It’s a very special year at Fryemont Inn. It’s our 100th birthday! We are eager to invite you all to join us to celebrate all year long.
2023 Event Schedule
We’ll be celebrating like it’s the roaring 20s all year long, so feel free to don your flapper fringe and jazz suits to dinner and events during your stay.
April 21st – 23rd: Opening Weekend
Kicking off our 2023 season and our 100th anniversary is our opening weekend party. We are all so excited to reach this incredible milestone and hope you will make plans to celebrate with us. It’s going to be an awesome weekend!
Friday, the 21st:
Friday will be our Innkeepers reception with complimentary wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres.
Saturday, the 22nd:
Saturday will include a champagne and charcuterie happy hour, trivia contest, scavenger hunt, storytelling and the start of our 2023 time capsule.
Smooth Jazz Band “We Three Swing” will be playing from 5 to 8 pm to help celebrate our 100th-anniversary opening in grand style. 1920’s attire is highly encouraged.
May 19th – 21st: Kephart Days
A Celebration of the Life of Horace Kephart
“I think we owe the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Horace Kephart and his understanding of the healing power of the wilderness.” –Filmmaker Ken Burns
Horace Kephart was a conservationist, historian, travel writer and librarian, who wrote “Our Southern Highlanders”, a fascinating tale of his life in the Great Smoky Mountains and the people he met in Western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century.
He also wrote the classic outdoors guide “Camping and Woodcraft” and “Smoky Mountain Magic”. But most importantly he was instrumental in establishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail to protect the area that he loved so much.
Join Kephart enthusiasts, scholars, and members of the Kephart family as we celebrate the life and legacy of Horace Kephart as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the historic Fryemont Inn.
Fryemont Inn guests are invited to join the Innkeepers, Libby Kephart-Hargrave, great-granddaughter of Horace and Laura Kephart, and musician Lee Knight for a complimentary wine reception on Friday evening.
Other weekend activities will include a walking tour of the Bryson City Cemetery with Don Casada, the unveiling ceremony of two new grave markers honoring Laura Kephart and George Masa at the Bryson City Cemetery, speakers Ethan Becker (“The Joy of Cooking”, K-Bar Knives), Jason Brady (Special Collections, Western Carolina University), Libby Kephart Hargrave, Dale Stewart (explorer, audio documentarian) and dinners at the Fryemont. More details are available at www.HoraceKephart.com.
May 26th – 27th: 27th Annual Swain County Heritage Festival
Free admission both days. Starting at 5:30 pm on Friday evening (until 9 pm) with southern gospel music featuring The Barnes Family, Tribe Called Praise, Turning Home, Dyer Family Gospels, Southern Bound and The Howell Family. The Festival continues Saturday from 10 am – 5 pm with craft and art booths, food vendors, Cross-cut log sawing contest with prizes, sack races and kids activities; and great bluegrass, folk, Celtic, country music, and dancing on the outdoor stage. Bands include Somebody’s Child, Steve Jordan Band, Granny’s Mason Jar and Bean Sidhe (Celtic). Bring a lawn chair to enjoy the festivities. Sack races and kids and kids’ activities. Learn More.
June 2nd – 4th: Bluegrass, Bootleggers, and Barbeque
Friday, the 2nd:
Smoky Mountain Community Theater will perform a hilarious interactive “Who’s Line is it Anyway” style Improv 8-10 pm in the dining room. A silent auction will be held all weekend with proceeds going to the Community Theater’s building restoration fund. We have amazing auction items including: A Night of Lodging at Fryemont Inn including Dinner, Bar, & Breakfast. Rafting Passes and Train Tickets. Gift Baskets: “Night in a Basket” “Fisherman’s Paradise” “Bootleggers Bundle” “Wine & Chocolate” ‘Smoky Mountain Picnic” and lots more! This is going to be a fun experience!
Appalachian toymaker and storyteller Tim Hall will be spinning yarns and telling tall tales about the Fryemont Inn, the Smoky Mountains, bootlegging and Bluegrass.
Saturday, the 3rd:
A 1920’s prohibition-era speakeasy house party featuring live music by “Granny’s Mason Jar,” storytelling and a trivia contest.
Following in the footsteps of Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Clarence White, and Tony Rice, Granny’s Mason Jar brings together the talents of Blue Smith (The Blue Revue, Bluegrass Lumber Company) and Aaron Plantenberg (Commonfolk, Big House Radio) to continue the tradition of flatpicking, travis picking, and other traditional acoustic guitar styles.
August 11th – 12th: Rocking Through the Decades Weekend
Find Your Favorite Concert T-Shirt & Let’s Dance!
The Remnants, a 4-piece rock band based out of Franklin covering hits spanning several decades, is excited to bring big fun to the Fryemont Inn on. Each of the four members is a gifted vocalist, which means they cover a large variety of songs. Their music is danceable and feeds the energy of enthusiastic crowds. Even though it’s not karaoke, people sing along with almost every song. From ACDC to ZZ Top and many different groups and artists in between, the crowds love hearing some of their favorite hits!
September 22nd – 23rd: Great Gatsby Weekend
Smooth Jazz Band “We Three Swing” will set the tone as we celebrate our 100th-anniversary in grand style. Champagne will be flowing, Smoky Mountain Community Theater will perform Improv, we will host a Trivia Contest, Scavenger Hunt and more fun events all weekend long. It is going to be the absolute “ Bee’s Knees!” 1920’s attire is highly encouraged.
