Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community

Gatlinburg has so much to do that it’s easy to miss the simpler delights of a leisurely day out. Take time to enjoy the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, where 100 artisans cluster around an easy, eight-mile loop road, offering beautiful, original handcrafts.

Less than three miles from the bustle of downtown Gatlinburg, the Arts and Crafts Community is a quieter destination. Pick and choose where you stop along the loop. Pop in and out of shop after shop, or linger in just a few, watching the artisans work their magic. Many crafters are busy making their latest creations and are delighted to talk with you about their process.

Stay all day, because you won’t go hungry. Stop for lunch at Morning Mist Cafe (try the Tennessee lemon pie), Split Rail Eats, Wild Plum Tea Room, or the other restaurants along your route. Need an afternoon pick-me-up? Grab a coffee or hot chocolate and pick up a baked treat at Gatlinburg Grind. These are only a few of the eateries in the Arts and Crafts Community!

Delightful Variety

Whatever crafts appeal to you, they’re here--and you might discover some you never even heard of before. The Arts and Crafts Community includes potters, jewelers, woodcarvers, leather crafters, painters, weavers, silversmiths, and soap makers. Take home hand-poured, scented candles, watercolor paintings, delicious jams, jellies, or intricately woven baskets.

Create your Own Crafts

Ever see a craft and think, “I’d like to try making that”? You can. Twenty shops offer family-friendly “Create Your Own” workshops where you make your own unique crafts to take home. Many participating shops will tailor class times to your convenience. Call and ask about how you and your family can join the artisans at work.

Explore Like a Pro

Some shops don’t open until 10 a.m. or later, and some close on certain weekdays. If there’s a particular shop you want to visit, be sure to call or check online for its opening hours. Don’t feel like driving? Take the Gatlinburg Trolley to the loop.

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