The historic Netherland Inn will host a full day of events to celebrate its reopening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
After a long, cold winter, the 200-year-old Netherland Inn will reopen its doors for the 2014 season with music, food, arts and crafts, living history re-enactments and tours of the historic Inn and Museum of Pioneer Transportation.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
The Ben Ellis Band will perform on the lawn from 10 to noon, Tyler Hughes from noon to 2, and Celtic harpist Sandra Parker will perform in the Inn from 2 to 4.
New this year will be Tammy Fletcher, who will demonstrate open-hearth cooking in the restored kitchen with samples of heritage dishes.
Members of the Remnant Nation of Yuchi Indians will be on hand to set up a hunting and gathering camp where they will demonstrate cooking, soap making, and tool making as they share stories of their legends and culture. The John S. Mosby Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans will demonstrate Confederate camp life and firearms as they interact with guests to share stories of the Civil War in this region.
Other demonstrations and artisans include pottery, reclaimed wood art, stained glass, blacksmithing, chair caning, salt making, and much more.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a soup bean and cornbread lunch or a hot dog and chips lunch is available for purchase at $5 per meal. Both meals include drink and dessert.
Tours of the historic Netherland Inn and the Museum of Pioneer Transportation begin at 10 a.m. with the last tour starting at 3 p.m.
All proceeds from this event go to the preservation and maintenance of this treasured historic site.
Netherland Inn is at 2144 Netherland Inn Road, Kingsport. Parking is available behind the Inn and in the Lilac Street just west of the grounds.
For more information, call 245-5449, 948-0361, or 246-1104.