GATLINBURG - If you’re coming to the mountains, it only makes sense to stay in the mountains, and autumn is worthy of a front-row seat in Gatlinburg.

Beginning in September, the Smoky Mountain Harvest Festival season finds the folks of Gatlinburg decorating and celebrating the beginning of fall with a variety of events and festivals in Tennessee. September’s warm, sunny days and cool, clear nights mix with just the right amount of rain to transform 800 square miles of lush green forest into a brilliant palette of vibrant autumnal colors.

The Great Smoky Mountains share center stage with the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair during the month of October. From October 6 through 23, 2011, the award-winning Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair opens the doors of the Gatlinburg Convention Center to the public with the 36th Annual Fall Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair, one of the many amazing fall festivals in Tennessee. Numerous artisans and craftspeople are on-hand each day to demonstrate their skills, answer questions, and offer their unique art for sale. Third-generation artisans and storekeepers strive to match the beauty of the autumn mountains by carrying the same colors into often elaborate storefront decorations, thus turning their little mountain town into a promenade of Southern Appalachian sights.

Arts and crafts have long held a deep association with the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Nowhere else in the South will you find a richer heritage of fine craftsmanship than in Gatlinburg. The Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, established in 1937, is the largest group of independent artisans in North America. Located on an eight-mile loop at the northeast corner of Gatlinburg, the Community proudly preserves the craft heritage of the Great Smoky Mountains year-round. This area offers the best in a wide range of craft shops, including pottery, woodcarving, candle making, quilting, weaving, broom making, and painting, among many other fine art forms.

Gatlinburg is also home to the world-renowned Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Founded in 1945, Arrowmont offers summer and spring workshops and an array of special conferences for all levels of students in craft-art media. The art galleries at Arrowmont are open for tours of select collections throughout the year.