UPCOMING EVENTS
Plan ahead with fun happenings across Carter County Sycamore Shoals State Park Events Saturday, April 9
The Watauga Association 250th Anniversary Celebration — Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. In the spring of 1772 local settlers joined together and created a compact to “govern and direct for the common good of the people.” Known as the Watauga Association it was the first body of democratic self-government in British North America. Historians would later call it the first free and independent community on the continent. Join us as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of American Liberty! Schedule and times to be announced.
Saturday, April 9
Carter Mansion Commenorative Tour — 11 a.m.- noon, 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m - 3:30 p.m. Meet at Historic John and Landon Carter Mansion. Register for the event. Price is $0 per person, $5 Attendee + Donation, $10 Attendee + Donation, $20 Attendee + Donation. This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Watauga Association, the early frontier government established in the Watauga settlement chaired by Col. John Carter. Join park interpretive staff for a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame house built by Carter between 1775 and 1780. Enjoy the detailed 18th century interiors, hand carved moldings, and overmantle paintings as you visit this elegant frontier home as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the “first free and independent community on the continent.” The John and Landon Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643 Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase. Tour may be subject to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.
Wednesday, April 13
Carter Mansion Guided Tour — 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. — Meet at Historic John and Landon Carter Mansion. Register for the event. Price is $0/6 and under, $5/ Ages 7 to 17, $9/Adult. Join Park Ranger Jason Davis for a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame house! Enjoy the detailed 18th century interiors, hand carved moldings,
and overmantle paintings as you visit this elegant frontier home built by Col. John Carter between 1775 and 1780. The John and Landon Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase. Tour may be subject to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.
to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.
Saturday, April 23
Sabine Hill Guided Tour — 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Meet at Sabine Hill Historic Site. Register for the event. Price is $0/6 and under, $5/Ages 7 to 17, $9/Adult. Join Museum Curator Chad Bogart 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.
Thursday, April 14
Sabine Hill Guided Tour — 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Meet at Sabine Hill Historic Site. Register for the event. Price is $0/6 and under, $5/Ages 7 to 17, $9/Adult. Join Park Ranger Jason Davis 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
Annual Plant Auction — Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park - 9 a.m. - 12 noon. Meet at Park Visitor Center. Free Admission. An exciting array of unusual ornamental and native perennials, trees and shrubs will be auctioned during this event. A great opportunity to add new species to your landscape! Sponsored by The UT Extension Service, East Tennessee Nursery Association, and the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce.
Sunday, April 24
Earth Day Celebration — 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. SHSS celebrates Earth Day with a fun day of outdoor activities. We will be meeting outside at the park for an afternoon of shuttlecock, and 9 pins. Look for us near the fort. Period attire is preferred but not necessary. Please bring your own refreshments, chair/ground cover. In the event of inclement weather, this event will be rescheduled. Old Time Music Jam — Led by Art Lang — 1:30 p.m. - 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! Tech in Nature — 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Register for the event. Price is 6 and under free, $5 per person. Today, most people are inseparable from their smart phones and mobile devices. We want to embrace this cultural change and show you how you can better use technology on a day to day bases in nature. Using tools such as GPS locating, plant identification, and other easily accessible resources and apps, we will show you how to enhance your experience rather than take away from it. Join Ranger Cory Franklin for a walk around the park to better understand the tools you carry with you daily. The program will meet and begin at the picnic area beside the visitor center.
12
Wednesday, April 27
Sabine Hill Guided Tour — 1
p.m. - 2 p.m. Meet at Sabine Hill Historic Site. Register for the event. Price is $0/6 and under, $5/Ages 7 to 17, $9/Adult. Join Museum Curator Chad Bogart 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.
Saturday, May 7
Bird Walk with the Lee & Lois Herndon TOS Chapter — 8 a.m. Meet at Visitor Center Parking Area. Meet other birders and naturalists at Sycamore Shoals for a morning of birding during the migratory season.
Saturday, May 21
28th Annual Siege of Fort Watauga — 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free Admission. It is 1776 and the frontier is ablaze with war. Join us as 200 Colonial and Native reenactors present this dramatic retelling of the Cherokee attack brought on the settlers of the Watauga valley. Visit the living history camps, shop with period vendors, and witness battle re-enactments both days. Hear the rattle of muskets, smell the campfire smoke and see history come to life at the Siege of Fort Watauga. Contact the park for a detailed schedule. Spring 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.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.
