BEERSHEEBA SPRINGS, Tenn. — It’s considered the unofficial kick off to the fall festival season and it happens this weekend. Around 150 arts and crafts vendors from around the state will gather at the picturesque Beersheba Springs Arts and Crafts Fair this Saturday and Sunday. The event happens on the grounds of the Beersheba United Methodist Assembly Grounds.

The Assembly remains as the former site of a mountain summer resort that predates the Civil War. It hosted notables from former president Andrew Jackson to Tennessee Governor James K. Polk. It sits on a mountain bluff overlooking the Collins River Valley.

Here are three things we think our readers will enjoy:

1 | 150 Artisans and Crafters: Nearly 150 artisans and crafters will be selling exclusively handmade items. From jewelry to paintings to pottery, everything at the Beersheba Springs Arts and Crafts Fair is handcrafted. Only original arts and crafts or home-produced items are allowed.

2 | Food Galore: If you want to add a little nosh to art adventure then the event will have you covered. Hand-prepared hot meals will be served in the historic dining hall and the craft fair will also serve hamburgers and hotdogs. The event also attracts tons of food truck from all over the country, so come hungry.

3 | A Rock Find for the Kids: Event staff have painted and hidden hundreds of rocks throughout the event site. If your kiddo finds one, have them bring it to the information booth located inside the courtyard and they’ll win a prize. The contest begins on Saturday morning and ends on Sunday evening. One prize per child please.

The GPS address for the Assembly is 58 Hege Avenue in Beersheba Springs, TN 37305. All proceeds from the festival are returned to the community to help fill food baskets for needy families as well as benefiting the Beersheba Springs Library, Beersheba Springs Rescue Squad, Beersheba Springs Community Center, Grundy County Center for Exceptional Citizens, local nursing homes, and North Elementary School. To learn more, visit their Facebook page by clicking here. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}