Every summer since 1948, the A&I Fair honors the past, present, and future of agricultural industry in Cocke County.
For five days, 4H students, farmers, and community neighbors compete for blue ribbons and bragging rights for the best of that year. The midway rides, fair food, demolition derby, and live music round out the festivities.
The fairgrounds are also steeped in history. Once a working farm, the land was purchased and timber from the land was used to build some of the structures on the fairgrounds. Originally, the fair was focused on horses, but a local agricultural teacher and FFA advisor serving as fair president grew the fair to attract students showing livestock and community competitions for blue ribbon displays of sewing, cooking, and canning. Later a racetrack was added for car racing, a very popular sport in the south. With the addition of the midway carnival rides, the fair attracted people from western North Carolina.
Today, the fairground holds true to its roots on the 5 days of the fair, but the fairground also continues to serve the community throughout the year. Some of the biggest community events in Cocke County- Popcorn Sutton Festival and the Cocke County Bluegrass Festival.
The A&I fairground is a legacy to the enduring spirit of a close-knit community and the power of farming traditions. It’s a place where locals and visitors alike come to gather to recall old memories and create new ones, where the past and present seamlessly merge in a celebration of rural life in Cocke County.
Long before interstates or train track connected the 63 miles between Asheville and Newport, the challenge for a farmer was to get his products to a large city market to sell. The fertile valleys of the French Broad River and Cocke County produced abundant foodstuff that was in demand for people as far south as Charleston, SC.
In 1874, then Tennessee Bureau of Agriculture agent, Joseph Buckner Killebrew reported: “These are exceedingly fertile valleys, the soil equal to any in the State. It is alluvial and deep. With anything like fair cultivation, it will produce from fifty to one hundred bushels of corn to the acre.”
While corn can be used for milling or distilling, much of the corn grown in Cocke County was used to fatten hogs to sell in the markets of the South. Hogs are voracious eaters and the corn yields in the river plains of Big Creek and the French Broad were prolific. In contrast, the plantation farmers in Georgia and South Carolina used their lands for cotton and rice to sell in large cities and globally. With most of the land in use for cash crops, plantations owners needed to purchase pork to feed the large number of field hands working to plant, tend, and harvest their crops. The annual hog “drive” through Cocke County to Asheville would begin in early November along the dusty road running parallel to the French Broad River. Once reaching Asheville, the farmers would then the sell the hogs directly to plantation farmers or to slaughterhouses.
A drover could move his herd of pigs about 10 miles a day, keeping his hogs moving with shouts “Soo-eey,” “Su-boy,” or “Ho-o-o-yuh.” Along the route, there were inns that had pens and feed for hogs, and perhaps a bed for the drover. One of these inns, Wolf Creek Inn, stood where Wolf Creek enters the French Broad south of Del Rio. The road became so well known for the hog drives, that Asheville has placed a statue of walking hogs in downtown to represent the heritage of this porcine economy.
By 1880 and the completion of the railroad between Newport and Asheville, the years of the road taken over by large hog drives became a distant memory. Today the 25 E highway between Newport and Hot Springs, NC is known as the East Tennessee Crossing Byway, a national scenic byway. It is a bit ironic that this road is very much favored by motorcycle clubs for group rides, some of which are riding Harley Davidson, known in slang as Hogs. The legend is that a Harley Davidson racing team selected a hog as a mascot and the label has stuck ever since.
Bringing with it an atmosphere of nostalgia and a chance to create new memories, the Newport Harvest Street Festival has for 38 years served as a premier East Tennessee community celebration event
Heralding the onset of fall and launching the start of Cocke County’s annual season of weekend festivals, the Street Festival strikes a cheerful balance between old and new.
Many of the vendors and participants have been returning year after year, becoming an integral part of the festival’s identity. This continuity is essential for the festival’s charm, as it allows visitors to relive cherished memories. Whether it’s savoring a favorite treat from a familiar food stall or reconnecting with long-time friends, the Newport Street Festival has a unique ability to transport attendees back in time.
But what makes this festival truly exceptional is its capacity for renewal, year after year. Alongside the familiar faces, there are new vendors, attractions, and activities waiting to be discovered. This delicate blend of tradition and innovation is what keeps the festival fresh and exciting. It’s a testament to the organizers’ commitment to providing a diverse and engaging experience for both long-time attendees and first-time visitors.
“We’ve got vendors that have been coming for as long as I know and before, and then we’ve always got new ones,” said Lynn Ramsey, Cocke County Chamber of Commerce director and an organizer of the event since 2008. “We have everything from crafts and Christmas and fall decorations to children’s toys. Some people are selling different kinds of stones and herbs and handcrafted soaps and a lot of handmade arts and crafts. A lot of churches will come and give away information, and sometimes they give away free stuff like bottles of water to drink.”
If the weather is beautiful and the sun graces the streets of downtown Newport with its warm glow, turnout can run as high as 6,000 people or more. Clear blue skies and crisp autumn air set the stage for a weekend filled with laughter, music, and delicious food.
Food trucks and tasty treat-serving tents line the streets and fill the air with the enticing aromas of all your favorite festival snacks and beverages, from fresh squeezed lemonade, corn dogs and spiral taters to funnel cakes and deep-fried desserts.
And of course, no Tennessee festival would be complete with music, and the Newport Street Festival always serves a wonderful variety guaranteed to get your body moving to the sweet beats and lively melodies. Make sure to see all the lovely ladies and babies that come to compete to be 2024’s Harvest Queen in their appropriate age division. Children up to 16 years of age will compete in pageants according to their age bracket. The ever-popular Miss Newport Harvest Festival, for females ages 16-21 years old, will be the last pageant of the day. All pageants will be on the Broadway side of the Courthouse lawn on Saturday at 10:30 am.
The Newport Harvest Street Festival is a testament to the enduring spirit of close-knit community and the power of Appalachia traditions. It’s a place where locals and visitors alike come to relive old memories and create new ones, where the past and present seamlessly merge in a celebration of life in Cocke County.
“Century Farms” are an essential part of the Tennessee Heritage Farms Program. Administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, the program recognizes and works to conserve farms that have remained in the same family and in continuous agriculture production for 100 years or more.
About 2,100 such farms have been certified across the Volunteer State — a dozen of them in Cocke County:
Baxter Farm, 1875
Bible Farm, 1887
Dwight L. Bundy Farm, 1907
Heritage Farms, 1849
Jim and Alice Freeman Gulf Farm, 1910
Leibrock Farm, 1886
M.G. Roberts Poplar Tree Farm, 1859
Neas Farm, 1885
Oakleaf Farm, 1902
Ottinger Farm, 1894
Pitts Farm, 1897
River Dale Farm, established in 1794, is also a designated Pioneer Century Farm, meaning that its operation dates back to the founding of the State of Tennessee in 1796 or before.
“Despite drought, floods, the Civil War and the Great Depression, these families have remained tillers of the soil, persevering where others have failed,” wrote state historian Carroll Van West in his 1986 book, “Tennessee Agriculture: A Century Farms Perspective.”
The Tennessee Heritage Farms Program plays a crucial role in preserving rural culture and regional identity – especially in small, mostly-rural counties like Cocke. The program provides educational resources and extension outreach to farm families and the general public, raising awareness of the importance of keeping Tennessee’s agricultural heritage well tended.
The program helps encourage and promote a sense of community pride among the farm families, local historical societies, county extension offices, student groups, city and county governments, and other stakeholder individuals and organizations interested in conserving Tennessee’s countryside and maintaining authentic connections to our cultural roots.
The Heritage Farms Program also aims to promote economic development in rural areas by highlighting the importance of agriculture to the state’s overall economy. Historic farms often attract visitors and tourists who not only appreciate the beauty of the pastoral landscapes, but admire the character, persistence and resourcefulness of Tennesseans who make their livelihoods as producers of civilization’s sustenance.
Given the range of continuing challenges facing today’s farmers, words that Van West penned more than three and a half decades ago — in the midst of the 1980s American Farm Crisis — take on even greater import today: “In a time of agricultural crisis, the legacy of the Century Farmers is a potent reminder that farmers in the past have survived similar hard times to prosper in the future.”
Growing up on Douglas Lake, angler and business owner, Hobie Rice knows a thing or two about fishing lures. The sport of angling is about so many variables- skill, equipment, fish, and weather.
A lure is as essential as the bait for fish. The first lures were brought to this country by the English settlers. The lure replaced live bait by mimicking the “action” of live bait, whether the lure mimics a deep dive, zig-zags, or floats near the surface. There are dozens of types and colors of lures to choose from.
At Ledge Hog Fishing Supply in Dandridge, TN, they have reengineered the blade lure for fishing a multiple depths. This is a lure that is popular with professional anglers for its ability to attract trophy size fish.
In May, Cocke County Tourism and Brad Wiegmann from the Fishing Guide Podcast had an opportunity to sit down with Hobie and talk about Douglas Lake fishing and other attractions in Cocke County. Listen inand get a few “tips” on fishing for the big bite.
If you are heading to Douglas Lake for a fishing trip, stop by Bucks an’ Bass to pick up a Ledge Hog lure. Find a place to stay here.
Summer’s sticky sweetness is often celebrated around a blazing campfire with the delicious making of the confection called ‘smores and the storytelling of tall tales and folk legends.
Marshmallows and graham crackers are the stuff legends are made of. Near one of the entrances to the sprawling Union Cemetery in Newport, you’ll find the grave of Earl Mitchell, a salesman for the Chattanooga Bakery and the force behind the Moon Pie. Mitchell was born in nearby Greene County and his travel route brought him to towns in East Tennessee and Kentucky.
According to the company website, Mitchell got the idea for the Moon Pie after a conversation with a Kentucky Coal miner in 1917. The miner wanted a snack “as big as the moon” and Mitchell delivered with a snack that would fit in a lunch pail. A small marker at the foot of Mitchell’s grave gives him credit for “inventing” the Moon Pie.Quite often folks will leave a Moon Pie and an RC cola at the foot of his grave
Which gooey confection of graham crackers, marshmallow, and chocolate came first? The Moon Pie was being sold by 1917, and has been continuously produced for over one hundred years.
Legend has it that roasting marshmallows began as early as 1890. The first recipe for ‘smores appeared as a recipe in a Girl Scout handbook in 1927.
It seems that the irresistible combination of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers have continued to be a sweet treat for many generations.
Welcome to Your Wild & Woolly Destination for Wilderness, Whitewater & Open-Air Wonderment
Exit 447 along I-40 about 14 miles south of Newport doesn’t really look like much on a map. But this wide spot in the road just five miles from the TN-NC state line is brimming with all manner of nature-based activities to please outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
Hartford, Tennessee has become a magnet for adventure seekers. It offers a range of sensory stimulation suggestions that’ll ignite your spirit of exploration and set you on a course for seeking more of everything the waters, woods and wild landscapes of Cherokee National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains have to offer.
With genuine hospitality and an eagerness to please those with a predilection for embarking on outdoor excursions, Hartford invites visitors to embrace an escape into the wonders that abound in the mountains and valleys all around.
Hiking: Backpackers and day trekkers can go trail stepping along countless footpaths and arboreal alleyways that wind through primeval forests and past falling water, leading to an abundance of awe-inspiring vistas and innumerable hidden treasures of nature. Want to get your feet on the Appalachian Trail? You can do that in Hartford.
Rafting: The Pigeon River, with its roiling freestone currents and rough-and-tumble rapids, promises to swamp you with invigoration. Trip Advisor recently featured the Volunteer State’s most adrenaline churning river-running put-in points, and Hartford topped the list. For that matter, it’s regarded as one of the most praiseworthy whitewater joyride jumping off spots in America, if not worldwide. Expert guides navigate you through Class III and IV rapids, ensuring a delightfully soggy but assuredly safe experience.
Ziplining: The 37753 zip code offers the kind of thrill-filled airborne escapade you’d normally associate with an amusement park. But on this ride, you can experience the weightless sensation of flight while immersed in nature’s wonders. Get familiar with a bird’s eye perspective on the landscape below as you soar through the tall temperate rainforest canopy, suspended by a harness from which you will be held safe and harmless.
Fishing: Sink a line in the pristine rivers and many gurgling high mountain creeks surrounding Hartford. A variety of gamefish species inhabit these scenic waters, providing ample hook-setting opportunities for action-seeking anglers. Lay back and reconnect with nature as you lazily await a twitch of the rod tip. Or get hyper-focused and hone your fly casting skills as you try to entice a hungry trout or bass to burst the surface and slurp up a hand-tied bug you’ve pitched into the strike zone.
Biking: Strap on your helmet, mount your trusty steel-and-titanium steed, and pedal into an exhilarating network of bike trails and more planned for in the backwoods forest service roads around Hartford. From mellow slow-roll meandering to intensely sheer gravity-fueled down-mountain descents, Hartford’s rugged terrain beckons mountain biking enthusiasts of all skill and age levels.
So whether you’re looking for a chill weekend getaway or a thrill-charged vacation of a lifetime, the endless opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, rafting, zip lining, and mountain biking make Hartford a gateway where exhilaration and rejuvenation are always available in a heartbeat.
The Adventure Side of the Smokies is a veritable outdoor waterpark for paddlers, float trips, kayak fishing, and swimming, all surrounded by some of Mother Nature’s most beautiful mountains and forests in the southeast.
During this week of National Water Safety, we want to remind you to play it safe on our waters. Each of the rivers offers a different experience, but also different risks.
The Pigeon River is known for its exhilarating whitewater, but the inherent danger comes from the rapids and the rocks.
In the spring, the French Broad can vary in depth and current from rains and extreme weather. Popular for float fishing and backpack paddling, the level of the river and weather conditions are your best guides before entering the river.
The Nolichucky can also vary in water flow and depth. Flooding rains upriver, will create hazardous conditions downriver.
Never enter the water without wearing a personal floatation device (PFD). Even strong swimmers can get caught in a current on the rivers. When the water is high, eddies can form from submerged rocks and trees. Make sure the PFD is sized properly for both adults and for children. PFDs can be purchased locally at most large box retailers in the area if you have forgotten to bring on.
Come play, but play it safe in and around our rivers and lake.
After a day of play, come enjoy the outdoor summer concert series held at River Walk along the Pigeon River in downtown Newport beginning on May 30. The event is free. Each concert runs from 7- 9 pm.
The series continues on Thursdays- June 13 and 27, and July 11 and 25.
Concessions are available from 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Festival seating, so bring a chair or blanket for an evening of music and absorb the history of this river community which dates back to 1783.
The three rivers of Cocke County are destinations for exciting recreational adventures on the Adventure Side of the Smokies. The history of these rivers shaped the past and are now shaping the future of recreation in Cocke County.
The Pigeon River is synonymous with some of the best white water rafting in the southeast. The river extends 70 miles, beginning in the mountains of North Carolina, flowing northwest into Tennessee. The river is impounded at Walter’s Dam in Waterville. It is the scheduled dam releases that create the exciting white water rafting between Waterville and the take-out in Hartford TN. The lower end of the Pigeon continues to the confluence of the French Broad in Newport, TN.
The 216 mile French Broad River also begins in North Carolina and serves as a drainage basin for the both the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests. When the river enters Cocke County, it flows along the East Tennessee Crossing National Scenic Byway before entering the Holston River. The river is known for spring time rafting and kayaking when the water is running high, and both fishermen who bank and float fish. All thirty three (33 miles) of the river flowing in Cocke County were designated as a state scenic river. Read more about the scenic portion of the river from local paddler and birder, Michael S, here. ling
The Nolichucky River runs 115 miles from the highest mountains in eastern North Carolina and Tennessee until it reaches Cocke County creating the upper basin of Douglas Lake. The river serves to create a county border with Hamblen County. This area and the adjacent Rankin Bottom WMA is known for birdwatching, and when the lake begins to fill in the spring, locals know that the fishing is excellent.
