Knoxville, Tenn - The 2015 East Tennessee History Fair will celebrate the region’s history with reenactments, activities, and tours.  Presented by the East Tennessee Historical Society, along with dozens of businesses, historical organizations, museums, musicians, and individuals from across the region, the East Tennessee History Fair features fun and educational activities highlighting the people, places, stories, and events that comprise the shared history of our 35-county region. The event is free and open to the public.  Special highlights include:

·    Free admission to the Museum of East Tennessee History for the day, including Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee and Memories of the Blue & Gray: The Civil War in East Tennessee at 150 exhibitions, plus the Streetscape with Streetcar 409 and Corner Drug Store, c. 1920-1930.
·    WDVX  and Clayton Country Music Stage featuring Russ and Becky Jeffers,  Good Time Ceilidh Band, David West and the Cider Mountain Boys, Subtle Clutch, Swill Sippers, and Robinella
·    Living History Timeline—spanning the region’s history from the Cherokee to Vietnam War
·    Abraham Lincoln and wife Mary Todd, Mary Anna Custis Lee and Robert E. Lee, General Sherman, and other historical characters will roam the crowd
·    More than forty historical and genealogical societies representing county, regional, and state organizations from across the region
·    Tour Underground Knoxville, sponsored by the Arts and Cultural Alliance
·    Book sales by Friends of the Knox County Library featuring Civil War, WWII, and other local and American history-themed books for children and adults   
·    “History Hound” Dog costume contest—guests are invited to bring their pets to Krutch Park dressed as their favorite historical character. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the contest begins at 10:15. Celebrity judges will award prizes for “Best Costume” and “Most East Tennessee Spirit.”
·    Downtown Walking Tour with Jack Neely
·    Civil War-themed bus tours
·    Bus tours featuring free admission to open house at Blount Mansion, James White Fort, Mabry Hazen House, and Bethel Cemetery Museum.
·    Craft demonstrations--spinning, raku pottery, woodworking, chair caning, basket making, natural fibers, clay work, lye soap making, primitive handmade items, and more
·    Children’s activities include storytelling by the “King of The Wild Frontier,” Davy Crockett, along with a birthday party with cake for Davy’s 229th birthday, plus a musical show by Sean McCullough from WDVX’s Kidstuff
·    Walking tours of “Knoxville’s Literary Heroes” led by Knoxville Walking Tours
·    Market Square Farmers Market
·    Home style goodies from Holy Smokes BBQ, Cruze Farm Ice Cream, pinto beans and cornbread from the Museum of Appalachia, Breezie Weenie Food Truck, and Dale’s Fried Pies
·    Vintage baseball game by the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball at the World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn.  Doubleheader begins at 12:00 and 2:30 p.m.
·    “Southern Exposure: Smoky Mountain Film Festival” by the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound at the Tennessee Theatre. Schedule starting at 12:00 p.m. with  familiar, favorite tunes performed by Dr. Bill Snyder on the Theatre's mighty Wurlitzer organ; at 12:20 p.m., The Motion Picture Films of Jim Thompson, 1915-1950; at 1:30 p.m., Picturing the Smokies: Vintage Views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1920s-1960s;  at 2:45 p.m., From the Vaults: The Heartland Series / The Rolling Store; at  3:45-5:00 p.m., Sounds and Silents: Found Footage and Mountain Melodies; and at 7:00 p.m., Stark Love (Paramount, 1927) with accompanying documentary, Lost Masterpiece (ticket required for Stark Love)
·    Exhibit of Horace Kephart items
·    Test your military strategy in an interactive Battle of King’s Mountain, using handmade miniature soldiers and weapons.  
·    Knoxville, Then and Now art show by members of the Art Market Gallery, as well as a memorial show of glass works by artist Vivian Shoemaker, whose stained glass works reflect the landscape of East Tennessee
·    Authors tent featuring Allen Coggins, Ron Rader, Bonnie Peters, Cheryl Baker, and a variety of authors from Arcadia Publishing
·    Display from the “Papers to Pixels” Tennessee Newspaper Digitization Project

The 2015 East Tennessee History Fair is sponsored by Knoxville CBID, Seven Islands Foundation, Arts & Heritage Fund, Clayton Bank & Trust, City of Knoxville, WDVX, WUOT, Tomato Head, PetSafe, Boyd’s Jig & Reel, Friends of the Knox County Public Library, Comcast, Food City, and WBIR Channel 10. For more information on the History Fair, please visit www.easttnhistory.org/eastTNhistoryfair or call 865-215-8824.

About ETHS

Established in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society is one of the most active history organizations in the state and enjoys a national reputation for excellence in programming, teacher and student education, and exhibitions.  For 181 years the East Tennessee Historical Society has been helping East Tennesseans hold on to our unique heritage -- recording the events, collecting the artifacts, and saving the stories that comprise the history we all share.

The historical society pursues its educational mission through publications, lectures, conferences, school programs, museum exhibits, and heritage programs such as the popular “First Families of Tennessee” and “Civil War Families of Tennessee.” The East Tennessee Historical Society and Museum are housed in the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, across from the Tennessee Theatre.  Also located in the center are the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection and the Knox County Archives.

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