Townsend Heritage Festival Offers a Weekend of Fall Activities for All!
Image Source: Pixabay
Fall is right around the corner, as the leaves prepare to change colors and the air begins to become crisper. September 28-29 the Townsend Heritage Festival will be taking place at the Townsend Visitor’s Center in Townsend, Tennessee. Bring the whole family and enjoy a weekend of excitement, live entertainment and, of course, local FOOD, all while celebrating the culture of Appalachia.
The event is free to the public, but there will be a $10 parking cost for those who come in their cars. Plan to enjoy the festivities both days? Buy a 2-day pass for $15. The parking proceeds will benefit the Townsend Volunteer Fire Department.
There will be a complimentary shuttle running around Townsend for the duration of the event and each day will be jam-packed with all sorts of activities.
Craft Vendors at Townsend Heritage Festival
Support the culture and local artisans by stopping by the vendor booths that will be set up throughout the festival.
Hungry for some sweet treats? Stop by the Dandy Candy booth to try their homemade caramels.
Want to fill your home with scented candles? Stop by the Common Sense Candles booth and pick out your favorite beeswax lantern candle. Not only do they smell appealing, they are also designed with pressed flowers to catch the eye.
Spotlight on Sannie Mae’s Heirloom Foods
How about trying some southern comfort foods? Sannie Mae’s Heirloom Foods will be making an appearance at the Townsend Fall Festival. Sandy Hood, the owner, has been attending the festival for the past several years and loves sharing her foods with the community.
Sannie Mae’s Heirloom Foods comes from four generations. Generations of Hood’s family have lived and worked in Elkmont and Tremont, Tennessee over the years. She has recipes dating back to her great-grandmother. Growing up, they learned the importance of growing and producing their own foods.
“We gardened,” Hood said. “It was the way of life for us and I still do a lot of that today.”
Hood came across an old recipe for hot chow chow that was in her great grandmother’s handwriting. She knew that this among others were original recipes created by her family members themselves. It was time to share these with others.
“I started giving samples out to my family and friends and they kept saying, ‘You should do this.’” In January of 2011, Hood gained her official first customer by selling her one and only product at the time, her great grandmother’s famous chow chow.
Now years later, the chow chow is Hood’s best selling product. Stop by and visit the Sannie Mae’s Heirloom Foods booth and try this famous food yourself. She will be selling both regular chow chow and hot chow chow at the Townsend Fall Festival this year.
Other famous recipes Hood will be offering:
Sandy Hood Uses only the Freshest Ingredients
You’ll be sure to find all the freshest ingredients in Hood’s foods. She gets her ingredients from farmer’s markets and local farms in her town of Benton, Tennessee. Using the freshest ingredients allows her foods to taste the best they can taste.
She loves sharing her products. To be able to share the original foods her family members grew up eating and sustaining life on is special. “My heritage is so deep and rich in the Smoky’s,” Hood said. “I love the mountains.”
Her Booth is One You Won’t Want to Miss!
Hood’s booth will be sure to stand out at the festival. She uses quilts on her tables because like her recipes, the quilts are family heirlooms. “I have several quilts that my mother and grandmother and great-grandmother made,” Hood said.
Not only can you sample Hood’s delicious foods at the festival, you can buy them on Got Mountain Life’s website. One of these unique and tasty sauces will be sure to take your meal to the next level!
Live Music and Food
Who doesn’t love a free concert? Both days there will be a variety of live music starting at 11:30 a.m. Featured musicians include Friends of Bluegrass, Mike Clemmer, Rail Riders, Appalachian Grass, among many more talented musicians.
Enjoy a fresh meal while listening to music throughout the day. Featured food vendors include Chadwick’s Creamery, Toby’s Kettle Korn, and B & W Food Stand, where you can find an assortment of goodies, from funnel cakes to Philly cheesesteaks to corn dogs.
Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair so you and the family can sit back, relax and enjoy a great show all while enjoying a tasty treat.
Exciting Activities that Celebrate Appalachia Life
Image by: ReverieHikes
After filling your bellies with local foods and your ears with tunes, save time to explore all the activities offered to children and adults throughout the festival. On-site demonstrators will be showing off their trades to the public. Learn how to make cornmeal, see farm equipment demonstrations and visit the Smoky Mountain Raptor Center.
Other activities include apple butter making, Cades Cove Carvings, and the Antique Tractor Club will be putting on a tractor show. Hear tales of Appalachia from guest storytellers.
If you love the mountains, then you’ll love this event.
Stay up to date with other Appalachian region events and craft shows by following Got Mountain Life on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to visit our events calendar often!
