FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Jeff Muir
Blount Partnership
(865) 983.2241
JMuir@blountpartnership.com
Jennifer Wiggins
AkinsCrisp Public Strategies
(865) 680.1457
jwiggins@akinscrisp.com
Fiber Arts Workshops Educate About Craft & Appalachian Culture
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn.—If you have ever wanted to watch a Border Collie herd sheep, learn how to
weave, spin, or make quilts or silk scarves, the Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival is the place for
you. This event dedicates an entire weekend to the many areas of fiber arts and their unique
contributions to Appalachian tradition.
During the festival, held in Townsend each spring, participants can get involved in a variety of fiber
arts activities, which might include animal or art exhibitions, contests, interactive projects for adults
and children, as well as demonstrations of fiber processes, workshops and classes led skilled artisans.
“The festival provides the community with a connection to fiber arts and its role in our culture,” said
Tami Vater, director of Tourism for the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority. “We hope
the entire family will walk away from this event with a greater appreciation and understanding of
Appalachian culture and maybe even a new hobby.”
The festival also offers participants the chance to create their own unique work of fiber art through
many classes and demonstrations. The workshops have included spinning, rug hooking, quilting,
making appliqué wall hangings and wool appliqués, dyeing silk scarves, altering books, creating
marbled paper, weaving, crocheting, and felting projects for young people. Workshops change each
year, so attendees should check with the visitors center for the latest schedule of events.
“The festival is our way to introduce various fiber arts to the public and give those who are already
involved in fiber arts a chance to try a new technique,” said Vater.
Admission to the demonstrations at the festival and to the vendor booths is free. There are fees, and
advance registration is required for classes.
About Blount County, Tennessee
Blount County, Tennessee is located just south of Knoxville at the foothills of the Great Smoky
Mountains. The communities that make up Blount County—Townsend, Maryville, Alcoa, Friendsville,
Louisville and Rockford – provide visitors with an abundance of outdoor activities, attractions and
regular celebrations of the region’s rich Appalachian heritage and culture. Blount County is also home
to the nation’s most visited national park—the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For more information about Blount County, please contact the Smoky Mountain Tourism
Development Authority at (800) 525.6834 or visit www.SmokyMountains.org. Follow the Smoky
Mountain Tourism Development Authority at www.Facebook.com/PeacefulSide and
Twitter.com/PeacefulSmokies.
If you are in the area, please stop in to the Smoky Mountain Visitors Center at Townsend, located at
7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, or the Smoky Mountain Visitors Center at Maryville, located at 201
South Washington Street, for more information. (January 2013)
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