Shady Valley Cranberry Festival
October 10, 2009

Wild cranberries at Orchard Bog in Shady Valley. © Gabby Call/TNC

Why You Should Visit
Join us for the annual Cranberry Festival in Shady Valley! It's been called "the best little festival in Tennessee." We're giving free tours of our Nature Conservancy cranberry bog restoration sites that day.

The Nature Conservancy has been working in Shady Valley for 30 years to preserve and restore the last of the mountain bogs here. Our bog restorations have been identified as the single most important factor in the long-term protection of rare wetland species such as the bog turtle and the wild cranberry.

Location
Shady Valley in Johnson County, Tennessee.

Hours and Festival Schedule
The festival begins Friday evening at 5 o'clock with the Bean Supper and Auction at the Shady Valley Elementary School. Saturday morning join us for the community pancake breakfast at the Shady Valley Volunteer Fire Hall beginning at 7 o'clock. A parade through Shady Valley with floats, tractors, horses and marching bands follows at 10 a.m.

Our free cranberry bog tours run from noon till 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Directions
From Nashville and Knoxville: Travel east on I-40 and I-81 East and then to Bristol.

From Bristol:

• Follow Highway 421 South through Bristol and 18 miles south to Shady Valley
• At the caution light in Shady Valley, turn left and follow signs for festival parking.
• The Nature Conservancy will have an information table with trail maps and bog tour information at the Shady Valley Ruritan Club picnic shelter, located on the festival grounds. 

We hope to see you there!