30th Annual Unicoi County Apple Festival in Erwin, Tennessee

The small town of Erwin, Tennessee, located in the mountains of northeast Tennessee, will host the 30th Annual Unicoi County Apple Festival on October 5-6, 2007. The streets of downtown Erwin will be overflowing with 80,000 plus visitors for this 2-day event. There will be over 300 craft and food vendors, plus 2 food courts and 2 entertainment stages. Festival hours are 8:00 am to 8:00 pm both Friday and Saturday.

The Apple Festival has been a tradition in Unicoi County since 1978 and has continued every year since on the 1st Friday and Saturday of October. The festival is a celebration of heritage and culture of the Southern Appalachian region.

At the craft booths, you will find everything handmade you can possibly imagine. Items such as Christmas and fall decorations, handmade clothing, floral arrangements, wood furniture, soaps, leather and jewelry are in abundance. You will also find homemade jams, jellies, breads, apple butter and fried apple pies. Of course, there will be plenty of apples available from some of the local apple orchards.

There are 2 food courts, one at each end of the festival. It is always a challenge to pick what you want to eat with such a large selection. Everything from your standard festival foods such as, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, funnel cakes, to the not so common, beans, cornbread and fried potatoes and gator tails are available.

While you are enjoying your food at one of the food courts, you can listen to the music from the entertainment stages. There is a stage located at each food court. One stage will feature all gospel music and clogging, while the other stage will have country and bluegrass music and some local bands.

Located at the north end of the festival will be a children's area sponsored by the Unicoi County YMCA. There will be plenty of games and activities for the children to be entertained.

In addition to the festival, there are numerous other events being held. If you like Blue Ridge Pottery, then the Blue Ridge Pottery Show and Sale is a must see for you. You will find Blue Ridge Pottery pieces located in the festival and at the show and sale. There is a tennis tournament, foot race, high school reunions and more.

To access the festival is easy. Erwin is located right off I-26. If coming from the south, stay on I-26 north over the mountain from Asheville, NC into Erwin. If you are coming from the north, follow I-26 south from Kingsport, TN into Erwin. Signs are posted on the interstate directing you to the festival. Once you leave the interstate you will also find signs to available parking. Some parking areas have a trolley available to take you to the festival. If you plan to stay the night, local hotels have limited availability. You may want to check with hotels in Johnson City, TN, which is just 20 minutes north from Erwin, for availability.

If coming to Erwin for the festival, plan on it being a day-long stay. Check the weather for the area before you come. There have been years we have seen snow during the festival. You may be wearing a light-weight jacket in the morning and by mid-afternoon it will be around your waist. You will want to bring plenty of cash as some vendors do not accept checks or credit cards. For more information on the festival, you can call the Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce at 423-743-3000.

Come and plan to shop, eat and enjoy the music.