Gatlinburg, Tennessee is home to a thriving art community; in fact, one of the largest in the South. Many of those local artists and craftsmen, along with some of the finest artisans from across the United States will converge at the base of the Smoky Mountains July 14 – 17 to display and sell their wares at the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair. The annual summer fair has been designated one of the “Top 20 Events” in the southeastern United States by the Southeast Tourism Society.
The fair features the largest group of independent artisans in the country. More than 180 artists and crafters will be offering thousands of beautiful, one-of-a-kind craft pieces and works of art for purchase at this year’s event. But what really sets the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair apart is that these artisans will also demonstrate their skills by creating beautiful, distinctive pieces on site. Fairgoers will have the chance to meet and talk with the artists. They’ll be able to ask questions of the artists’ too.
Visitors will see a wide variety of arts and crafts at the fair. There will be painters, sculptors, ceramists, fabric artists and others. Fairgoers can watch as chainsaw sculptures are created, and artists craft beautiful pottery, create tooled leather goods, stained glass works, and more.
The quality of the artisan goods and crafts will be exceptional. This is a juried event, meaning participating artists must submit review photos of their work in advance. That way event organizers can ensure that only artisans who demonstrate a superior level of skill may participate and only unique items of the highest quality will displayed and sold. No imports, kits, or items made from kits will be displayed or sold.
Adding to the fun, the four day festival will also include live country and bluegrass music performances. There will be free concerts at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. each day, featuring Dennis Lee & Band, and Tim Watson, the “Fiddle Man.”
The 41st annual Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair will held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center, 234 Historic Nature Trail (at Traffic Light #8) in downtown Gatlinburg. Since the fair is inside the cool comfort of the conventions center, it will be open, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults. Children 12 and under are free.