Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess // Buy this photo
A crowd gathers for the 2010 HoLa Festival. This year's festival is one of several going on in East Tennessee during the weekend.
Festivals held in East Tennessee this weekend offer diverse fare, food and fun.
Let's start in Knoxville with the 32nd annual Greekfest. The festival of food, music, dancing and Greek tradition is 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, noon-6 p.m. Sept. 25. It's at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Kingston Pike.
The event includes tours of the church, performances of Greek dancing, a menu of Greek food favorites and a marketplace selling everything from pastries to books to jewelry.
New to Greekfest is a Friday Kids' Day on Sept. 23. That includes a child-geared noon cooking demonstration for children, a 1 p.m. church tour for children and some dancing at 2 p.m.
Daily Greekfest admission is $2 for adults. Weekend passes are $3. Children under 12 are admitted free.
Don't try to park at St. George. A free shuttle bus brings festival-goers from parking at West High School and the lower lot of Western Plaza where Ice Chalet is located.
On Sept. 24, you can head from Greekfest on Kingston Pike downtown to the HoLa Festival.
The HoLa Festival celebrates Latino culture and East Tennessee diversity is 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. The festival spreads along Gay Street and West Depot Avenue with food, music, dancing, children's activities and an arts and crafts market.
The activities for children are from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and include a visit from the animated character Dora the Explorer, storytelling and games. Children can buy a "passport" and collect stickers at the booths that represent different Latino countries.
A HoLa Festival highlight is the 2 p.m. Parade of Nations. Participants wear the traditional attire of their or their ancestors' native countries. Nations represented in past parades include Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
HoLa Festival admission is free. Organizers do request festival-goers bring a can of beans or bag of rice to put in donation bins for Second Harvest Food Bank. There is a fee for some children's activities; a wristband to participate in activities is $5, the passports are $1 and a train ride $2.
The festival includes a 6-8 p.m. outdoor dance. After the festival ends, an after-party that includes salsa dance workshops for ages 21 and older moves to the Old City Entertainment Venue, 118 S. Central St.
But the weekend isn't just about going Greek or being Latino. A festival celebrating the area's Scottish and Irish heritage and another event highlight Appalachian traditions are also going on.
The Fifth Dandridge Scots-Irish Festival starts at 10 a.m. Sept. 24. Admission is free to the festival in downtown Dandridge, and this event is all about being Scottish or Irish. All the vendors with booths must have a Scottish or Irish theme. Entertainment includes bagpiping and dancing. The festival ends with a 6:30 p.m. concert.
In Townsend Sept. 23-25 brings Townsend Days. That's an overall name for events happening during the weekend at four different spots in Townsend up and down the Lamar Alexander Parkway. The free admission Townsend Heritage Festival and Old TimersDay is Sept. 23-24 at the Townsend Visitors Center, 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway. The festival includes arts and crafts, bluegrass music and food.
On Sept. 24, the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Drive in Townsend, hosts its Blue Ribbon Country Fair. The 10 a.m.-5 p.m. old-fashioned fair includes livestock shows, demonstrations of historic skills and a lot of traditional fair competitions. Admission is $4; children under age 6 are admitted free.
Sept. 24 also is the date of the free 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Railroad Days at the Little River Railroad Museum, 7747 Lamar Alexander Parkway. And the Nawger Nob Arts and Crafts Show is 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 24 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 25 at 7321 Lamar Alexander Parkway. Craft show admission is $1.50; children under 12 get in free.
© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 3
aguy#276948 writes:
There is also another Festival going on in South Knox on Saturday and Sunday-- John Sevier Days at Marble Springs.
http://www.marblesprings.net/Welcome....
This is a fun festival, and there are lots of activities and educational opportunities for the kids.
trollhair writes:
Don't forget The National Muscadine Festival in Sweetwater this Saturday. Lots of music, artist vendors, kid's zone, grape stomping and so much more. http://www.nationalmuscadinefestival....
richjenhug#481695 writes:
East Tennessee Emergency Preparedness Fair is Saturday at Bearden High School 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Opening Ceremony with Mayor Burchett at 10:15 a.m. in auditorium. 278th presenting colors and Tommy Spencer singing national anthem. Red Cross chili dinner fundraiser. Booths, classes, demos, inflatables, face painting, clowns.
FREE ADMISSION! FREE CLASSES! www.prepfair.org
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