Thursday, June 22

Living in the Wilderness: the Long Hunter — 11:30 a.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Discover how an 18th century Long Hunter would live in the Appalachian frontier. Meet Stuart at the wooded area next to the fort gates.

Carter Mansion Tour – 2 p.m. at the historic Carter Mansion. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults, $5 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Cemetery Symbolism — 3:30 p.m. at the historic Carter Mansion. Ever wonder what the artwork on historic gravestones meant? Head out across the lawn after the tour of the Carter Mansion to translate the language of cemetery symbolism in the Carter, Thomas, and community plots.

Friday, June 23

The Elizabethton Senior Dance Club will hold a dance at the Elizabethton Elks Lodge, No. 1847, 1000 N. Sycamore St., from 7 to 10 p.m. The Rambling Rose Band will provide music. Those attending the dances are asked to bring finger foods to share. There is a $6 door charge. The club holds dances the second and fourth Friday nights of each month. All seniors are welcome.

Carter Mansion Tour – 2 p.m. at the historic Carter Mansion. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults, $5 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Carter County’s American Civil War Experience: Meet a Union soldier stationed in Carter County in 1864 and hear about how the Civil War affected this area. See what a typical soldier would have carried in his haversack to withstand army life, and how he would load and fire his rifled musket. Meet in Fort Watauga at 10:30 a.m.

Walking Tour of Fort Watauga: Join Jessica at 3:30 p.m. at the back doors of the Visitor Center for a short walking tour of Fort Watauga and hear about the significant events that occurred at Sycamore Shoals during the 18th century.

Saturday, June 24

Watauga Valley Fife and Drums from 10 a.m. until noon. The Fife & Drum Corps performs at historical events, dedications, and parades. This group is open to anyone ages 13 & up. Musical experience is welcome but not necessary; just come with a willingness to learn. Meet our volunteer coordinator John Large at the Sycamore Shoals Visitors Center. Lessons are free of charge, just call and let us know you’re coming!

Park Clean-up — From 10 a.m. until Noon at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. The Muster Grounds of Sycamore Shoals is where over 1,000 men gathered on September 25, 1780 to volunteer to protect the freedom of the people in what would later become the great State of Tennessee! Come and follow in that same volunteer spirit of our forefathers and help in a variety of chores including cleaning up Fort Watauga and the surrounding grounds, invasive plant removal, litter pick-up, and other manual labor tasks. Please dress appropriately for the weather. Please wear closed-toe shoes, bring water, and gloves if you have them. We will provide gloves for those who do not have their own. Meet in the Visitor Center lobby.

Nar-Anon Support Group, a group for people dealing with someone else’s drug addiction, will meet from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Watauga Point United Methodist Church, 409 Gap Creek Road. There is no cost, no obligation, no judgments. Come as you are. The Nar-Anon Support Group is a 12-step family group designed to share experiences, strength and hope. For more information, call (423) 823-8686 or visit the Facebook page of Naranon of Elizabethton or the website: www.nar-anon.org.

Carter Mansion Tour – 2 p.m. at the historic Carter Mansion. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults, $5 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Musket Firing Demonstration — 3:30 p.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Meet Stuart in the fort for a demonstration of the loading and firing of the Brown Bess musket.

Sunday, June 25

The Hubert and Faithie Shell Family Reunion will be held beginning at 1 p.m. at the large picnic shed at the Roan Mountain State Park Campground. For more information, call Janice Oliver at 772-4129 or Carol Oaks at 772-4226.

Life in the Fort — 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Join Jessica in the fort to discover the daily occupations of settlers taking refuge in Fort Watauga during the 1770s.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Monday, June 26

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) will meet at First Baptist Church, 212 East F St., Elizabethton. Weigh-in begins at 5:30-6:30 p.m. with the meeting starting at 6:45 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings. For more information, call Joan Jarrett at 268-2100 or 914-1954 or Peggy Nave at 957-1114 or go to our website at www.tops.org (800-932-8677).

Nicotine Anonymous, a 12-Step Recovery Program of Mutual Support for those who want to stop smoking or live free of nicotine in any form, will meet at 7 p.m. at the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition Youth Opportunity Center, 546 East Elk Ave., Elizabethton. There are no dues or fees. You only need to bring a desire to stop using nicotine. Contact Thad at 423-306-3866 for more information.

Tuesday, June 27th 

Lifestyles of Whites and Cherokee Indians — 11:30 a.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Come see how the Cherokee Indians and white settlers survived in the frontier wilderness. Stuart will share how these two groups used the local animals and plants for food and clothing, as well as customs and tools for war and hunting. This program will also share the impact of their interaction in this area during the 18th century. Meet at the fort’s main gate.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. — Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Carter County’s American Civil War Experience — 3:30 p.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Meet a Union soldier stationed in Carter County in 1864 and hear about how the Civil War affected this area. See what a typical soldier would have carried in his haversack to withstand army life, and how he would load and fire his rifled musket. Meet in Fort Watauga.

Wednesday, June 28th

Weapons of the 17th Century — 11:30 a.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Witness how soldiers in the 1600s fought and what weapons they used on the battlefields of Europe. Meet Stuart outside the main gate of Fort Watauga.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Thursday, June 29th

The Colonial Laundress — 11:30 a.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Join Jessica inside Fort Watauga to experience the subtle art of doing laundry in the 18th century. This essential task was performed by women both in the home and while following the military on campaign.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Rifle and Musket Comparison — 3:30 p.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Join Stuart inside the fort for a comparison of the two weapons which faced off during the American Revolution, the Brown Bess musket of the British Army and the American long rifle. Discover the differences between these weapons and their different uses on the battlefield.

Friday, June 30th

Beliefs of the Cherokee — 11:30 a.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park.  Gather to hear Cherokee myths and legends that have been passed down through time. Meet Stuart at the picnic area next to the Visitors Center.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Working with the Earth — 3:30 p.m. Discover how the 18th century gardener raised and used vegetables and herbs in the Carter Mansion kitchen garden, an essential part of everyday life.

Saturday, July 1

Watauga Valley Fife and Drums from 10 a.m. until noon. The Fife & Drum Corps performs at historical events, dedications and parades. This group is open to anyone ages 13 & up. Musical experience is welcome but not necessary; just come with a willingness to learn. Meet our volunteer coordinator John Large at the Sycamore Shoals Visitors Center. Lessons are free of charge, just call and let us know you’re coming!

Independence on the Frontier: Militia Muster at Fort Watauga — 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Experience the 4th of July, 18th century-style! What did colonists think about a new nation? Be a guest in Fort Watauga as news of Independence arrives to the colonial frontier. Walk among historical characters and hear their varied reactions to the Declaration, from fear of war to the hope of a brighter future. The Celebration will take place on Saturday; the muster will continue until 3 pm on Sunday.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Sunday, July 2nd

Independence on the Frontier: Militia Muster at Fort Watauga — 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Experience the 4th of July, 18th century-style! What did colonists think about a new nation? Be a guest in Fort Watauga as news of Independence arrives to the colonial frontier. Walk among historical characters and hear their varied reactions to the Declaration, from fear of war to the hope of a brighter future.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Monday, July 3

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) will meet at First Baptist Church, 212 East F St., Elizabethton. Weigh-in begins at 5:30-6:30 p.m. with the meeting starting at 6:45 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings. For more information, call Joan Jarrett at 268-2100 or 914-1954 or Peggy Nave at 957-1114 or go to our website at www.tops.org (800-932-8677).

Nicotine Anonymous, a 12-Step Recovery Program of Mutual Support for those who want to stop smoking or live free of nicotine in any form, will meet at 7 p.m. at the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition Youth Opportunity Center, 546 East Elk Ave., Elizabethton. There are no dues or fees. You only need to bring a desire to stop using nicotine. Contact Thad at 423-306-3866 for more information.

Wednesday, July 5th           

Wearing History — 11:30 a.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Join Jessica inside Fort Watauga to explore 18th century modes of dress and how the Watauga settlers made and wore clothing on the frontier.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Thursday, July 6th

Carter County’s American Civil War Experience — 11:30 p.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Meet a Union soldier stationed in Carter County in 1864 and hear about how the Civil War affected this area. See what a typical soldier would have carried in his haversack to withstand army life, and how he would load and fire his rifled musket. Meet in Fort Watauga.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Fort Tour — 3:30 p.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Meet at the back doors of the Visitors Center for an informative stroll through Fort Watauga and discover how settlers in the 1770s defended their homes and changed the course of the American Revolution.

Friday, July 7th

Musket Firing Demonstration — 11:30 a.m. at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Meet Stuart in the fort for a demonstration of the loading and firing of the Brown Bess musket.

Carter Mansion Tour — 2 p.m. Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must!  Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

Cemetery Symbolism — 3:30 p.m. Ever wonder what the artwork on historic gravestones meant? Head out across the lawn after the Carter Mansion tour to translate the language of cemetery symbolism in the Carter, Thomas, and community plots.

Saturday, July 8

The James Montgomery Family Reunion will be held at Hampton Christian Church Fellowship Hall. Everyone will gather at noon. Those attending are asked to bring a covered dish, dessert and drinks. For more information, call Helen Nave at 543-8105.

The Trusler-Large Family Reunion will be held at Meredith Valley Cabins, 341 Sycamore Shoals Drive, Elizabethton. Lunch will be served at 1 p.m. sharp. Bring your favorite dishes to share and “Show-Off” for the family. On Sunday there will be a picnic at Watauga Lake. There will be grilling so bring any meats and sides you would like to add. There will also be swimming and games. Bring your sunscreen, lounge chairs, swimsuits and sodas. It will be a great time of relaxing. We hope to see everyone there. For more information, call Mary Webb at 910-840-6671, Chris Jacobs at 910-231-5716, Bernice Whitlock at 423-461-2660 or Larry and Tracey Trusler at 423-895-9500 (cell), 423-725-9980 (house).