Today: October Sky Festival in Oliver Springs

 

The October Sky Festival is today (Saturday, October 21) in Oliver Springs. The festival is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Arrowhead Park.

According to submitted information, the October Sky Festival will have:

• food,
• arts and crafts,
• demonstrations,
• Cruze In Car Show,
• children’s games,
• more than 100 vendors,
• guided tours,
• live music,
• historical booth,
• shuttle service,
• Greg Johnson and friends, and
• Kenny Evans and family.

Oliver Springs is a quaint community nestled in the valley beneath Walden Ridge, and it was established in 1821 as a coal mining town of Winters Gap and has a varied history, the October Sky Festival website said.

“With the 20th century, the railroad came to our valley and brought with it dignitaries and celebrities to enjoy the elegant Oliver Springs Hotel and many natural springs that inspired our name,” the website said. “When the mining phased out in the 1960s, the scenic hills and valleys remained. As technology has allowed nearby Oak Ridge to grow, our rich heritage has allowed us to remain a gateway to a simpler way of life. We were the location for the filming of the 1998 movie ‘October Sky’ and home of Country Fresh Foods and Confections, makers of nationally known Pamela Anne’s Fudge. Our newest endeavor is the restoration of the Abston/Daugherty Garage to eventually be the home of the Oliver Springs Historical Society Museum. This town was home to Joseph Estabrook, fifth president of the University of Tennessee, the family of Senator Howard H. Baker, philanthropist Bromma Pemberton, and entertainers Johnny Duncan, Levi Kreis, and Janelle Arthur. The October Sky Festival is a celebration of our heritage. It is no surprise that the people who live and play here call it the land of ‘Oz.'”