Show - October
The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend will showcase unique quilts and patterns for quilt enthusiasts and curious visitors, experts will be on-hand to answer questions about patterns and history of quilts, and demonstrations will be given to show how to construct your very own unique quilt.
Fall Home Tour - November
Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
www.gsmheritagecenter.org
Grains & Grits Festival - November
The Townsend Grains and Grits Festival is a festival of southern spirits and gourmet grub. Experience thriving crafts spirit and gourmet food community while discovering some of the region's legendary distillers and blenders taking place in The Peaceful Side of the Smokies.
Phone: 865-983-2241.
Admission: www.grainsandgritsfest.com for ticket purchases
Holiday Homecoming - Heritage Center - November
Celebrate harvest, home, and the holidays with live music throughout the day, kids’ crafts, basket weaving demonstrations, Santa, and more!
Fun activities for the kids: Make old fashioned Christmas tree ornaments to hang on your tree, learn how baskets are made, and best of all visit with Santa Claus!
Live music in the auditorium will be provided by local musicians. FREE admission.
Townsend Christmas Parade - December
On the Parkway in Townsend.
