Old-time music, skills, fun live on at Museum of Appalachia Fall Homecoming

Photo by JACK WILLIAMS/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL

Oak basket maker Melissa Anderson creates a piece at a previous Fall Homecoming at Norris’ Museum of Appalachia

Photo by JACK WILLIAMS/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL

Oak basket maker Melissa Anderson creates a piece at a previous Fall Homecoming at Norris’ Museum of Appalachia

October ends with ghosts, goblins and witches ringing doorbells for candy. But early October in East Tennessee — at least for the past three decades — brings old-time music, home-cooked food and traditional crafts.

The Museum of Appalachia in Norris holds its annual Tennessee Fall Homecoming 9 a.m. until dusk this weekend. Homecoming begins Thursday, Oct. 8, and continues daily through Sunday, Oct. 11, rain or shine. This is the event’s 30th anniversary.

Music is a large part of each homecoming event. Five stages are set up on the museum grounds. This year’s performers include duo Dailey & Vincent on Friday and old-time string band The Freight Hoppers on Saturday. Bluegrass-gospel longtime group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver return to homecoming on Sunday. Other musicians include Charlie Acuff, Ramona Jones, Dismembered Tennesseans, and Sparky and Rhonda Rucker.

The old-time, gospel, folk and bluegrass music will be joined by other performers that include buck dancers and cloggers.

A complete list of musicians and the dates they will be at the homecoming event is at www.museumofappalachia.org.

Homecoming will also spotlight a number of old-time skills and crafts. Spinning, molasses-making, rail-splitting and sheep herding will be demonstrated. Artists will make and sell such wares as baskets, woodcarvings, quilts and pottery.

All that walking around the museum grounds, touring its vintage buildings and listening to music can make a visitor hungry. So homecoming food for sale will include fruit cobbler, apple butter, cornbread and barbecue.

Located just outside Norris, the Museum of Appalachia is a living history museum with buildings and grounds that focus on the heritage of pioneer East Tennessee and Appalachian life.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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