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Article published Sep 13, 2008 Weekend destination: Country Market and fall festival at Ramsey House
From Staff Reports
If you don't have tickets to the University of Tennessee football game today, historic Ramsey House is throwing out its welcome mat.
The 44th annual Country Market is an inexpensive way to spend a Saturday or Sunday while you shop for antiques, take a carriage ride, listen to garden talks, eat great food and win door prizes. Mingled in are talented musicians entertaining, broom makers, yarn spinners and basket makers sharing their crafts. At the end of the day, you will know a lot more about the heritage of East Tennessee and this stately two-story Georgian house built for East Tennessee pioneer Col. Francis Alexander Ramsey by Knoxville's first architect, Thomas Hope of Charleston.
New to Country Market this year will be broom maker Richard Myers, bird photographer Dan Williams, dulcimer maker Bill Rich, and 3 Sisters Antiques. Returning specialty antique vendors are Barbara Elder McDonald with antique quilts and primitives, Rita's Road Show from Waynesville, N.C., and Anna's Attic from Elizabethton. Jim McAnally has returned with his beautiful handcrafted wooden bowls, cutting boards, rolling pins, and more.
On hand both days to discuss the Southern Heritage Gardens of Ramsey House and its heirloom seed program will be nationally renowned heritage gardener, John Coydendall. The Ramsey House Southern Heritage Gardens are filled with 18th and 19th century vegetables, the seeds of which are harvested and packaged for sale in the Gift Shop. On other gardening topics, visitors will have an opportunity today to obtain expert advice from master gardener, Neal Denton.
Visitors will find Carmen Bonnell spinning a yarn on her spinning wheel, Catharine Murray weaving on the loom, and Web Sherman with his cane bottom chairs. Karen Kenst, of Maryville, will be weaving baskets, and Bill Alexander will be making "mountain berry baskets" from poplar bark. Using a horse to provide the power, Tom and Cathy Gilliland will be making delicious homemade ice cream. The Gillilands will also be offering carriage rides (weather-permitting). Other traditional demonstrations include clogging by Katie Micheletta on Sunday.
Drawing a crowd
Emphasizing the preservation of historic music styles, live musical performances will continue to be another major attraction at this year's festival. Performers will be scheduled throughout each day of the event. Today's lineup includes, Pea Ridge Ramblers (combining fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo and vocal harmonies to make old-time traditional southern music); The Bearded (original material coupled with traditional fiddle tunes, folk songs, and even touches of rock along the style of Appalachian jug-band blues); Danny Gammon & Five Miles from Town (old-time, traditional, folk, and bluegrass, featuring Danny on fiddle, mandolin, and vocals. In addition to performing at the Smithsonian Festival in 1991, Danny has won numerous awards including an Emmy Award); Wade Hill and the Hillians (Wade is rated one of the top banjo pickers in the country, and in addition to fronting his own band, he played with many noted artists. In 1983 Wade received an award from the Smithsonian Institute for his contributions to folk music and folk life traditions). Sunday's lineup includes Celtic music with Evan Carawan on the hammered dulcimer; Cruz Contreras, a Knoxville fixture featuring old-time music; the Gammon, Horton & Reynolds Gospel Trio (featuring Danny Gammon, Steve Horton of the well-loved Lonesome Coyotes, and George Reynolds); and award-winning bluegrass and gospel favorites, Greenbrier featuring awarding-winning singer/songwriter Jimbo Whaley.
Crowd favorites
A Country Market favorite, The Curiosity Shop, as well as the used books and prints tent will delight those searching for a bargain or those hard-to-find items. Of course, gourmet food is always a big part of Country Market. This year's event will feature pulled pork barbecue by John Wallace and Mrs. Ramsey's beans and cornbread, as well as sandwiches, chips and soft drinks. There will also be fried pies, cobblers and jams and jellies. And don't forget those delicious cakes at the cakewalk!
The Children's Tent will feature activities and games for children with assistance from the Junior League of Knoxville.
Silent Auction, to be held today only, will take bids until 3 p.m. on a wonderful assortment of gifts and certificates from local restaurants and businesses. There will also be a drawing for a rug from Harb's; a 12 place setting of flatware from Belk's; gift certificates for gasoline from Pilot Oil, a gift basket from Mast General Store, and other desirable items. The drawing will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday and raffle tickets may be purchased throughout the weekend up until that time.
For a complete schedule of performances, details of attractions, and directions, log on to www.ramseyhouse.org.