Biltmore Estate Chihuly Glass Exhibit

Biltmore Estate Chihuly Glass Exhibit. Chihuly glass creations brighten the day and light up the night during Chihuly at Biltmore.
Famed glass artist Dale Chihuly brings his incredible sculptures to Biltmore Estate during May – October.

Chihuly’s fabulous glass creations, Biltmore’s first ever outdoor art exhibit, are displayed throughout Biltmore House and the surrounding gardens – providing a perfect complement to Biltmore’s Winter Garden, Italian Garden and Walled Garden. “The display has been in the planning stage for more than a year,” said Travis Tatham, director of entertainment and event programming at Biltmore. Each large scale structure is composed of numerous pieces and each required a base and power access. Lighting the delicate displays proved quite a challenge, according to Parker Andes, Director of Horticulture at Biltmore, who added that Biltmore’s landscaping team collaborated with the Chihuly team to arrange intricate designs, to complement each piece. The massive creations are spectacular by day but on Thursday through Sunday evenings, the amazing sculptures are carefully lit to provide a dazzling dimension to this fabulous exhibit dubbed, Chihuly Nights at Biltmore, and marks the first time Biltmore is hosting evening hours for an outdoor exhibit. On those nights, attendees can also enjoy a wine bar and live music in the gardens.
Daytime viewing of the exhibit is included in general admission to Biltmore Estate while nighttime viewing requires a separate ticket which ranges in price from $57-$65. For more information call 800-411-3812 or go to Biltmore.

Asheville’s North Carolina Glass artisans celebrate the Chihuly exhibit with Summer of Glass. Asheville’s North Carolina Glass Center

announces a six-month celebration of Western North Carolina’s glass artisans during the Summer of Glass. In conjunction with Chihuly at Biltmore, regional glass artists are offering several major events and exhibits. “The celebration kicked off with the Downtown Asheville Arts District First Friday gallery stroll and continues with four VIP weekends throughout the summer that include studio tours, hands-on opportunities, tickets to Chihuly at Biltmore, and a few collector home visits,” said Sherry Masters, owner of Art Connections tours.

For more information about Summer of Glass, visit GLASS.

Synchronous Fireflies Great Smoky Mountains June 2019

Synchronous Fireflies Great Smoky Mountains June 2019. It’s never to early to start making plans to see the Synchronous Fireflies (and the Blue Ghost Fireflies) that will light up the night sky in late May and early June 2019 in the Great Smoky Mountains. Firefly viewing in the Smokies has become such a popular event that there are now several venues available to enjoy the spectacular shows.

The Synchronous Firefly (Photinus carolinus) and the Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) are two species that are found only in the Southern Appalachian Mountains which include the Great Smokies. And during the short mating season in late May and early June, both firefly species put on quite a show to behold! The male Synchronous Fireflies flash their little green-yellow bioluminescent lanterns in unison for about 6-8 blinks and then they go dark for a few seconds creating a sublime wave of light throughout the forest. The male Blue Ghost Fireflies don’t flash their blue-white lanterns, instead they glow continuously just a few inches above the ground. The ethereal experience of either nighttime show should be on everyone’s bucket list!  National Park scientists mostly use air and soil temperatures to predict the timing of each year’s mating season.

Synchronous Fireflies with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
One of the most popular places to view the Synchronous Fireflies is in Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This event has become so popular that a free lottery system was instituted this year for the $1.50 parking passes for the eight-day shuttle period to Elkmont. During this time of peak viewing, Elkmont is closed at nighttime with the exception of shuttle users and campers in Elkmont Campground. Dates for the 2019 Lottery and Elkmont Shuttle will be announced sometime in April 2019. HeySmokies will keep you updated, so be sure to check back with us. We’ll provide you all the details of what you need to know to register for the lottery. For more information in the meantime, visit Recreation.gov.

Synchronous Fireflies with Discover Life in America in Gatlinburg, TN

For a few nights during peak firefly viewing time, Discover Life in America hosts a fundraising event featuring nightly presentations and field walks at the Norton Creek Sanctuary near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Tickets for the event are $100 each and the event is geared toward persons ages 10 and older. For reservations for this exclusive event, call Discover Life in America at 865-430-4757 or email todd@dlia.org.

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Back Porch Old Time Music Jam

Back Porch Old Time Music Jam at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. June 16th; July 7th and 21st; August 4th and 18th; and September 1st and 15th, 2018.

Musicians of every skill level are encouraged to string up their favorite acoustic instrument and join the fun. This is your chance to pick with world class music lovers in the beautiful Oconaluftee valley. The raised roof porch is the perfect venue for some old time mountain music that is quintessential to the Smoky Mountains!

Pickers and their families come from far and wide to scrub a rug in Oconaluftee. Music ranges from traditional Scotch-Irish tunes to more contemporary fare including bands such as the Dillards, Old Crow Medicine Show, Flatt & Scruggs and more. Of course they will be pickin’ both kinds of music, Country and Bluegrass!

One of the great things about this event is the entire family can enjoy the music in the cool shade of the porch. Another option is to let the tunes waft down to you on a summers breeze while touring the historic Mountain Farm Museum. They say music hath charm and has been known to soothe the savage beast so don’t be surprised to see an elk or two toe tapping along with the tunes. Speaking of toes, dipping yours in the cool waters of the scenic Oconaluftee river is a sure cure for a hot summer day!

Join us at the Oconaluftee Back Porch for some music and fun. You just might learn something before it is done!

National Park Hosts Appalachian Women’s Work Event

National Park Hosts Appalachian Women’s Work Event. Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host the annual Women’s Work Event at the Mountain Farm Museum on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m at the Mountain Farm Museum next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The visitors center is located two miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina on highway 441. The event honors the service and sacrifice made by the women of Appalachia.

Park staff and volunteers will showcase the toils of mountain life and the customs practiced by women and their families in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Demonstrations among the historic buildings include hearth cooking, soap making, cornshuck crafts, and using plants for home remedies. Artifacts and historic photographs will be exhibited providing a glimpse into the varied roles of mountain women. The Davis-Queen house will be open for visitors to tour and will feature an audio exhibit of the last child born in the house. The event gives families a

chance to see into the past  and also participate in hands-on activities of traditional southern Appalachia.

Visitors will also be treated to an old timey music jam  on the porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Porch jam sessions are held every first and third Saturday of the month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. All activities are free to the public. For additional information call the visitor center at 828-497-1904 or visit NPS.gov.

Eight Smoky Mountain Fall Events

Eight Smoky Mountain Fall Events. Fall is a special, beautiful time in the Great Smoky Mountains! The leaves are changing and the air is crisp. It is the perfect time to check out some fantastic Smoky Mountain Special Events!

Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair

Gatlinburg is one of the Smoky Mountains’ center of arts and crafts. This is a natural place to host the Craftsmen’s Fair.  The two-week-plus fall schedule boasts nearly 200 independent artisans from all over the country creating, displaying and selling their exquisite works.  You’ll find original paintings, photography, ceramics and much more, as well as live bluegrass and country music concerts every day.

Annual Chili Cookoff & Car Show

The Chili cook off in Bryson City definitely won’t leave you hungry.  You’ll get to try fantastic competition chili recipes that range from mild to extra-spicy, with beans and without, meaty to meatless. Live music, artisan booths and other foods will also be on the schedule. Be sure and don’t miss the display of cool vintage automobiles.

Smoky Mountain Harvest Fest

Sevierville hosts their annual harvest fest which runs through the month of October.  This celebration is packed with fall decorations, events and arts and crafts displays.  Check out the HeySmokies daily calendar for an updated schedule, and explore the town made famous by country superstar Dolly Parton.

Oktoberfest at Ober Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg has a lock on Octoberfest in the Smokies.  This festival takes place at Ober Gatlinburg, the local ski and summer activity resort.  Each September and October Ober becomes a Bavarian party place.  Enjoy old country foods like schnitzel, bratwursts, strudel and more, live polka music and dancing, games and naturally giant steins of beer from different breweries around the Smokies.

LEAF Festival

Asheville is a must stop for any visit to the Smokies.  If you’re a music lover who’s looking for something different, head to the LEAF festival just outside of town near Black Mountain. The three-day festival offers music, dance, art and cultural displays from Africa, Latin America, Americana and Appalachia and has become one of the premier fall happenings in western North Carolina.

Grains & Grits Festival

If you love southern cooking paired with a cool beverage to wash it down this Smoky Moutain event is for you!  Then you won’t want to miss this gathering in Townsend. Taste some of the best gourmet creations and craft spirit makers in the Smokies during this one-day event.  The schedule features educational seminars on distilling, live entertainment and tastings from both local restaurants and dozens of small distilleries who produce gin, whiskey, vodka and of course moonshine.

Fall Harvest at the Island

Pigeon Forge’s premier destination, The Island, provides plenty of fun year round, but for a few weeks in autumn, it dresses up in a harvest theme.  You’ll enjoy taking pictures, sampling seasonal foods and listening to live music.  Near the end of October, the annual Halloween event is held and provides some ghoulish fun for everyone!