Posts By: Dusty Camp

About Dusty Camp

I moved to the Smoky Mountains a few years ago from Alabama - a big change, but one I'm glad I made. I like meeting all the different types of people who visit here, and getting to know a little bit about them. I love to watch all the wildlife throughout Cades Cove, but most of all I like winter, waking up to see everything covered in snow and icicles.

2016 Spring Art Experience at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

Posted April 13, 2016 by Dusty Camp

Images courtesy of Arrowmont

Gatlinburg’s internationally acclaimed Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is offering a chance to meet with history and learn new skills this weekend with its annual Spring Art Experience, held Thursday through Sunday, April 14-18, 2016.

The weekend program is a celebration of the school’s rich and long history, and includes 2 days of workshops in arts and crafts, a storytelling of the area’s history, Appalachian music, a wine tasting, and a Sunday brunch with a special program featuring this year’s artists in residence.

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Wine Fest 2016 at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts

Posted April 8, 2016 by Dusty Camp

Image courtesy of Wine Fest

Is wine-making an art or a craft? Vintners will tell you it’s both, and Smoky Mountain wine country mingles with the arts crowd this weekend in two events.

The 4th Annual Wine Fest at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts happens Saturday, April 9, 1-6 pm. This highly successful event features the different wines of 17 local wineries, accompanied by culinary masterworks from local chefs as pairings. The school’s own art is on display in its own marvelous galleries.

Meanwhile, on Friday, April 8, the Arts & Crafts Community celebrates the opening day of its Hands-On Gatlinburg 3-day festival by welcoming the evening Wine, Dine and Art Crawl – more smartly known as The Wine Tour. The Tour offers a taste of hors d’oeuvres at each of three Gatlinburg wineries.

Wine Fest

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Hands On Gatlinburg 2016: Create Your Own Arts and Crafts Treasures (With Expert Help)

Posted April 7, 2016 by Dusty Camp

Four hands on – image courtesy of Hands On Gatlinburg

Would you like to get expert personal instruction in creating your own work of art in the craft of your choice? This weekend is your time, as the renowned arts and crafts community of Gatlinburg starts a new venture, inviting the public into its studios and workshops to create the treasure of their very own making.

Hands On Gatlinburg is a 3-day weekend event, April 8-10, 2016, Friday through Sunday, with more than 15 different studios offering more than 40 classes of hands-on teaching and mentoring. Some of the classes are one-on-one, as in the case of glass-blowing, for example.

How about that? Now you can come to Gatlinburg and learn to blow a unique, custom glass object or ornament, almost all by yourself!

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2016 Spring Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament

Posted March 30, 2016 by Dusty Camp

Image courtesy of Gatlinburg.com

It’s springtime in the Smoky Mountains, and it’s time to go fishing! Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3, the largest trout tournament in the Smokies is held again, in over 20 miles of local streams stocked with thousands of trout.

The 18th Annual Spring Smoky Mountain Trout Tournament is open to all comers, with prizes in many categories. Children are especially well catered to in this family-friendly event. There’s a children’s division as well as an adult division, and a tourist division as well as one for locals.

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Easter 2016 Weekend in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Posted March 25, 2016 by Dusty Camp

It’s Easter 2016 here in the Smoky Mountains, coming early this year on March 27. Here’s what’s going on through the Easter weekend in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

If you want to take the kids on an Easter Egg Hunt and to meet the Easter Bunny, then Pigeon Forge gets you the earliest start on Saturday morning, March 26. It’s an excuse to dress the kids up cute, take photographs that last forever, and get everyone all excited. Best of all, the events are Free.

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