This weekend Roan Mountain will host its inaugural Trail Festival this weekend as a way of celebrating multiple events in the community.

The Trail Festival will begin on Friday at the Roan Mountain Community Park and continue through Sunday morning.

“As the newest Appalachian Trail Community, one of the expectations is that the community host an event for the trail each year,” said Mike Hill, one of the Carter County Commissioners representing Roan Mountain who has also been active in planning the Festival. “We’re just having a big party to celebrate the trail, the completion of the new stage at the community park, and the kickoff to the Roan Mountain Farmer’s Market for the season.”

During the course of the weekend, hikers and others will be able to camp at the community park for the cost of $5 for the whole weekend. Registration for campers will start on Friday, Hill said.

“We had a generous gift from an anonymous donor that will cover the first 30 campers at the park,” Hill said.

The event will feature a bustle of activities on Saturday including the Farmer’s Market, live music, vendors, and food.

The Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club will be shuttling hikers from the trailhead to the park on Friday evening and all day on Saturday. The Club will also be sponsoring opportunities for trail maintenance for those interested in lending a hand to keep the trail clear and beautiful.

The music performances on Saturday feature many bands with Roan Mountain ties.

T.V. Barnett and his Roan Mountain Moonshiners will kick off the music on Saturday around 10:30 a.m. and will also close out the day with the final performance at the park at 3:30 p.m. In between those two sets, entertainers will include Art Lang and Friends; Heaton Creek Ridge Runners; Thistle Dew; The Repossessed; The Mound of Sound Larry Brown; Hawk Baby; Tom Pillion; and the Cloudland Community Dulcimer Circle.

A special “After Party” will be held at 5 p.m. at Smoky Mountain Bakers featuring music by The Roan Crows.

“It has en neat watching the community come together for this,” Hill said. “A lot of folks are really excited. You can really feel the community pulling together.”