Fall Festival Boys

Fall Festivals and Country Fairs 

are a timeless piece of our American History.

Bryce Shelton, 7, and Cole McCampbell, 8, 

could be from anytime, but

September 

in Townsend, Tennessee, 

is their time.

Bryce and Cole are cousins.  Nonnie, their grandmother, is famous 

for making fried pies at the Fall Festival and over the past two years it has become a family affair.  

Brothers.  Sisters.  Cousins.  Grandparents.  

Everyone pitches in at the Nonnie's Fried Pie tent to help.

Keeping young boys contained in the Nonnie's Fried Pies tent, however, is nearly impossible.  The boys both have music in their souls and aren't afraid to clog in front of hundreds of people.

But there are so many other things to do at the Country Fair and these boys made sure they were into everything.

And shaved ice...

And running errands for Nonnie...

And getting into trouble for not letting mom know where they're at...

Ultimately, though, the boys are ambassadors for the Nonnie's Fried Pie brand, using their charm to lure Festival Goers into becoming Nonnie's Fried Pies customers.

As the day closes on the Festival, Cole and Bryce share a funnel cake behind the tent.  Although they may not yet understand, the Festival is about an experience.  In these experiences, they're creating a lifetime relationship -- just like cousins have been doing for generations in cities all across America.

For more information:

Townsend Vacation Guide

Townsend Chamber of Commerce

City of Townsend

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DESTINATION: Fort Loudoun (Tenn) - 18th Century Trade Faire

Will Kinton of Maryville, Tenn., watches out the window of the soldier's barracks
at Fort Loudoun during the 2014 18th Century Trade Faire.

Christian Cicimurri steps down from the Barracks at Fort Loudoun.  She admitted her character for the reenactment
is a camp follower with a shady history.

Joshua Kirby, left, and Jeff Newell prepare to march
through Fort Loudoun as part of the re-enactment events.

Period re-enactments are not just for adults.
Anna Hawkins, 17, of Knoxville, Tenn.,
has been participating in Fort Loudoun
re-enactment events for 11 years.

Justin Johnson, 18, of Maryville is new
to the 42nd Blackwatch but said he enjoys
the re-enactment so much he plans to return.

Colin, 2 years old from Madisonville, Tenn.

Charlie Closz of Maryville, Tenn., is passionate about period music and plays music on his 'Lazy Man's Violin'
for visitors.  "The reason I come to re-enactments like this is because I believe people need to hear this music."

Thunderstorms loom in the distance over Fort Loudoun where period
re-enactors will be camping over night.  The temperatures
 reached into the 90s but the threat of rain seemed welcomed.

Patrick Milne, 15, of Maryville, Tenn., leans on his rifle while watching
his friend repair another rifle before a re-enactment event begins.  

Zeke Quattrochi, 8, of Iowa City, Iowa, (left) and James Sumiell, 8,
of Chattanooga, Tenn., have their own re-enactment fun at the Fort.

If you believe the Trade Faire was just about historical re-enactment,
then you missed the underlying story.  The Trade Faire is
about relationships.  It's about people connecting around
a common activity they enjoy.

Alex Hamilton, 15, of Maryville, Tenn., struggles to repair his
rifle while his friend, Patrick, Milne, 15, looks on.

Leslie Howells of North Georgia said her character for the re-enactment is Anne Bonnie,
a Pirate Rebel from Jamaica.  She admitted that she and Anne Bonnie have a lot in common.

Ric Dulaney of Kingsport, Tenn, said he vividly remembers his
introduction to history when his parents took him to Colonial Williamsburg
at age 6.  Not only did history come alive for him at that time,
but after joining in the fun 12 years ago, he discovered
a second family.  "It's truly a family here," he said
of his fellow re-enactors.

Barbara Duffy of Camdenton, Missouri.

For more information:

Tennessee State Parks:  Fort Loudoun

Fort Loudoun, Tenn.

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Notice:  All photographs are copyrighted by Robert Berlin.  

Feel free to  CONTACT ME  for publication rights.

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