Gatlinburg Life Snippet #3: Crafts, More Music, and Feeling the Heat

We can’t seem to shake the searing heat that’s come for us, hot and heavy the past month. The only respite has been the rain, which has fallen at least once a day for I don’t know how long. By now, you would think it would cool the air afterward. But no, that hasn’t been the case at all. The only enjoyment is letting it fall on your head and shoulders before you get too saturated from head to toe.

Aside from the rain, it’s been an interesting and incompatible week to others here in Gatlinburg. As much as I’m a man of routines that bring me comfort, these activities struck a balance I found… well, comforting. I touched on them a little in my first two Life Snippets, and I want to continue that here with my third one of my experiences in Gatlinburg.

The Ides of July have been rather kind to me in my exploration of events here. The Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair opened on July 11, and as of this writing, I’ve visited no fewer than three times. This is quite rare for me. Normally, I’m a one-and-done when it comes to craft shows. That should tell you just how awesome this one has been. Not that the booths aren’t filled with great crafts and people—they always are. The fact my wife and I were both able to find and purchase gifts for the family, and also, things for our home, it’s been a huge positive.

Specifically speaking, from my perspective, I pulled the trigger on something I feel passionate about… peanut butter.

Yes, the creamy—and sometimes, chunky—goodness was available in homemade fashion. If you love it as much as I do, then you’ll love Pop’s Peanut Butter, a husband and wife entrepreneurial team from Alabama. They make flavored ones, but for me, I’ll take the natural kind all day, and the fact my stingy butt didn’t bat an eyelid over a 17-dollar, 16-ounce jar should tell you how much I enjoyed my sample. Plus, it feels good to support regular folks selling something straight from their kitchen that’s relatively healthy for me. Money well spent, on this occasion.

On Wednesday, July 16, I took advantage of my off-day from work by going back to the Convention Center to look around the craft show some more, but I wanted to catch the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys entertain shoppers who wanted to sit and enjoy their brand of bluegrass which earned them a Best Bluegrass Album Grammy nomination in 2020 for their fantastic, “Toil, Tears, and Trouble” record. It goes without saying they’ve come a long way from forming at the Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler to the Grammy Red Carpet in Los Angeles, California.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t stick around for the entire 3 P.M performance, (my wife was cooking dinner) but it was great to finally see them for a second time. These guys are technically proficient with great songs in their catalog spanning 10 years. Go see them whenever you get the chance. They will likely come back to Gatlinburg before you know it!

Of course there’s so much more music to maximize your mood in this tourist town in the summer. I’ve mentioned the Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales already, which is performing for at least another week before they hang it up… until next season.

The Ole Smoky Moonshine Holler in downtown Gatlinburg used to house bluegrass groups and musicians in the early afternoon, but that has shifted to the late-afternoon and evening hours—now from 4 until 10. I’m not sure why, but the thinking that they can accommodate a more diverse section of folks young and old makes good sense to me, anyway.

You know the hot summer heat has affected me a bit when I decided not once, but twice, to ride the Red Trolley with my wife after our two dinner outings last week on the far end of the Parkway—the best part for food. The two of us ate at Smoky Mountain Brewery on Sunday the 13th, which is only unusual because my wife almost never comes here, due to the service, not the food.

Well, we were both pleased at how well the service was. And the food? Well, I come here often for a reason. After splurging a bit on the pizza my wife ordered, I almost forgot how good just a plain cheese here is. They're always in my Top 3, if I needed a reminder.

That’s going to end this snippet of my life in Gatlinburg. I hope you enjoyed it! With any luck and motivation, this will be a semi-regular series I want to continue with. I hope you’ll stick around, and if you’re new, please consider subscribing so you don’t miss any of these, plus any reviews and events I plan to discuss on this publication. Thank you all for your support and kind words sent on my social media platforms. I do greatly appreciate it, and stay tuned!