Mountain Life Festival returns to Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Festival coincides with National Public Lands Day, meaning free parking for visitors.
Published: Sep. 14, 2023 at 2:05 PM EDT
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GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will once again host its popular Mountain Life Festival after a three-year absence. The festival aims to preserve the legacy of diverse Appalachian customs practiced and handed down for many generations by families native to the lands that became the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Mountain Life Festival will be held at the Mountain Farm Museum on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities will include a variety of cultural learning experiences that embody the spirit of cooperation that existed among families in the community, especially during the harvest. Traditional rural activities such as blacksmithing, sorghum milling, apple cider pressing and soap making will all be available to the public as well as live music.

Saturday is also a fee-free day across the National Park Service in celebration of National Public Lands Day. This means a parking tag is not required for the event or any other activities that day.

For more information or to buy a regular weekly or annual tag, click here.