Gourd festival in Pikeville

Thursday, April 18, 2013

photo Growers will sell a variety of gourds for crafting.

The Tennessee Volunteer Gourd Society will hold its sixth annual spring gourd festival Friday through Sunday, April 19-21, at the Bledsoe Community Complex, 234 Allen P. Deakins Road, in Pikeville, Tenn.

The theme is "Home Grown & Hand Made." Regional gourd artisans, crafters and growers will be featured.

Several gourd growers from the region will be displaying and selling a variety of gourds, all dried and ready for crafting. Crafters use gourds to create masks, decorative vessels, statues, seasonal ornaments and objects of art.

Crafting workshops and demonstrations will take place throughout the event. Among the techniques used in crafting gourds are pyrography, pine needle weaving, silk dyes, acrylic painting and decoupage.

A ribbon competition will designate winners in 22 classes of competition as certified by the American Gourd Society.

Admission is free. RV parking is available.

For information, visit www.tennesseevolunteergourdsociety.org.