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A Sugarlands Christmas
Video by Valerie Polk
 Handmade Ornaments by Valerie Polk
Old fashioned decorations grace the Christmas tree in Sugarlands Visitor Center. Enjoy the warmth and beauty of this holiday tradition in this short video.
Click here to view the short video.
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A Gift That Gives Twice!
Membership in GSMA
Ho, Ho, Ho! A Gift Without a Bow!
Give a gift that helps Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A GSMA membership is perfect for someone who is hard to buy for, and it doesn't require any shopping, wrapping, or mailing! The recipient can look forward to receiving benefits throughout the year!
GSMA members receive a discount on purchases made at our sales locations, receive the Smokies Guide four times a year, and the Bearpaw and Smokies Life magazine twice a year.
And they can receive our e-newsletter, the Cub Report, which brings them wonderful videos on the park, recipes, products, plus contests and monthly programs to participate in.
It's easy. Just call 865-436-7318, Ext. 222 or 254 for more information.
Happy Holidays!
GSMA Individual Membership
GSMA Supporting Membership
GSMA Lifetime Membership
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GSMA Nominated for Grammy!
 Really! Great Smoky Mountains Association is pleased to announce that its CD, Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Historical Album" category. The CD includes 34 historic songs, ballads, and instrumentals recorded in 1939 by "song catcher" Joseph S. Hall. The Recording Academy announced the Grammy nominees on December 5 at a live program broadcast from Nashville and televised by CBS. Great Smoky Mountains Association's executive director Terry Maddox said, "This has been a huge surprise and a huge honor for a small association like ours. We're overjoyed at the nomination and proud that we've played a role in preserving these very special recordings." To purchase a copy of the $14.95 CD or to learn more about it, click here. |
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Holiday Homecoming
Oconaluftee Visitor Center
 Photo courtesy of NPS
Experience an old-time mountain Christmas celebration in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On Saturday, December 15, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
Park staff and volunteers will provide hands-on traditional craft demonstrations from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Children and adults will have the opportunity to make a corn shuck doll, buzz button, and cinnamon ornament to take home. Visitors will be encouraged to make a cinnamon ornament to hang on the visitor center tree for years to come.
An acoustic old time jam session will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a focus on holiday music. "We would like to invite musicians to play traditional Appalachian tunes such as gospel songs and traditional ballads as they were played on the porches in the old days," said Ranger Lynda Doucette.
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Cornshuck Doll Workshop
Saturday, January 19
Cornshuck Doll
Join Lori Anderson, a natural material artist and member of the prestigious Southern Highlands Craft Guild, on Saturday, January 19 from 1-4 pm for a workshop on corn shuck dolls. This event will be held in the old Oconaluftee Visitor Center building.
Corn shuck dolls were a popular toy with children back in the early days of the park and remain a cherished collectable today. Participants will learn about the historical significance of corn and how the settlers in the Smokies used every part of it. They will also learn about the craft revival period, and how corn shucks evolved into use for more decorative items.
Each person will complete a traditional corn shuck doll as it was passed down from hand to hand right here in the Smokies.
Supplies and tools will be provided and are included in the cost of the registration fee. $20 for GSMA members; $25 for non-members. Children 10 years of age and older are welcome, but the same fee applies to cover the cost of materials.
Call 865.436.7318, Ext. 222 or 254 to register. There is a limit of 10 participants, so call early to assure a spot. Registration cut-off is Wednesday, January 16.
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Car Clout Caught
National parks across the country have problems with a special brand of criminal: Car Clouters, (i.e. thieves who break into cars at park trailheads to steal purses, cameras, laptops, cell phones, etc). This brand of illegal activity is a special problem in parks because people tend to stash valuables in their cars before hitting the trail.
Fortunately, park rangers and local law enforcement officers recently apprehended one alleged clouter who is accused of working the Chimney Tops Trailhead. Here's the story:
On Sunday, December 2nd, a ranger saw what he believed to be a man breaking into a vehicle parked at Chimney Tops Trailhead on Newfound Gap Road. The man then left the area in a Ford pickup.
When rangers attempted to stop the truck on Little River Road west of Sugarlands Visitor Center, the man fled and continued to elude rangers at a very high rate of speed until he exited the park at the Townsend Wye.
Once outside the park, rangers turned over the pursuit to Blount County Sheriff's Office deputies, who took the 38-year-old Tennessee man into custody after he crashed his truck.
Rangers and special agents subsequently confirmed the theft of property from a visitor's Ford Explorer parked at Chimney Tops Trailhead. The investigation of the offenses occurring within the park continues; federal charges are anticipated.
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