Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair

The Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair returns to the Gatlinburg Convention Center from October 8 through October 28, 2026, its longest run of the year and its 51st year overall. More than 200 craftspeople fill 150,000 square feet of floor, and every one of them clears a jury process before getting a booth. That is the difference between this and a general craft show. You won’t pass the same imported trinkets four times.

Doors are open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day of the run. Plan on most of a day if you want to see the whole floor without rushing it.

Admission and the Free Multi-Day Pass

• Adults: $12
• Children 17 and under: free with a paid adult
• Multi-day pass: free, photo ID required

Tickets are sold at the door, at either convention center entrance. Before you leave, stop at the office on Aisle 500 with your ID and staff will convert your ticket into an unlimited pass good for the rest of the run at no charge. Across a three-week fair that is the single most useful thing to know. Come back on a quieter weekday and finish what you didn’t get to.

What You’ll Find on the Floor

Pottery, hand-knotted rugs, tooled leather, copper art, jewelry, woodwork, baskets, original paintings, photography, pyrography and candy from local makers. The October fair leans into holiday shopping harder than the summer one: wreaths, ceramic trees, festive reindeer, Christmas ornaments, nativity pieces, painted wall hangings.

A lot of the artisans work at their booths through the day, so you can watch a piece take shape and ask the person making it how it’s done. Concessions are available inside.

Music Shows Included with Admission

Two shows daily, at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM, on the stage inside. Contemporary country, bluegrass and gospel, no extra ticket. The 2026 October lineup:

• October 8 to 14: The Dennis Lee Band
• October 15 to 16: Misty River
• October 17 to 20: Mountain Highway
• October 21 to 22: Misty River
• October 23 to 24: Mountain Highway
• October 25 to 28: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Parking, Trolleys and October Traffic

The fair sits in the middle of leaf season, the busiest three weeks Gatlinburg gets. Paid lots are close by on Historic Nature Trail, but they fill early on October weekends. The easier play is to park free at one of the Park and Ride lots, either the Highway 441 Welcome Center (145 spaces) or the Highway 321 lot at the City Hall complex (95 spaces), then ride in. The blue and purple trolley routes both stop right outside the convention center and run 8:30 AM to midnight through October 31, roughly every 45 minutes.