North GA Flintknapping and Primitive Arts Festival

[Dirty44Dan]

A great event for all interested in primitive skills is the 13th annual North Ga Primitive Arts Festival near Cartersville on Lake Altoona at Gatewood Park. Usually about 30 vendors, flintknappers, and primitive skills artisans attend and will demonstrate fire-making, bowmaking, basketmaking, atlatl throwing and other skills. It will be held April 27 and 28, although a few people will show up earlier in the week. This is an outstanding event. You will see some amazing skills and
products. Take Exit 290 off I 75. Follow the arrowhead signs to Gatewood Park.

 

[JDBrown]

Thanks for posting the dates, I knew it was getting close. Now if I can just get off work that weekend!

 

[Dirty44Dan]

Good luck. Hope
To see you there.
Dan

 

[Jake Allen]

Thanks Dan for posting the dates.
I have been the last two years and have seen alot of cool stuff,
learned alot of neat things and bought quite a bit of chert, knapping supplies, antler, and last year a nice iron cooking set.
Looking forward to it.

 

[Dirty44Dan]

Good, Jeff. See you there.

 

[TNGIRL]

I wondered when it was happening!!! thanks, will put it on my calendar!!!!!!

 

[Dirty44Dan]

This is next week, folks. Starting Wed evening PBS will be there filming aboriginal tool and weapon flintknapping. I and several others will be knapping, including Billy Berger. He has a new primitive hunting DVD and he will be showing off some of his fantastic points made with deer antler only. There will be over forty vendors and demonstrators. Deerhides, moose antlers, tons of flint, wooden bows, atlatls, knives, you name it. Be there!

 

[NCHillbilly]

I may try to come down, Dan, if I can get off work. Haven't been in a few years, always a good time.

 

[TNGIRL]

I may try to come down, Dan, if I can get off work. Haven't been in a few years, always a good time.

You need to Steve!!! especially since you're gonna miss the Classic!!!!!!

 

[RBM]

Now you folks know I would like to be there but our family no longer has property up there so I don't get up there anymore.

I can recall many years ago visiting the John C. Campbell Folk School at Brasstown, NC. They had basketry, pottery, wood carving, nature studies, music, and so on. Really nice school in the beautiful mountains. I think the school is Cherokee inspired. But I did enjoy visiting that school.

 

[Dirty44Dan]

Latest word is that PBS will be filming aboriginal knappers Wed. night and all day Thursday. Come and show your "bone and stone" skills or just come and see some incredible flintknapping. There are usually some guys with good artifact displays, too.

 

[NCHillbilly]

What's the camping situation?

 

[Nugefan]

Hillbilly , here is a link to campgrounds in the area ...

http://www.allatoonalake.org/Camping/lake_allatoona_camping_map.html

There is a campground just outside the gate but I don't know the name of it ...I am thinking it should be Gatewood Park ...

 

[maymolly]

The camping is Gatewood Park. The festival is held in Gatewood Park.

 

[Struttin'-n-Drummin']

How late will things be going on Friday night. I may try to go after work. Will there be vendors selling stone & tools?

 

[NCHillbilly]

I guess my question was: If I drive down there Friday afternoon, am I gonna be able to find a campsite? Looking on line there are only 74 sites in the campground, and I assume that there are the regular fishermen/campers there along with the knap-in crowd.

 

[Willjo]

NC we have always found campsites at the park campground without any trouble. There is tent camping and camper sites.

 

[maymolly]

Yes, there will be many vendors selling rock and tools. Most of the vendors camp near their vending tents. Visitors have to camp in the regular camping area. They usually flintknap fairly late into the evening under lights on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

 

[Dirty44Dan]

Great first day. PBS filmed almost all day. They recorde atlatl throwing and lots of knapping. Craig Ratzat, the maker of two fine knapping videos and Woody Blackwell, one of the best, were boyh demonstrating their fine skills. There lots of vendors already there. Billy Berger was there with his fine new primitive hunting DVD. Ray Griggs had his beautiful display boxes and there tons of great flint. If you like primitive skills, you need to see this event. 41 vendors will be here by this afternoon.