Sycamore Shoals announces full slate of May events celebrating frontier history, music and Appalachian traditions
Published 9:19 am Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park will offer a full calendar of guided tours, workshops, living history events and family-friendly programs throughout May as part of Tennessee’s America 250 celebration.
The monthlong schedule features opportunities for visitors to explore East Tennessee’s colonial and early American heritage through historic home tours, hands-on workshops, music events and outdoor experiences.
Among the featured attractions are guided tours of the Carter Mansion, Tennessee’s oldest frame house, on select dates throughout the month, and Sabine Hill, one of the state’s premier examples of Federal architecture. Both tours require registration and offer visitors a closer look at the families who helped shape early Tennessee history.
Special events begin May 3 with English Country Dancing, a free social dance program in the visitor center. On May 7, Park Ranger Taylor Moorefield will lead Appalachian Campfire Stories, sharing traditional Cherokee legends and mountain folklore.
Seasonal workshops include a Mother’s Day Soap Making Workshop on May 9, where participants can create handcrafted gifts, and a Useful Plants of Appalachia Hike on May 19 exploring native plants and their traditional uses.
One of the month’s signature events, Spring Muster at Fort Watauga, will be held May 16-17. Members of the Washington County Militia living history organization will demonstrate frontier skills, trades and daily life in the Watauga Settlement on the eve of the Revolutionary War.
Music also plays a central role in May programming with an Old Time Music Jam on May 24 and the annual “American Salute” Memorial Day Concert on May 25 featuring the Johnson City Community Concert Band in Fort Watauga Amphitheater.
Later in the month, guests can experience traditional survival skills during Making Charcloth for Flint & Steel Fires on May 29 and the Spring Knap-In at Fort Watauga on May 30, showcasing the ancient craft of stone tool-making. A Historic Night Hike on May 30 will close out the month with a lantern-lit journey through the Watauga settlement after dark.
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, located at 1651 W. Elk Ave., is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with park grounds accessible from dawn until dusk.
For registration, ticket information or a full schedule of events, visit tnstateparks.com/parks/sycamore-shoals or call 423-543-5808.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source elizabethton.com ’
