World Art Day, April 15, falls on a Monday this year, right in between multiple art festivals, workshops, and specialty events in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg! Feeling a little uninspired by work or school? Discover what World Art Day is all about: inspiration and self-expression.
Whether it’s journaling, knitting, painting, photography, or woodwork, you can finally escape all the distractions and get back to something you love while sipping coffee and breathing in the fresh mountain air on the back deck of a Pigeon Forge, TN Cabin nestled in the inspiring beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains.
With cabin mountain views to calm and open your mind, creative and enthusiastic artists to both admire and learn from during multiple art festivals, and hundreds of fun attractions to re-energize you after the long winter months, springtime in the Smokies is a truly magical time of year. Celebrate 2019 World Art Day by inspiring your heart!
Hands On Gatlinburg
April 12-14, 2019
What better way to learn than with your own hands at the direction of the talented artisans of the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community? These DIY class schedules will be posted soon for visitors to register, and fees will include classes hosted in the studios of the artisans and supplies. Learn to knit scarves, create beautiful and elaborate jewelry, how to lightly touch the canvas during watercolor classes, and whittle away at a piece of wood to create your own rustic carving.
These artistic crafts and many others will be taught throughout the 3-mile loop road of the Great Smoky Mountains Arts & Crafts Community, so feel free to wander through the cool shops and sign up for other interesting classes. Hands On Gatlinburg falls on the weekend prior to World Art Day, so take your projects back to the cabin and let the inspiration carry over to your cabin’s back deck, surrounded by the soul-stirring views of the Great Smoky Mountains. These classes will also let you know if they are kid friendly; let the kids get their crafting on, too, for the perfect souvenirs to give grandparents!
10th Annual Smoky Mountain Fiver Arts Festival
April 12-14, 2019
Happening in the neighboring Smoky Mountains city of Townsend, Tennessee, the Fiber Arts Festival is everything to do with weaving, down to the animals whose fur is harvested for the yarn! Pet the cute llamas, Angora rabbits, sheep, and goats with the kids in between family fun activities, classes, demonstrations, and touring the market place of vendors.
Find all your favorite yarn colors and pick up supplies to weave on the back deck of the cabin while sipping glasses of local wine and enjoying the warm sunlight dancing through the trees. Speaking of local wine, Smoky Mountain Wine Weekend is happening at the Arrowmont School of the Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg April 12 and 13, where you can taste the best of the Smokies’ wine country all in one location!
Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community Easter Show
April 17-20, 2019
The same folks that taught you to paint, carve, sculpt, and weave bring out their best work to put on show the following week in the Gatlinburg Convention Center. If you aren’t able to make it to the Smokies for the Hands On Gatlinburg event, you can watch many of the artisans demonstrate their craft – for free! Dozens of booths will be filled with all the art and souvenirs you see throughout the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area, except now, you can buy it straight from the artist and skip the markups. Live musical shows serenade the center and food vendors will be present, too, making this a lively celebration of creativity during the week of World Art Day and the inspiring season of Easter in the Smokies, ushering in a host of other events!
Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run
April 11-13, 2019
This event is more of a hobby than an art, per se, but it’s definitely a must-see in the Smoky Mountains! They could be considered art for the stunning 4-wheeled masterpieces you will see rolling down the Parkway of Pigeon Forge during the Biannual Spring Rod Run. Resurrecting classic beauties like Chevelles and Thunderbirds, the impressive autos can be seen parked all along the main parkway with the main show hosted by the Pigeon Forge LeConte Center.
Stroll through the aisles of amazing cars from throughout the past century with the majesty of the mountains in the backdrop before returning to your cozy cabin and enjoying a car-inspired movie like Herbie or Transformers on the large flatscreen TV while a warm fire burns in the fireplace to really complete this perfect day.
