Sycamore Shoals State Park Upcoming Events

Published 11:02 am Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Death and Mourning in Early America – 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Meet at the Carter Mansion. Price is $12. Register for the event. In February of 1842 our region mourned the loss of Elizabeth MacLin Carter, the namesake of Elizabethton and widow of Brigadier General Landon Carter. Near the anniversary of Elizabeth’s death, join museum curator Chad Bogart for a special after-hours tour of the Carter Mansion, Tennessee’s oldest frame house, and learn about the strange and somewhat bizarre customs, rituals, and superstitions surrounding death, mourning, and funerals in early America.

The John and Landon Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643.

Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase.

Death and Mourning in Early America – 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Meet at the Carter Mansion. Price is $12. Register for the event. In February of 1842 our region mourned the loss of Elizabeth MacLin Carter, the namesake of Elizabethton and widow of Brigadier General Landon Carter. Near the anniversary of Elizabeth’s death, join museum curator Chad Bogart for a special after-hours tour of the Carter Mansion, Tennessee’s oldest frame house, and learn about the strange and somewhat bizarre customs, rituals, and superstitions surrounding death, mourning, and funerals in early America.

The John and Landon Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643.

Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase.

Outing Yourself During the Federal Period – 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Meet at the Gathering Place in the visitor center. Join Donna Horowitz, founder of Sabine Hill Social Society, for an afternoon of presentations covering the American Federal Period. In this lecture Donna will talk about the clothing and the history behind them and give examples and reasons for them. This event will highlight the changes after the American Revolution that brought a new identity to fashion in the urban and rural areas of the newly formed United States. This lecture is open to all at no cost and is sponsored by Sabine Hill Social Society and its members.

Register by calling the park visitor center (423-543-5808).

WVAL Zentangle Workshop – 10 a.m. – noon. Meet at the Gathering Place in the visitor center. A WVAL Zentangle workshop is taught by Sunny Tanner from 10 a.m. – noon and is only $10, payable at the door on the day of the class. The fee covers the cost of the venue and supplies for the workshop. It is offered through Watauga Valley Art League’s education program and is open to the public. There is an age limit (13 yrs old & above) as well as a limit to class capacity (30).

Meditation and Art are combined in a different way. This class will help you practice mindful meditation in ways other than movement to help reduce anxiety and daily stress.

Sunny has taken years of art classes from ETSU and with Master class teachers online…..as well as spending countless hours perfecting her craft while capturing the peace that art brings in action.  Now she wants to share this therapy with others.

Zentangle is an American method for drawing, which not only promotes concentration and creativity but at the same time increases personal well-being. Zentangle was invented by a monk named Rick Roberts and an artist named Maria Thomas. With Zentangle, they created a combination of meditation and art. People practicing Zentangle have found that it has increased self-confidence, relieved stress and anxiety, improved eye-hand coordination, nurtured and developed creativity, and the list goes on. A Zentangle is an abstract artwork created by a pattern collection. Sometimes mistakenly called “Zendoodling” or Tangle Doodling, Zentangling or tangling is actually a formalized process that defines itself as something other than mere doodling because of its theory and approach.

Zentangle is an excellent form of self-therapy to deal with the stress of the world, while being a creative form of dooling art. It can be used in productive ways or just for fun. Come join the workshop and learn this method of achieving an artful meditation.

Carter Mansion Guided Tour — 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Meet at Historic John and Landon Carter Mansion 1031 Broad St. Elizabethton, TN 37643. 

Price: 6 and under is free, $5 ages 7 to 17, $9/adults and register for the event. Join Park Ranger Cory Franklin for a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame house! Discover the secrets of this elegant frontier home and learn the history of the family who built it between 1775 and 1780.

The John and Landon Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643

Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase. Tour may be subject to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.

Sabine Hill Guided Tour – 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Meet at Sabine Hill Historic Site. Price: 6 and under is free, $5 ages 7 to 17, $9/adults and register for the event. Join Park Ranger Cory Franklin for a guided tour of this stately home built by Mary Patton Taylor, widow of Brigadier General Nathaniel Taylor. The site has been described as one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in the State of Tennessee. During your tour you will have the opportunity to take in the colorful and architecturally detailed interior while learning about the influential Taylor family who called Sabine Hill home in the early 19th century.

Sabine Hill is located at 2328 West G Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643

Please note, only portable toilet facilities are available at this time. Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase. Tour may be subject to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.

Please note, only portable toilet facilities are available at this time. Accessibility to the home includes steps and an interior staircase. Tour may be subject to cancelation in the event of severely inclement weather.

What to wear and how to dress for Liberty! — 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Meet at the gathering place in visitor center. Are you planning to participate in the annual outdoor drama Liberty? Costumer for the drama, Donna Horowitz will be leading a lecture on the clothing colonial men, women, children and Native Americans will be wearing. Interested in acquiring your own clothing? This is an excellent opportunity to learn firsthand what types of fibers, styles & colors of garments were worn in East TN during the early settlement period through the American Revolution. (1770 – 1776). This lecture is open to all at no cost, even if you are not participating in the production.

Register by calling the park visitor center (423-543-5808).

Workshop: Historical Book Binding – 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Meet at Gathering Place in visitor center. Join Paulette Bruggeman and create a small handmade book in the late 18th and early 19th era style. The little books that we will be making in class are considered to be historically correct for the colonial and federal eras. Sponsored by the Sabine Hill Social Society.

Class Fee and Materials Cost: $20 (Pay in cash only on day of class)

Register by calling the park visitor center (423-543-5808).

*No children under 13 please. Sharp tools will be used for this class*

Bring: Awl, bone folder (or butter knife), and paper scissors. To decorate the cover, bring ribbon, lace, buttons, etc.

Old Time Music Jam – Led by Art Lang  – 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Meet at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park Visitor Center. Enjoy the rich musical traditions of our region each month led by Art Lang.  Old time musicians of all levels are welcome. Don’t play an instrument? Come on over, kick back, and enjoy the tunes!