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This year marks the 10th anniversary of Long Journey Home, Johnson County’s heritage arts and music celebration. Each year, this tiny mountain community comes to life with stories and songs that honor the iconic old-time mountain music style that shaped country music as we know it. The three-day festival spans Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30, 31, and Sept. 1.

This year’s Long Journey Home festival events include:

• Buskin’ on Main, a showcase of local and regional acoustic talent playing up and down Main Street, the grand opening of Johnson County Center for the Arts’ new Gallery on Main, and an outdoor film at dusk on Friday, Aug. 30.
• The unveiling of Appalachian Elixir, a new mural honoring Clarence “Tom” Ashley, who traveled for decades with Doc Whitecloud and then Doc Hauer’s Medicine Show, on Aug. 31.
• The Musical Heritage Homecoming Tour, showcasing authentic old-time music played on the front porches of the iconic musicians who shaped early country music, performed by musicians who still carry on the legacy of true mountain music, on Aug. 31.
• A traditional Sunday Singin’ at Heritage Hall Theatre, featuring authentic old-time gospel music, on Sept. 1.

The fun begins Friday evening with a ribbon cutting and the grand opening of the new Johnson County Center for the Arts Gallery on Main at 5 p.m., followed by Buskin’ on Main at 6 p.m. This event brings the small town to life with music, friends, and plenty of good food.

On Saturday, Aug. 31, the Musical Heritage Homecoming Tour begins with the unveiling of the newest addition to the Mural Mile in downtown Mountain City at 2 p.m. This new mural, Appalachian Elixir, pays tribute to Clarence “Tom” Ashley’s early career as a medicine show huckster. Roy Acuff credited Ashley with “showing him the ropes of show business” during their years together in Dr. Hauer’s Medicine Show in the 1930s. Next is a visit to the Clarence “Tom” Ashley homeplace at 3:30 p.m., where musicians will perform right on his front porch, including Kenny Price and Jerry Moses, who carry on Ashley’s iconic clawhammer banjo style, and Backroads Bluegrass, an authentic mountain string band featuring Jack Proffitt. Bring a chair or a blanket, kick back in the shade, and enjoy an evening of outdoor music.

The weekend closes with a traditional Sunday Singin’ at Heritage Hall Theatre, where you can hear traditional mountain gospel and sing along from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Event maps may be picked up at the Center for the Arts and other local businesses. The Musical Heritage Mural Mile and Long Journey Home were made possible in part through funding from the East Tennessee Foundation, Johnson County Community Foundation, and Tennessee Arts Commission, as well as the generosity of community members.