Traditional Arts Workshops are by registration only and must be pre-paid.
Call (423) 543-5808 for more information.
Saturdays 10am – noon
The Fife & Drum Corps performs at historical events, dedications, and parades. This group is open to anyone ages 12 & up. Musical experience is welcome but not necessary. Just come with a willingness to learn! Meet our volunteer coordinator John Large at the Sycamore Shoals Visitors Center for Saturday practices.
Homespun Storytelling Guild
Tuesday, March 2 6-8 pm
Dedicated to preserving stories, tales, and folklore in a relaxed and informal setting. Come and hone your skills in the age-old art of storytelling. The guild will meet at the Carter Mansion on Broad Street Extension. Come join us as we “continue the front porch tradition, one story at a time.”
Saturday & Sunday, March 6 & 7 10am – 4pm each day
Cost: $30 (includes supplies) Limit: 10 Minimum: 1
Make and throw a traditional sling and bola, a hunting tool that uses weights to entangle a target. This class incorporates techniques for making cordage out of plant fibers to craft these tools.
Saturday, March 6 1:30pm – 3pm
Cost: $30 (includes Walton’s whistle and book); $20 if you bring your own instrument
Limit: 12
Minimum: 1
Class includes the fundamentals of holding and sounding your pennywhistle, learning the first notes, and playing a song – or come and advance the skills you already possess.
Music and other supplemental materials provided.
Vegetable Gardening in East Tennessee: Extend your Growing Season
Saturday, March 6 10am – 12pm
Master Gardener Ben Hunter, Northeast Tennessee Master Gardener Association.
A certified Master Gardener, retired Chemist, and retired Volunteer Fireman, Ben Hunter has been gardening for 63 years and has over 60 raised gardening beds. The talk is open to the public and geared toward anyone who is a current gardener or has an interest in gardening for the first time. Ben will share his vast experience and successes in gardening.
Workshop: Watercolor Paint Instructor: Barbara Jernigan
Sunday, March 7 1pm – 4pm
Cost: $12 (plus supplies) or $20 (includes supplies) Limit: open Minimum: 5
Learn and practice watercolor techniques and style. Dress to take a short walk outdoors for photos and observations, weather permitting.
Tuesday, March 9 9:30 am – 1 pm
This gathering of spinners and fiber artists is open to anyone interested in the art of spinning. Join us at 9:30 am on the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
Workshop: Making a Native American Flute Instructor: Danny Bigay
Saturday, March 13 10am – 4pm
Cost: $100 (includes supplies) Limit: 10 Minimum: 4
Discover the art of making a traditionally tuned Cherokee-style flute using native river cane. Wear old clothes. All materials provided.
Saturday, March 13 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Don’t miss this great opportunity to visit with some of the best weavers of our region! They will be demonstrating on a variety of looms & spinning wheels, and offering handmade items for sale.
Workshop: Watercolor Paint Instructor: Barbara Jernigan
Sunday, March 14 1pm – 4pm
Cost: $12 (plus supplies) or $20 (includes supplies) Limit: open Minimum: 5
Learn and practice watercolor techniques and style. Dress to take a short walk outdoors for photos and observations, weather permitting.
Workshop: Historical Pigments and Paints Instructor: Stephanie Smith
Saturday, March 20 10am - 12pm
Cost: $5 Limit: 10 Minimum: 3
An overview of the powdered pigments and bonding materials used from medieval
times through the 18th century. Learn to prepare traditional watercolors and
egg tempura paints. Class will be hands-on; be prepared for handling materials that may stain clothes.
Workshop: Cherokee Stone Pipe Instructor: Steve Ricker
Saturday, March 20 10am – 4pm
Cost: $45 (includes supplies) Limit: 10 Minimum: 5
Cherokee pipes were functional works of art, and held important meaning in Cherokee life. Learn to carve a traditional Cherokee-style pipe with native steatite. This class will take place in the fort area, so dress for outdoor weather.
Sunday, March 21 2 pm – 4 pm
Shape note singing is an early musical tradition in which various shapes represented each note of the do-re-mi scale. We invite you to join The Old Fields Singers—listen or sing along—and make this rich tradition your own.
Saturday, March 27 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday, March 28 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
In March of 1775, Cherokee delegates met with the wealthy and ambitious Judge Richard Henderson to conduct the largest private land transaction in North American history: the Transylvania Purchase. Join our re-enactors as they depict this landmark event that happened here, at Sycamore Shoals, 235 years ago.
Workshop: Kumihimo Braiding Instructor: Arlene Angelmaier
Saturday, March 27 9am – 12pm
Cost: $5 basic class, $15 class & take-home kit. Limit: 10 Minimum: 4
Begin with an introduction to Kumihimo, a traditional Japanese art of braiding. Intricate, sturdy Kumihimo braiding, traditionally used to fasten armor, and clothing, has found modern uses in jewelry and accessories. Learn basic terms and techniques, then create your own project on a quick-study, portable kit. Sign up for the basic class to see if you like it; take-home kits will be on sale for an additional $10. Additional fibers and accessories are also available for purchase
Northeast Tennessee Autoharp Community & Old Time Group
Sunday, March 28
1:30 – 2:30 Autoharp & Dulcimer Beginners
2:30 – 4:00 Open Jam
Start on the basics on Autoharp & Dulcimer, then stick around for the open jam to show off what you’ve learned! Old-time musicians of all instruments and skill levels are welcome to play! This group meets on the 4th Sunday of the month, January through May and September through November.
Park offices will be closed all state holidays.
For more information or to register for workshops, contact:
1651 West Elk Avenue
Elizabethton, TN 37643
(423) 543-5808
www.tnstateparks.com/SycamoreShoals/