December – February…Check out the ski conditions at Wolf Ridge Ski Resort (www.skiwolfridgenc.com)
Every Monday Night …..Blue Grass Bands at the Bogart Bowman Cabin, 5012 Unicoi Drive, Unicoi (423-743-7162)
March ……………………Rafting begins on the Nolichucky River (www.myusaraft.com)
March 6 …………………Arbor Day Celebration at the Bogart Bowman Cabin, Unicoi
April 17 – 19……………..Bristol Motor Speedway NASCAR Races (www.bristolmotorspeedway.com)
April 18…………………..Easter Egg Hunt at the Bogart Bowman Cabin, Unicoi
April……………………… Nolichucky 5K Fun River Run (www.unicoicounty.org) (423-743-3000)
April 24 …………………..Model A Hillclimb Event (Ken Miller, 423-638-4383)
April 25…………………. Fiddlers and Fiddleheads Festival, Unicoi (423-743-8799)
May 9……………………..Flag Pond Ramp Festival (www.flagpond.com)
May 16…………………… Wayne Scott Strawberry Festival, Unicoi (423-743-7162)
Late May………………… Unicoi County Heriage Museum Opens (423-743-9449)
June 18 – October 2…….Unicoi Farmer’s Market, 106 Unicoi Village Place, Unicoi
July 4…………………….. FreedomFest with Fireworks Display, Unicoi Elementary School, 404 Massachusetts Ave., Unicoi (423-743-7162)
July 4………………………Ice Cream Social at the Bogart Bowman Cabin, Unicoi
July 17 & 18………………2nd Annual Unicoi Blueberry Festival and BBQ Cookoff, Unicoi
August 21 – 23…………. Bristol Motor Speedway NASCAR Races (www.bristolmotorspeedway.com)
September 24 – 27……….Buffalo Valley Folk Fall Festival, Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens, 121 Covered Bridge Lane, Unicoi
September 26-27…………Msg Cyclo-Cross Racing, Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens, Unicoi
October 1 – 3…………….. Blue Ridge Pottery Show and Sale, Erwin (www.blueridgepotteryclub.org)
October 1 – 4…………….. Jonesborough Storytelling Festival (800-952-8392)
October 2 & 3…………….. Unicoi County Apple Festival, Erwin (423-743-3000)
October 10………………. 3rd Annual Pinnacle Trail Challenge & Family Fun Hike, 101 Powder Hollow Road, Unicoi (423-743-7162)
October 17…………………Heritage Celebration / Corn Day at the Bogart Bowman Cabin, Unicoi
October 31…………………4th Annual Punkin’ Chunkin’, Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens, Unicoi
November 8………………..Veteran’s Day Celebration at the Bogart Bowman Cabin, Unicoi
November 28………………Town of Erwin and Town of Unicoi Christmas Parades
December 12……………….Old Timey Christmas with Santa at the Bogart Bowman Cabin, Unicoi
Dec thru Jan……………… Speedway in Lights Bristol Motor Speedway (www.bristolmotorspeedway.com)
For additional event information, please visit the Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce website.
The Bristol Motor Speedway was first developed as a half mile oval track in 1961. Attended by approximately 18,000 enthusiastic fans, the NASCAR Volunteer 500 was won by Atlanta’s Jack Smith with a $3,225.00 purse. Now over 150,000 NASCAR fans stream into our area every Spring and Summer to support their favorite drivers and teams. We welcome and appreciate these fans for their patronage and sincerely hope that they enjoy all of their experiences while in the region! For more information, go to www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
Fiddlers and Fiddleheads Festival – Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens, Unicoi, Tennessee
Join us in East Tennessee for a fun-filled weekend! Enjoy antique cars and lots of pick’n and grin’n at the Fiddlers and Fiddleheads Festival sponsored by Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens. Over 20 bands will be playing bluegrass, gospel and country music on the indoor and outdoor stages. Bring your instruments and join in with many of the jam sessions that spring up in nearly every corner of the farm. See blacksmithing, salt making demonstrations, and laugh at storytelling. Also visit the beautiful gardens and the studio gallery of wildlife artist, Johnny Lynch. For more information on the Festival, call Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens at 423-743-8799.
Bogart Bowman Cabin, Unicoi, Tennessee
The Bogart Bowman Cabin was once owned by a number of different families, beginning with the Shelby family who obtained the property along the Buffalo Creek in 1782, the Bogart-Bowman Cabin changed hands from the Shelby family to the Bogart family and subsequently to the Bowman family by marriage. Considering the architectural details and particular methods of early frontier carpentry, it is believed the two-story cabin, dog trot and adjoining kitchen were built in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s.
The Town of Unicoi purchased the property in 2008 and began restoration. The exterior of this dwelling had been covered by manufactured siding for eighty years and the interior rooms had been covered by sheet rock and other paneled coverings. What was hiding under the modern exterior and interior wall coverings was the original log construction. The fireplace had been covered over in the main room and the second floor had been sealed off. Once the sheet rock on the interior was removed, it revealed newspapers from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s plastered to the logs, a common practice of the period in an effort to ward off the cold. The chimney and fireplace in the main cabin were constructed of the native Tennessee limestone.
The Town of Unicoi History Group sponsors a variety of community events and programs throughout the year. See the calendar above for events and dates. For more information, call the Town of Unicoi at 423-743-7162 or the Town of Unicoi Tourist Information Center at 423-735-0317.
Jonesborough Storytelling Festival
One of the top 100 events in North America, the Jonesborough Storytelling Festival has grown from 60 people gathered around some wagons and hay bales in the Fall of 1973 to the world acclaimed gathering of story lovers and storytellers each October. The little town of Jonesborough shares the unique distinction of being Tennessee’s oldest town and the home of the National Storytelling Center. Antique shops, nice restaurants, and historic homes make touring this quaint town a delight. Only a short 20 minute drive from the hotel, you will travel through some of the prettiest countryside you’ve ever seen!
For more information, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010.
This celebration of Southern Appalachian heritage and culture features homemade delights, arts and crafts, Blue Ridge Pottery and musical entertainment. The average attendance is over 80,000 people but the Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Erwin have done a great job of providing plenty of parking places and resting areas. Everyone has a wonderful time enjoying the sights and sounds of this festival. For more information, call the Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce at 423-743-3000.
From mid-November thru mid-January
The region’s dazzling holiday light show returns to Bristol Motor Speedway. Speedway in Lights, powered by TVA, offer a route that gives visitors the chance to take a lap around “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” and a visit to the Christmas Village. The popular Ice Skating Rink also returns for the holidays and will be located in the BMS front parking lot. (additional charge). Speedway in Lights opens nightly from 6 – 10 p.m. and tickets are available at the front gate.
