Fall Fun At The Old Mill

It’s officially the season of hot apple cider, warm blankets, and pumpkin patches. It’s also the season for fall festivals, and the Smoky Mountain area is full of them!

Here are three festivals you can enjoy while on your Smoky Mountain vacation.

1. Dollywood Harvest Festival

If you love Dollywood and the fall season then you won’t want to miss this event! From early September to late October this annual celebration marks the best weather and some beautiful fall foliage in the Smokies. Stay late into the evening to see beautifully carved pumpkins, lit up and on display. During the day you’ll enjoy fall themed food, and colorful leaves all throughout the park.

2. Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair

In early to mid October the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair heads into full swing. Artisans from across the country gather to peddle their wares while musicians serenade the crowds. You’ll see everything from woodworking and pottery to handcrafted jewelry and leatherworkings. If you have an appreciation for handmade goods then this event is for you.

3. Wears Valley Fall Festival

The Wears Valley Fall Festival takes place in mid October and is a favorite event for locals. Come experience the hundreds of vendors, melodic live music, and incredible Southern cuisine. If you’re interested in a true rustic, Appalachian festival with plenty to do and see for the whole family, then this one is for you.

No matter the festival you choose you’ll need a place to stay. Choose from one of our many options at Bear Camp Cabin Rentals today!

When September becomes the month on the calendar, there are many things we look forward to that the atmosphere of the Smokies takes on to remember the past and bring them to the present - the Autumn colors are obvious as well as the pumpkins and corn stalks, but also the people who are the literal lifeblood of the Smoky Mountain Appalachian culture. The stores and town square that past represents this spirit and culture in Pigeon Forge is our wonderful Old Mill area - and we have two events coming up that perfectly exemplify the season!

The Old Mill Heritage Festival (September 22nd - 2018)

Want a full day of festival to get hyped up for Harvest Festival? The Old Mill Heritage Festival on September 22nd is just about as perfect a way to do that as possible! The square opens up and becomes the very spirit of Autumn with arts and crafts demonstrations, pumpkin painting, quilts and quilting, moonshine making, sorghum making, bluegrass music, traditional folk songs, clog dancers, square and line dancing, a petting zoo, a farmer's market and much more.

In between those items of festivity, you can see the many wonderful shops that keep the Old Mill as iconic now as it has been for decades. The Old Mill has a huge general store with gifts, clothes, kitchen items, cooking items, books, toys and more. It also has a huge pottery store where they make all kinds of high-quality items for all areas of the house, a hiking store, a VERY unique bookstore, a store for cat lovers, home decor, jewelry, patchwork, more kitchen goods, and southern cooking/baking items, ironworks, artworks... the list goes on. It's a day memories are made of and you can get more information on this day at http://oldmillheritageday.com/ and https://www.old-mill.com/.

The Rotary Club Craft Tent ( September 29th - Oct 27th - 2018)

Adjoining the Old Mill is one of our city parks with Patriot Park - a large, largely flat, riverside park where you can often find families and individuals riding bikes, feeding geese, fishing or playing any number of sports. Patriot Park, from September 29th to October 27th, adds another large attraction to the park with a can't-miss red and white tent. This is the Rotary Club Craft Trent and it is in its 39th year of being a fundamental tradition in Pigeon Forge's Harvest Festival!

Inside the craft tent is a bit like the Pigeon Forge version of the seasonal Craftsmen's Fair in Gatlinburg - many local arts and craftspeople gather together to showcase their wares and demonstrate their art while music performances and snacks are provided. You can expect Halloween decorations and Harvest Festival fare, but there's also fine crystal jewelry, Native American traditional items, hand-knit clothing, upcycled decor, wood carvings, and even Christmas shopping opportunities! See more on the Rotary Club Craft Fair.

If any of the fun the Old Mill has to offer sounds good to you, then take a look at our cabin selection and find the one that's closest and best accommodates your needs towards enjoying the Old Mill Harvest Festival events. We hope to see you soon!