Enjoy some great food and music at “A Taste of Autumn” being held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center on Thursday, September 24th, 2009.  All proceeds go to the United Way of Sevier County.  A $25 donation to the United Way of Sevier County will get you unlimited sampling from all of the participating vendors at the event.  This is your chance to sample some of the areas finest restaurants while giving back to the community at the same time.  See you there.  Read More →

 Read More →

Update September 23, 2009: The workshop has been canceled. Native New Yorker and Photographer Keith Major has been working as a commercial photographer since 1990. Keith’s interest in image making started in elementary school. He studied at the Brooklyn Museum and Pratt Institute’s art programs for elementary school-age students. His interest was so keen that by the fourth grade he had decided on his high school and college, The High School of Art and design and Rochester Institute of Technology. After college Keith assisted the highly regarded award-winning photographer Anthony Barboza. Says Keith: “I learned more from Tony in four months, than I did in four years of college”. Soon after his apprenticeship, Keith began to build his career shooting musicians, actors, models, writers and artists; anyone he found interesting and everyone who desired his services. He made a name for himself as someone who “makes you look good”. He is now in the “big... (more...)

Woodcarving is an art form that takes many years to master, but for East Tennessee Native and Professional Woodcarver and Renowned Instructor Gene Webb it’s about the passion of creation and attention to detail that makes woodcarving his life’s pastime. With the launch of his brand new website and upcoming instructional DVD’s and classes, HometownSevier.com decided to sit down with Gene and focus in on who he is as an artist, his carvings, and what’s around-the-bend for this innovative woodcarver from the hills of East Tennessee. Tell us about yourself and your family? I grew up on Nebo Mountain, in Walland, TN, which is small community in Blount County. I moved to Townsend TN, when I got married 22 years ago. I have a 17-year-old daughter. Who were your carving influences…early and later on? I started carving when I was 10 years old. I remember watching my father whittle on a cedar stick; watching the shavings curl off the stick was amazing to me.  My dad got me a knife, and... (more...)

History of Swimming Author: RecruitCity The history of swimming goes way back to that of prehistoric times. Books written from 2000 to 1500 BC including the Bible have references to swimming. It was mostly used in these times as a means of cleansing. Any form of competitive swimming wasn’t formed until the 1800’s in Europe. It was included in the first Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. It was noted that Ancient Egypt had cave drawings of humans swimming in the nearby sea. They often depicted a form of the breaststroke as the first type of swimming or something they used to call the front crawl. Ancient Egyptian, Grecian and Roman palaces were often equipped with swimming pools or baths. Often reserved for the elite that used them as relaxation pools and cleaning tubs. It is noted by historians that swimming was also often used in battle. The Greeks were often regarded as solid swimmers and at the Battle of Salamis after a number of both Greek and Persian boats were destroyed... (more...)

Sevierville (TN) – Fall brings more than rich golden and red leaves to the Great Smoky Mountains – it also brings the annual Harvest Fest celebration. Sevierville, a gateway town to the Great Smoky Mountains located right next door to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN, is celebrating fall with six weeks of events, harvest decorations and fun things to do during Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival (Sept. 18-Oct. 31). Many Harvest Festival events celebrate the season as well as popular and mountain culture. Events like Great Smoky Mountain Auto Fest (Sept. 24-26) highlight classic cars while Robert Tino’s Smoky Mountain Homecoming (Oct. 3-4) focuses on the craftsman heritage of these mountains. The Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival (Sept. 17-19) brings out some of the brightest entertainers to be... (more...)

The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce will be breaking new marketing ground on Thursday September 10 from 4-6pm, when they host their first Business After Hours for the Sevierville 407 Merchants Group.  Usually, the Business After Hours program is focused on one Sevierville Chamber member business.  This time, for the first time, the Chamber will feature some 15 member businesses located in the Sevierville 407 marketplace. This event is the brainchild of the Chamber’s membership director Jim McGill.  If all goes as planned, this will become an important annual Chamber of Commerce event. The Business After Hours will be held in the Double Play Cafe at the Tennessee Smokies Ballpark and will resemble sort of a mini-trade show.  There will be food provided by The Chop House, New Orleans on... (more...)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans (2-2) conclude their 2009 preseason schedule this week, welcoming the Green Bay Packers (3-0) to LP Field (capacity 69,143) for the AT&T Boys & Girls Club Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT. • Download the Official Press Release (PDF) This is the third consecutive year AT&T has sponsored the team’s annual preseason contest recognizing the Boys & Girls Club. For the occasion, AT&T has donated 500 tickets to the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee, offering a chance to see a Titans game to many who may not otherwise have the opportunity to witness a game at LP Field. Representatives of the Boys & Girls Club and AT&T will be recognized during the game. The Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee has five locations, reaching over 3,500 youth per year in Davidson and Williamson counties. Additionally, fans attending the game are encouraged to participate in a charitable drive benefitting the YWCA Weaver... (more...)

CMA Broadcast Awards Finalists Announced By Chuck Wicks Live To Country Radio On Premiere Radio Networks; Official CMA Awards Radio Partner To Also Carry CMA Awards Nominee Announcements Live NASHVILLE – The announcement of the final nominees for the 2009 CMA Awards will be carried live on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from the “Good Morning America” studios in the heart of New York City’s Times Square on the ABC Television Network. “The 43rd Annual CMA Awards” will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on ABC and is hosted for the second year by reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Brad Paisley and reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carrie Underwood. The final nominees in select categories will be announced by Darius Rucker, who has quickly established himself as a fan and industry favorite with three No. 1 singles to his credit, and Lee Ann Womack, a former CMA Female Vocalist of the Year with 18 career CMA Awards... (more...)

Turkey and Country Sausage Corn Bread Stuffing Author: Grandma Linda Whether or not you are cooking for a holiday, family gathering or just wanting to prepare an economical meal , turkey and dressing or stuffing is a great choice. Following is an old-fashioned recipe from my vintage recipe collection. This is a recipe that was clipped from a newspaper and kept in my mother’s old metal recipe box. The stuffing combines cornbread, white bread cubes, and crumbled sausage for a tasty nostalgic meal. Let the young ones participate by helping to mix the stuffing or stuffing the turkey. I can still remember doing such chores with my mother and grandmother many years ago. Many people like to stuff the turkey while others like to bake the stuffing separately. Either way works fine and the recipe tells how to do it either way. No matter which way you choose, you are sure to enjoy this turkey and stuffing meal. TURKEY AND COUNTRY SAUSAGE CORN BREAD STUFFING 2 cups celery slices 1 cup... (more...)