Upcoming Events

from Carter County Living Summer 2022

Chicken Burgers with Kiwi Salsa

Plan ahead with fun happenings across Carter County

Roan Mountain State Park

Friday, July 8, 15, 22 & 29

Farmstead Fridays — 9 a.m. - 12 noon. Register for the event. Event is free. Meet at the Miller Farmstead. Join Museum Program Assistant Amanda Morgan and AmeriCorps member Lauren Thompson at the Miller Farmstead to help us maintain the grounds for the 2022 season. No experience is necessary, but volunteers who are experienced with facilities maintenance, farm and gardening work are especially appreciated. Our work may include: • Gardening and Composting • Caring for Livestock • Cleaning and Organizing

Dress for the weather with sturdy footwear, long pants and work gloves (we’ve got loaners if you need them). Tools will be provided, as well as coffee and light refreshments — so bring your own mug to #GoGreenWithUs.

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park

July 8, 10, 14, 16, 22, 24, 28 & 30

Sabine Hill Guided Tour — 1- 2 p.m. Meet at Sabine Hill Historic Site. Price is children 6 and under, free, ages 5-17 is $5, and $9 for adults. Register for the event. Join Seasonal Interpreter Matthew Simerly for a guided tour of this stately home built by Mary Patton Taylor, widow of Brigadier General Nathaniel Taylor. The site has been described as one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in the State of Tennessee. During your tour you will have the opportunity to take in the colorful and architecturally detailed interior while learning about the influential Taylor family who called Sabine Hill home in the early 19th century.

Sabine Hill is located at 2328 West G Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643

Please note, only portable toilet facilities are available at this time. Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase. Tour may be subject to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.

July 9, 15, 17, 21, 23, 29, 31

Carter Mansion Guided Tour — 1 - 2 p.m. Meet at the Historic John and Landon Carter Mansion, 1301 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Price is children 6 and under is free, ages 5-17 is $5, and $9 for adults. Register for the event. Join Seasonal Interpreter Slade Nakoff for a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame house! Discover the secrets of this elegant frontier home and learn the history of the family who built it between 1775 and 1780.

Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase. Tour may be subject to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.

Saturday, July 9

Nature and the Arts — 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Meet at the Visitor Center. Join us at the park visitors center for a full day of nature and conservation! The day will feature an art show and sale, nature walks, crafts and so much more. Sponsored by the Appalachian Highlands “Wild Ones” chapter. Be sure to learn more about “Wild Ones” while you are here! Activities will take place in the park visitors center and on the grounds behind it.

Scheduled programs include: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. — Nature Crafts for Kids 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. — Plants and their Pollinators Walk. Led by ETSU’s Arceo-Gomez Plant Lab Learn about the importance of native pollinators and native plants 2 p.m. – Monarch Conservation and Waystations

Friday, July 15

Summer Music Jam at Fort Watauga — 7 - 9 p.m. Meet at Fort Watauga. Join us for our first show in an ongoing series of music at Fort Watauga. The show will start at 7 p.m. at the amphitheater behind Fort Watauga Bring a chair (not required), bring a snack. We’ll see you there! Music will be a wide variety of classic rock, country, bluegrass, and everything in between!

Sunday, July 17

Ice Cream Social with the Sabine Hill Social Society — 2 - 4 p.m. — Meet at the gathering place in the visitor center. Join Sabine Hill Social Society members for an afternoon of ice cream, period indoor games and a bit of history! Learn the story about how this tasty treat was created, First Lady Dolly Madison’s connection, and play a few games. A cup of ice cream with homemade cookies will be available for $2 per person. No charge to join us for the fun! Meet in the Gathering Place in the park visitors center.

Saturday, July 23

Independence on the Frontier: Militia Muster — 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. — Meet at Fort Watauga. By today’s standards information traveled slowly in the 18th century. Be a guest in Fort Watauga as news of Independence finally arrives on the colonial frontier. What did the early settlers think about a new nation? From fear of war to the hope of a brighter future, walk among historical characters and hear their varied reactions to the Declaration.

Sunday, July 24

Old Time Music Jam — Led by Art Lang — 1:30 - 4 p.m. — Meet at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park visitor center. Enjoy the rich musical traditions of our region each month. Old time musicians of all levels are welcome. Don’t play and instrument? Come on over, kick back, and enjoy the tunes!

Monday, July 25

Creek Critter Catchin’ — 10 - 11 a.m. Price is 6 and under free, over 6 is $6. Register for the event. Join Ranger Davis for a cool and refreshing walk through the waterways of the Watauga River and discover the different creatures that call it home! Please bring footwear that you don’t mind getting wet or muddy, no flip-flops. You may bring your own catchin’ tools if you’d like. No children younger than 5. Parents who wish to be present but not participate do not need to register. Program will be cancelled/rescheduled in the event of severely inclement weather or abnormally high water levels. All critters will be released at the end of the program.

Tuesday, July 26

Ranger Led Bike Ride — 10 - 11 a.m. Meet at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park Visitor Center. Price is children 6 and under free, $6 for adults. Register for the event. Join Ranger Davis for a ranger led bike ride up the Tweetsie Trail to the Elizabethton Covered Bridge, then back to the park via the Elizabethton Linear Trail. Total loop will be about 6 miles and take approximately one hour depending on the average ability level of the attending participants. Portions of the route

Plan ahead with fun happenings across Carter County

will not be suitable for pull behind child carriers.

Please dress appropriately for the weather and bring your own water.

Program will be cancelled/rescheduled in the event of severely inclement weather.

Wednesday, July 27

Flags in Colonial America —1 p.m. Meet at the Gathering Room in the visitor center. Price is: Children 6 and under free, $5 donation only (not attending), $6 Attendee, $10 Attendee + donation, $10 donation only. Register for the event. Beat the afternoon heat and join our museum curator Chad Bogart in the “Gathering Place” of the park visitor center as he shares the history behind our nation’s most recognized symbol. Learn how our country’s flag was derived and see examples of other flags used in America during the 18th century and the War for Independence.

Saturday, August 6 19th Annual Elizabethton Butterfly Count — 9 a.m. Meet at the visitor center parking area. Meet naturalist Don Holt at Sycamore Shoals for this day-long winged adventure across town. The morning is spent at Sycamore Shoals and the afternoon in other areas of Elizabethton. Come for all or part of the day! (There is a small fee if you wish to have your name included on the official count list.) Sponsored by the North American Butterfly Association. (Rain date to be announced). Saturday, August 27

Cherokee Heritage Day — Sycamore Shoals is forever linked with the rich traditions and influence of the Native Cherokee. Join us for a day devoted to sharing Cherokee history and culture through traditional arts and historical presentations. Activities include traditional Cherokee dance, music, language, cooking demonstrations, and skills such as basketmaking, finger weaving, beadwork and woodcarving. Contact the park for a detailed schedule. Admission Charge. Schedule and times to be announced.

Saturday, September 10

Fall Knap-In at Fort Watauga — 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Knapping — with a “K” — has nothing to do with sleep! Knapping is the art of making stone tools, and the Knap-In at Fort Watauga is our celebration of Tennessee Archaeology Week. Watch primitive skills craftsmen make arrowheads, spear points, and other survival tools. There will be demonstrations of primitive tools such as the bow, arrow, and atlatl throughout the day.

SAR Gathering at Sycamore Shoals — 10 a.m. Meet at Fort Watauga. Join the Tennessee Society Sons of the American Revolution at Fort Watauga in honor of the Overmountain Men and their victory over loyalist forces at the Battle of Kings Mountain. The 242nd anniversary of the “Gathering at Sycamore Shoals” will be celebrated with a memorial service and a ceremonial wreath laying.