Maryville mirth

East Tennessee’s panoramic display of red and gold leaves will serve as a backdrop when the award-winning Foothills Fall Festival showcases music legends Kenny Rogers and Foreigner in downtown Maryville, Tenn., in mid-October.

Festival-goers travel from as far as England and Brazil to enjoy three days of musical diversity, family fun, arts and crafts, and hands-on children’s activities. The Foothills Fall Festival has been named a “Top Ten Event” by USA Today. Foreigner along with Josh Turner and Rogers will headline the ninth annual festival. More than 16 musical acts, including Billy Ray Cyrus, will take the stage, which is surrounded by large oaks and maple trees along Pistol Creek in the Theater in the Park.

A lineup glitch gave festival organizers an opportunity to let the community decide who would cap off the three-day event, said Jane Groff, event coordinator for the city of Maryville. Singer and songwriter Willie Nelson canceled his planned appearance as the Sunday night headliner about two weeks after the announcement of the festival’s entertainment. Groff said organizers turned to radio sponsor WIVK for help. A list of available musicians was posted to the radio station’s website for the public’s consideration.

“We gave them a weekend to vote who they would like to see replace Willie on the roster,” Groff said.

Thousands of people voted on a list of about a dozen names, and Rogers came out on top. His representatives were contacted, and within days Groff had added his name to the lineup.

“That’s a pretty fast turnaround for an artist,” she said. “It’s normally a month’s turnaround.”

Groff and other festival organizers were so pleased with the results that they plan to use a similar method for next year’s event. 

The festival is divided into three major areas: the Children’s Adventure Land, Arts and Crafts, and the Theater in the Park. About 750 volunteers help out, and many return to work year after year. About 85 juried artists and craftsmen display and sell their work in open-air tents lined up along Broadway Avenue. The children’s area and the arts and crafts sections are free to the public, but a ticket is necessary for the concerts. Last year for the first time, the festival sold out by mid-August.

Meredith Goins, a Blount County, Tenn. resident with children ages six and three years old, said the festival is an ideal destination for families. 

“We go every year,” she said, adding that her mother often comes up from North Carolina. After spending a fun-filled morning in the children’s area, the family feasts on festival offerings with fried Oreos for dessert.

Children will have an opportunity to perform both on a karaoke stage and in the Kazoobie Kazoo show, which is an interactive activity for elementary age kids. The Ultimate Canines and the Dragon Legend Acrobats will make return appearances this year with different shows.

“It’s a family friendly area,” Goins said, “and this event helps spread the good word about the area. It’s the reason we moved here 12 years ago.”

Other Regional Festivals

Apple harvest festival • Waynesville, N.C. 

The Apple Harvest Festival in Waynesville has grown into one of the largest one-day events in the region, attracting more than 25,000 and 125 exhibitors. The festival’s main event is apples, of course, but there’s also music, food and craft vendors. Sponsored by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. Free. Call 828.452.3021 or visit www.haywood-nc.com/index.asp.

Georgia Apple Festival • Ellijay, Ga.

Celebrate fall with one of North Georgia’s most delicious fruits. The annual festival is held at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds just south of Ellijay off the Georgia State Parkway in Gilmer County. Enjoy apple fritters and fried pies, and bring a strong canvas bag to carry back local varieties. The festival includes crafters, plenty of food, and live music. Adult tickets, $5. Children under 10 are free. For more information, call 706.635.7400 or go to www.georgiaapplefestival.org. 

Gold Rush Days • Dahlonega, Ga.

Gold was first discovered here in 1828, setting off one of the nation’s earliest gold rushes. Today the Grand Daddy of Georgia’s mountain festivals draws more than 200,000 visitors over one weekend. Events include children’s games, plenty of food and live music, a parade, more than 300 vendors, a fashion show, a wheelbarrow race, a gold panning contest, a pipe smoking contest, a balloon throwing contest, hog calling, wrist wrestling, clogging, buck dancing, and a King and Queen Coronation. For more information, call 706.864.7247 or go to www.dahlonegajaycees.com.

Lake Eden Arts Festival • Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, N.C. 

Camp out lakeside or come for a day during peak leaf season with majestic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This spring and fall festival has built a reputation as one of the premier events in the country, welcoming more than 50 genres of music from around the world. Sample more than 40 healing arts workshops (including yoga, massage, and Tai Chi), paddle a canoe or kayak, or stroll through the dozens of tents offering folk arts and juried handicrafts. There’s also a poetry slam competition, drumming circles, a fiddling contest, jam sessions, contra dancing, gourmet food, and a kid’s village. This year’s musical line-up includes Leon Redbone, Vieux Farka Toure, Donna the Buffalo, Robert Earl Keen, The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats, and many more. For more information or to reserve tickets (prices range from $19 to $250, depending on your length of stay), call 828.686.8742 or go to www.theleaf.com.

Mountain Makins Festival • Morristown, Tenn.

The 33rd annual event celebrates Appalachian folk life and crafts with traditional mountain music, regional authors, storytelling, skilled demonstrations, and many other activities. Visitors have the opportunity to see the art of caning chairs, apple butter making, basket weaving, lye soap, broom making, and other activities of a bygone era. Other offerings include a Civil War Encampment, horse and buggy rides, an 8K race, and craft activities for children. Admission is $4 for adults, $1 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 years old and younger. Go to www.rosecenter.org for more information.

And don’t miss:

The annual Church Street Art and Craft Show in downtown Waynesville will mark its 25th year in 2008, making it one of the mountains’ longest running festivals.

The Church Street festival — scheduled for Oct. 11 this year — was founded in 1983 by artist Teresa Pennington and Richard Miller, who owned businesses in the downtown area and wanted to start a festival that would highlight what was then the up-and-coming Main Street of Waynesville.

Since then, much has changed in Downtown Waynesville. The town has earned a place on the National Historic Registry, it’s a member of the NC Main Street program, and has become a local and national model for downtown revitalizations.

What hasn’t changed, however, is the popularity of the Church Street Arts and Craft Festival, which attracts more than 20,000 people each year. Although it is named after Church Street, the festival actually takes place in the center of town on Main Street. The two-block strip is transformed into an art and craft marketplace for the one-day event. The event features more than 100 juried craft vendors and artists selling high-quality products. And like all mountain festivals, there will be plenty of local and international food vendors, mountain music and dance. 

For more information, visit the Downtown Waynesville Association Web site at  www.downtownwaynesville.com.

In Dillsboro:

The Village of Dillsboro in Jackson County has long been a thriving arts community, and it hosts many events each year to show off its artists and its quaint downtown area.

The WNC Pottery Festival is held the first Saturday in November (Nov. 1) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival showcases the work of more than 25 highly skilled southern potters. Call 828.631.5100 for information.

Dillsboro’s Lights and Luminaries Festival is one of the most beautiful Christmas events in the mountains. Held the first two weekends in December beginning at dusk, the entire town is transformed into a winter wonderland of lights, candles, laughter and song. Merchants usually hold sales. Call 828.586.3891 or 828.586.1600. for more information.