UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 10am @ Heritage Alliance, Jonesborough, TN
NETMA Fall Quarterly Meeting
All NETMA members are invited to join us for our fall quarterly meeting, scheduled for Thursday, October 9 at 10am at the Heritage Alliance in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Joining via Zoom is an available option.
NETMA Fall Quarterly Meeting
Time: Oct 9, 2025 10:00 AM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://etsu.zoom.us/j/87813404133?pwd=WobaJDtGc4Pse5yb934LtDoaUtOm53.1
Meeting ID: 878 1340 4133
Passcode: NETMA!
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 @ Hands On! Discovery Center, Gray, TN
Home School Days
Join us for this special discount day, especially for our loyal homeschool visitors. Come together to network, explore, play, and learn about upcoming homeschool workshops! To receive the discounted Home School Day rate of $8 per person for general admission, please bring your photo ID and one of the accepted forms of homeschool identification listed on the Visit page of our website.
Additional programs for Homeschool Days from 11 am-12:30 pm with fees noted below in addition to general admission. Adult (18+) supervision required. Purchase your ticket for these activities online at least one week before the program to receive the early bird discount. Visit the front desk on the day of the program for availability of supplies. Supplies are limited, and purchasing ahead is highly recommended.
o Early Bird: $5/participant for HODC members and $7/participant for non-members
o At the door: $7/participant for HODC members and $9/participant for non-members
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 4:30-7pm @ Reece Museum, Johnson City, Tennessee
The Place Speaks Exhibition Reception
The public is invited to attend the reception for The Place Speaks, a free event on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 4:30-7 p.m.
Programming will begin at 4:30 p.m. with live music by musician and visual artist Abe Partridge, followed by a panel of artists and scholars from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Panelists include Dr. Rick Cary, Dr. Jenna Gray-Hildenbrand, and Aaron McIntosh. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Jennifer Axsom Adler. Light refreshments will be provided.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 2-4pm @ Reece Museum, Johnson City, Tennessee
All Hallows in Appalachia: Gallery Talk with Saro Lynch-Thomason and Rebecca Beyer
Taking place Tuesday, October 21 from 2 to 4 pm, this gallery talk will examine the theme of All Hallows involving Appalachian balladry, material folk culture, and modern pagan practices of the holiday within the region. This lecture is part of a series of events presented in conjunction with the current exhibition, The Place Speaks.
Themes of divination and relationships between the living and the dead will be explored. All Hallows, also known as Halloween and to Irish pre-Christians as Samhain, historically encompasses themes of ancestral veneration, divination, and protective magic in defense from Otherworld beings. It is also an avenue through which to explore folklore from the Old World still present in Appalachia today, particularly from the North Atlantic Islands (England, Ireland, Scotland). In this presentation, Saro and Rebecca will share and discuss Appalachian beliefs and practices related to divination and ancestral relationships through song and material culture, and demonstrate how modern pagans practice the ancient holiday of Samhain in Appalachia.
Rebecca Beyer is an author and educator living in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She completed a Masters in Appalachia Studies and Sustainability, concentrating in Appalachian Ethnobotany, at Appalachian State University in 2018. Beyer practices, researches, and writes about topics such as Appalachian Folk Magic, English Traditional Witchcraft, Primitive Skills, Gardening, Foraging, Appalachian Ethnobotany, and European and Appalachian Folk Ways. She actively works to incorporate Southern Black and Indigenous, namely Cherokee: Tsalagi Gawonihidsi (ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ), ethnobotany and historical uses of plants in her research.
Saro Lynch-Thomason is an award-winning singer, song leader, folklorist, documentarian, and illustrator from Asheville, North Carolina. She has studied and taught traditional song and balladry from Appalachia, the American South, the British Isles, and Ireland for over a decade. She uses teaching, documentary practices, and illustration to explore the amazing people and history behind songs. Saro holds an M.A. in Appalachian Studies from East Tennessee State University and a Certificate in Documentary Studies from Duke University.
October 24-26, 2025 @ Rose Center, Morristown, Tennessee
Mountain Makins Festival
The beloved Mountain Makins Festival returns to historic Rose Center in Morristown,
Tennessee, for a weekend-long celebration of Appalachian culture, art, and tradition. Applications are now open for artists, crafters, demonstrators, and heritage performers to be part of this award-winning event.
Applications for artisan booths, craft demonstrators, and vendors are now open and can be submitted online by going to rosecenter.org and clicking Mountain Makins 2025 Applications. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by June 22 to be considered in the first round of jurying. Applications for demonstrators, heritage performers, and food vendors are also available and will be selected by July 31.
Rose Center invites the community to kick off the 49th Annual Mountain Makins Festival at the Preview Party on Friday, October 24, starting at 6:30 PM. Live performances by Boogertown Gap, the Old Time String Band, will set the tone for a night celebrating mountain culture and creativity. Attendees can sip complimentary wine, enjoy
delicious food, and shop the indoor artisan market while mingling with local artists.
Tickets are $40 per person and include food, wine, and a weekend pass to the festival. Tickets must be purchased by October 17 at www.rosecenter.org/Online-Store or call (423)-581-4330.
The Preview Party is proudly sponsored by Tarr Chevrolet and Hyundai, whose generous
support helps make this event possible. All proceeds benefit Rose Center and Council for the
Arts, supporting the preservation of the historic Rose School building and the art and cultural
programming it provides for the Lakeway Area.
The Mountain Makins Festival is open on Saturday, October 25 from 10 am to 5 pm and
Sunday, October 26 from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is $10 per adult or $15 for both days;
children 12 years and younger are free.
Rose Center, located at 442 W 2nd North Street in Morristown, is a nonprofit arts organization
hosting classes, concerts, a professional art gallery, a local artists' shop, and business and party rentals. More information about Rose Center’s programs is available at rosecenter.org or by calling 423-581-4330. Rose Center receives support from the Tennessee Arts Commission and United Way.
Saturday, November 8, 2025, 7pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia
Nest of Singing Birds: A Ballad Swap Concert
Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Performance Theater
Cost: $20 (includes all taxes and fees)
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is hosting an evening of wonderful music at our “Nest of Singing Birds” Ballad Swap concert on Saturday, November 8 at 7 p.m. Led by eighth-generation ballad singer Donna Ray Norton and featuring Sheila Kay Adams, Leila Weinstein, Songbird Burkey, and Darci DeWulf, the Nest of Singing Birds celebrates Appalachian heritage and shares a glimpse into an age-old practice, bringing together singers from across the region to share stories and songs passed down through generations.
Though Halloween will have come and gone the week before, the Nest of Singing Birds is keeping the spooky season alive on November 8. The singers will share haunting murder ballads, eerie tales, and ghostly stories that have been passed down via family and community members over the years. All songs that echo with themes of love, tragedy, betrayal, and the supernatural! These timeless ballads fit perfectly with the lingering chill of autumn, offering audiences a chance to revel in the darker side of Appalachian storytelling just a little longer.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, 2pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, TN/VA
Songwriters Circle Showcase
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time: 2-4 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Learning Center
Cost: Free and open to the public, donations appreciated
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia are proud to present an exciting event designed to highlight the art of songwriting and the talented songwriters of our region. The public is invited to attend at no cost, though donations are appreciated.
Held quarterly each year, the Songwriters Circle Showcase features participants from our monthly Songwriters Circle. The Songwriters Circle meets every 2nd Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. ET.
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Upcoming Showcase Dates: October 11
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Upcoming Songwriters Circle Dates: November 8, December 13
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 7pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, TN/VA
Speaker Session: Joe Tennis on Ghosts, Ghouls, Haints, and More
Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Hybrid, In-person at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and streamed on Radio Bristol’s YouTube Channel
Cost: Free and open to the public. Registration is requested to attend in person.
Join us on Tuesday, October 14 for a Speaker Session with Joe Tennis. In this Speaker Session – and in honor of spooky season! – local author Joe Tennis will take us into the deserted houses and down the haunted paths of ghosts, ghouls, haints, and more in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Local author Joe Tennis is an award-winning journalist who has authored several local history books, including Beach to Bluegrass, Southwest Virginia Crossroads, and Images of America: Sullivan County. His ghost-focused books include The Marble and Other Ghost Tales of Tennessee and Virginia, Haunted Highlands, and The Ghostly Tales of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Highlands. His articles and photographs have also appeared in Blue Ridge Country, Bristol Herald Courier, Kingsport Times-News, Appalachian Voice, the Virginian-Pilot, and the Roanoke Times. As a storyteller, he has appeared on stages from Kentucky to Virginia Beach.
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 7pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, TN/VA
Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time: J & The Causeways
ON SALE NOW: J & The Causeways, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, plus host Kris Truelsen and the House Band take Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time stage at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Thursday, October 16.
Farm and Fun Time is recorded for broadcast and syndicated on PBS television stations nationally.
In a modern world seemingly gone mad, one of distraction and white noise, what emerges from J & Causeways’ debut album, Motions, is this universal theme of togetherness and compassion — melodies conjured and cultivated with a keen understanding of reaching one another through healing and transcendence.
“This album is about getting the listener to tap into their own inner power and inner beauty,” says Jordan Anderson. “Stop searching outward for those answers. Start searching inward. And then, maybe we can raise ourselves up and out of our sadness and problems.”
Lead singer/keyboardist of New Orleans soul/R&B powerhouse ensemble J & The Causeways, Anderson has remained a magnetic presence in the city’s vast, storied live music scene for the better part of the last decade.
“It’s that breath of fresh air that is New Orleans,” the 34-year-old notes. “There are no bounds for music, food, art, people and culture — everything is enriched here.”
Thursday, October 23, 2025 @ Hands On! Discovery Center, Gray, TN
BOO!SEUM
Join us for our spook-tacular, but not too scary, evening of fun and science! Hands On! is hosting its annual Halloween event, BOO!SEUM, which will include experiments, candy, arts and crafts, games, and exploration time in the museum! Stop by anytime between 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm; however, the event ends promptly at 8:00 pm. Be sure to wear your most festive costume and bring your own trick-or-treat bag! (***Contains small parts and food allergens. While supplies last.) Be sure to check out our Facebook event and website for updates and reminders!
Pricing:
· FREE for ages 0-3 (tickets at door only)
· Member pricing (must have current membership card/membership app and photo ID) (includes general admission, exhibit play, and special event activities and candy)
o LIMITED Early bird tickets (purchase by Wednesday, October 8th): $5/person
o At the door: $7/person
o $2 Spark-tacular Tesla Experience tickets for members and non-members
· Non-member pricing (includes general admission, exhibit play, and special event activities and candy)
o LIMITED Early bird tickets (purchase by Wednesday, October 8th): $11/person
o At the door: $13/person
o $2 Spark-tacular Tesla Experience tickets for members and non-members
Saturday, October 25, 2025, 10am-6pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, TN/VA
Community Day at the Museum
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025
Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: FREE admission and activities
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum hosts our annual Community Day on Saturday, October 25 offering free admission all day, along with family-friendly activities from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. including an Instrument Petting Zoo, Banjo Bingo, and Semi-Spooky Story Time. Visitors can explore the museum with Scavenger Hunts and enjoy coloring and activity sheets. Wear your Halloween costume to trick-or-treat! Through our partnership with the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association, local jammers will be on site from 3-5 p.m. where you can join in as a musician or just listen to some good tunes! Make a full day of it downtown with Pumpkin Palooza at the Farmers Market at 9:00 a.m., downtown trick-or-treating at 5:00 p.m., and a Halloween parade at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 13, 2025, 7pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia
Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time: Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms
ON SALE NOW: Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms Country Band, Ric Robertson, plus host Kris Truelsen and the House Band take Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time stage at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Thursday, November 13.
Dust off your boots and gather around for some true and original modern honky tonk music. An all-star cast of master musicians backs these two soul singers of country music, Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms. These two are known to roots music fans across the globe for their soulful harmonies, driving dance tunes, classic original songs, and commitment to the raw truth of rural American music. They live in the San Juan Islands of Washington, though until recently, home was Portland, OR. They are foundational to the exceptional old-time and country music scene in the Pacific NW with the Caleb Klauder Reeb Willms Country Band and their membership in the Foghorn Stringband, of which Caleb was a founding member. Charismatic performers, they bring their unique set of talents to the stage with an eye towards good times and an ear towards the deepest songs and tunes.
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Sunday, October 12, 2025, 1pm @ Greeneville Greene County History Museum, Greeneville, Tennessee
Author Talk: Drema Bowers and The Curator
Please join the Greeneville Greene County History Museum as we welcome local author Drema Bowers on Sunday October 12th at 1pm. Mrs. Bowers will present a free talk at the museum discussing her latest work, The Curator: An Ordinary Man with Extraordinary
Stories. The Curator focuses on the life of the author's father, Arlin Bowers. A Greeneville, TN
native, Mr. Bowers has spent the last two decades turning his house into the Arlin L. Bowers Farm Museum. Drema describes her father's journey as being "Motivated by his desire to leave a
legacy for his family, photographs, and artifacts dating as far back as the 1940's are displayed
alongside handwritten notes throughout the two rooms." Drema will speak about her father's
legacy, life lessons, and her own healing experience returning home to Greeneville. This event is
free to the public and all are welcome. Donations to support Arlin and his Farm Museum are
greatly appreciated.
Drema Bowers was born and raised in East Tennessee. She has been a social worker and educator for over thirty years. In 2022, she relocated to the Boston area for a position at Harvard Divinity School. Her transition became the catalyst for her emerging writing career. She has since returned to her beloved East Tennessee. and her work centers around home, family, faith,
and mid-life transition. She is the daughter of Arlin and Virginia (Hannah) and the mother mom
of three adult children.
The Greeneville Greene County History Museum is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. For more
information on the Greeneville Greene County History Museum please call our office at
423.636.1558. You can also contact the organization via email at josh@heritageall.org.
Additional information about the Greeneville Greene County History Museum and its mission
can be found online at http://www.greenevillegreenecountyhistorymuseum.com. Be sure to
follow the Greeneville Greene County History Museum Facebook page for updates about events
and programs at the museum.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 @ Hands On! Discovery Center, Gray, Tennessee
Home School Days
Stop by between 1:30 and 4:30 (while supplies last) to examine real fossils on National Fossil Day with a “picking” activity featuring fossil-rich sediment from Aurora, NC*. Play our Fossil or Fake game and use plaster to create your own plaster fossil cast replica to take home. Children must be supervised at all times. (*All fossils and sediment must remain on site for scientific research purposes.)
Purchase your ticket for these activities online at least one week before the program to receive the early-bird discount. Please visit the front desk on the day of the program to check the availability of supplies. Supplies are limited and purchasing ahead is highly recommended.
· Early Bird (purchase by Tuesday, September 20th): $5/participant for HODC members and $7/participant for non-members
· At the door: $7/participant for HODC members and $9/participant for non-members
Friday, October 17, 2025, 2-4pm @ Reece Museum, Johnson City, Tennessee
Artist Workshop with Aaron McIntosh
Join us Friday, October 17 from 2 to 4 pm for an artist workshop with Aaron McIntosh, part of a series of events presented in conjunction with the current exhibition, The Place Speaks. An exploration of how sacred histories are presented through visual art in Appalachia, The Place Speaks honors and respects the fusion of deeply personal, regional, and universal philosophies and beliefs as they relate to Appalachian landscapes.
As an educator, McIntosh is committed to transforming and diversifying the next generation of fibre/textile artists. Since 2010, he has taught in the Fibre programs of James Madison University, the Maryland Institute College of Art, Virginia Commonwealth University, and currently is an Associate Professor in the Fibres & Material Practices program at Concordia University in Montreal.
McIntosh will lead workshop participants through the process of adding to his ever-growing 10-year project: Kudzu Stories.
Friday, October 24, 2025, 7-9pm @ Hands On! Discovery Center, Gray, Tennessee
Haunting Tales at Hands On!
Join us for a brand new, thrilling, and bone-chilling event at Hands On! Haunting Tales is a 14+ experience (parental discretion advised) featuring local storyteller Vianna Isbister, who will keep you on the edge of your seat with eerie tales in our Discovery Garden from 7:30–8:30 PM. Your $10 ticket includes storytelling under the stars, s’mores, hot chocolate, and water. Doors open at 7:00 PM, giving you time to check in, grab dinner from Top Dog Hot Dog Stand, make s’mores, and get cozy before the stories begin. Space is limited, so pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Be sure to dress warmly, bring your blankets and chairs, and get ready for a night of haunting fun you won’t forget!
Saturday, November 1, 2025, 6pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia
1927 Society Concert Series: Jontavious Willis
1927 Society Presents
Jontavious Willis
Tickets on Sale Now
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents the intimate
1927 Concert Series experience with cocktails
and catering on Saturday, November 1,
starting at 6 p.m. with Jontavious Willis!
About Jontavious Willis
Jontavious Willis is resolved in his mission: to reinvigorate today’s Blues with the spirit of the past. Inspired by a time when the Blues were plentiful and rhythm reigned supreme, Jontavious leverages his unique sound—a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and reverence for traditional Blues—to get the world dancing again. A Grammy-nominated musician and songwriter, Jontavious performs original, toe-tapping tunes in the style of Delta, Piedmont, Texas, and Gospel Blues. Dynamic vocals, technical prowess, and an abundance of Southern charm keep Jontavious sending jolts of vitality through the Blues community.
Jontavious was born and raised in rural Georgia, an environment with deep cultural roots that provides the inspiration he has continuously drawn upon to create his unique sound. He spent much of his childhood singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather, which provided him his first setting to perform for an audience. An early phenom, his passion for the Blues was sparked at age 14 when he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man.” He achieved widespread acclaim when living legend Taj Mahal invited Jontavious to accompany him onstage in 2015, with Taj describing him as his “Wonderboy.” Jontavious was invited to open for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their joint TajMo tour in 2018, giving him an opportunity to present his work on a national stage.
Blue Metamorphosis, his acoustic debut album released in 2016, garnered rave reviews in Living Blues and Blues & Rhythm and won the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge 2018 Award for Best Self-Produced CD. His Grammy-nominated sophomore album, Spectacular Class, sees Jontavious survey an array of Blues styles with lively ensemble performances.
His upcoming album, signed with Strolling Bones Records, is a testament to his love for songwriting. With solo tracks as well as duo, trio, and full band works, he articulates a totally original take on traditional Blues.
Jontavious features prominently in shows and festivals across the world, sharing his unique blend of time-honored yet modern, intellectual yet danceable Blues with all.
About the 1927 Concert Series
The 1927 Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6 p.m. to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar (ages 21+ with valid ID) before the show begins. Food and drinks are included in the ticket price.
Members of the Birthplace of Country Music’s 1927 Society are given access to exclusive ticket pre-sales to the 1927 Concert Series and other events before they go on sale to the public. Learn more about the many benefits of 1927 Society membership or email Lillie Snuggs, our Director of Development at lsnuggs@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.
Thursday, December 4, 2025, 7pm @ Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia
Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time: Paul McDonald and Liv Greene
ON SALE NOW: Paul McDonald, Liv Greene, plus host Kris Truelsen and the House Band take Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time stage at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Thursday, December 4.
Farm and Fun Time is recorded for broadcast and syndicated on PBS television stations nationally.
Paul McDonald’s voice is immediately recognizable and impossible to ignore. Often compared to legends like Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan, the poetic story-driven narratives and deeply catchy hooks in his music are delivered by a raspy yet refined voice reminiscent of another era that demands to be heard right now. He pulls off the rare feat of being a poet, visual artist, songwriter, adamant performer, and a powerful vocalist. Paul’s hope is to spread peace, love, and unity through his music. His first album in more than six years, “So Long To the Dark Side,” dropped on July 11, 2025, with the electric single, “Dark Side,” leading a string of releases in the build up.