Seven Islands State Birding Park will host the first TuckahoeDown Nature Festival at the 416-acre riverfront park in East Knox County on Oct. 7. The festival is free to the public and will highlight this vibrant East Tennessee community with family-friendly activities including outdoor recreation, crafts, live music and education from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Visitors will have lots of opportunities for fun among the natural beauty of Seven Islands while learning about birds, pollinators and the importance of native plants,” said Park Manager Justine Cucchiara. “We’re excited to offer a wide variety of activities that will appeal to everyone.”

Activities will include a Birding for Beginners hike, live music, puppet shows, the history of quilt trails, and paddling demonstrations on the river. The unique name of this event comes from the East Tennessee community of Tuckahoe and the Tuckahoe Creek Scenic River that runs along Seven Islands State Birding Park, and feeds into the French Broad River. The TuckahoeDown is organized by Friends of Seven Islands State Birding Park, which plans to hold the festival annually.

“We want to offer this event to encourage more community members to come out and experience the beauty and history this land has to offer,” said Morton Massey, President of Friends of Seven Islands State Birding Park. “It is a great resource with outstanding examples of the flora and fauna of our region, and we look forward to sharing it at the TuckahoeDown.”

More information about the festival and becoming a Friend of Seven Islands State Birding Park is available at www.tnstateparks.com and www.friendsofsevenislands.com.