Smoky mountain lumberjack championships to be Great Smoky mountains National Park 75th anniversary Event

LumberJacks from all over the nation will converge on East Tennessee. Not to attend a Vols game, or a race in Bristol but the Smoky Mountain LumberJack Championships.
October 17-18 Wears Valley will host the Smoky Mountain LumberJack Championships as part of the 1st annual "Sawin' in the Smokies" Mountain Festival. The event will be held at 3269 Wears Valley Rd, just 8 miles from the heart of Pigeon Forge “Official Playground of the Smokies”. Presented in part with National TimberSports Champion Mike Slingerland, this years contest will feature the US Championship for the "Single Buck" (Cross-Cut Sawing) event.
Lumberjacks are expected to attend from as far away as Washington State and Oregon, all here to compete for the over $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Very Similar to the contests seen on TV, and with some of the same competitors, the whole contest is divided into 10 events including: Ax-throwing, Cross-cut sawing, Speed Ax was chopping, Hot-Saw's -chainsaws modified with motorcycle or snowmobile engines-and much more.
Besides the traditional lumberjack events this years Festival will also host a chainsaw carving competition with contestants mainly from the East Tennessee area. The carvers will work over the weekend, using only a chain-saw, to complete a "masterpiece" out of a 6' section of White Pine. Twice during the weekend carvers will break from their masterpieces to awe the crowd with 2 separate "quick carves" where they will have only 1 hour and their chainsaw to carve a smaller section of pine into a bear, fish etc.
All carvings will be auctioned to Competition ticket holders with the proceeds going to benefit the Friends of the Smokies (a nonprofit group working within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.) there are many Sponsors for the event at this time including Pepsi Co, US Foodservice, Sthil, The Valley Voice Community Newspaper, Smoky Mountain Kayaking, with more being added every day.
In addition to the Carving and logging events there will be acres full of craft vendors as well as games , stories, and live music provided by 3 time National Banjo Champion Gary “Biscuit” Davis. Full Concessions as well as ample parking are available. The LumberJack Competition will start at 12pm and lasts 3-4 hours. The lumberjack competition and Chainsaw carving auction will be $5/per person with children 10 and under free. Lawn chairs are recommended. The chainsaw carving will Begin Saturday morning.
Interested Vendors should contact Mrs. Scotti Thompson at 865-566- 7577 or RG Williams at 865-908-5873
For more information, and an up-to-date schedule of events visit www.valleyvoicenews.com/sits.

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