October 20–21, 2023 @ Exchange Place
One of the most unique and popular public events held anywhere in Appalachia, Witches Wynd is held Friday, Oct. 20 andSaturday, Oct. 21, beginning each night at8 p.m., at The Exchange Place, Kingsport, Tennessee.
People begin to check in at Exchange Place – located at4812 Orebank Roadin Kingsport, Tennessee – around 7:30 p.m., and are randomly placed in four groups. Then, around 8 p.m., when it is good and dark (prime time for those all “ghoulies and ghosties”), each group is led across the road of the historic farm. At this point they separate and are taken to four different locations where, over the course of the next two hours, everyonegets to listen to Halloween-ish tales told by some of this region’s finest storytellers. And then, just when you think the night is over, you get served a special treat – there are cookies and hot cider waiting for you in Roseland’s back porch, a sweet way to end the evening.
Storytellers this year are Judy “Butterfly” Farlow, Hannah Harvey, Katie Hoffman and Libby Tipton. Oh, and in case anyone might be concerned that the stories are grossly macabre,know that the aim is to entertain, not frighten. Witches Wynd has, over the years, proved to be popular with teenagers and pre-teens, as well as their parents.
Tickets for Witches Wynd are$10 for everyone, and can be purchased by calling Exchange Place at423-288-6071. All the proceedsare used to benefit the animals who live year-round at Exchange Place, as well as for the continued restoration and preservation of the site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Exchange Place is a living history farm whose mission is to preserve and interpret the heritage of mid-19thcentury farm life in Northeast Tennessee. Exchange Place is a non-profit organization maintained and operated entirely by volunteers and is supported by donations, fundraisers, memberships and grants.
Category: Storytelling