Supporter Of The New Brewhouse In Harriman!

I am pleased and proud to announce to you that something great is coming to Harriman!  A 20,000 square foot brewhouse in the former location of Rock Top General Store in beautiful downtown South Harriman! You will also be amazed and proud to have this establishment in our community. Look for Temperance Town Brewhouse to open sometime around late spring to early summer 2023.

There is something about hanging out with friends and family, enjoying great food, and drinks that can make for a great day. Meeting new people and making connections often adds to the experience. There are great breweries that have provided us with much needed sanctuary from a busy and chaotic world. A love for these kinds of places prompted Tri Dog Brewery Company to join in this effort to provide a great place to hang out and enjoy great company, in a relaxing atmosphere that allows one to enjoy the simple things in life. They are just 3 great guys, with 3 great dogs, that have been joined by others who are just as passionate about using simple ingredients with endless variations to create the perfect experience. 

Their goal is to be a great addition to the community for family and friends to gather. They not only want to be a destination in which our community can be proud of, but also to attract visitors to the area. The Tri Dog Team is very experienced and uniquely skilled and qualified to take this idea and turn it into a special kind of reality. 

The selection of the former Rocky Top General location was primarily based on the building offering several fantastic indoor spaces with views of the brewery area, and a large outdoor space for gathering and outdoor activities as well. The building has adopted a new name, Temperance Town Brewhouse. The name signifies the history of the town and the new tenants.

The building will be divided into 3 distinct sections:

The front of the building, which is over 3,000 square feet, will house the actual brewery and its components. Although the brewery will be visible from the taproom, it is elevated from the public taproom and segregated by the design of the building.

The basic layout of the brewery consists of metal brewhouse tanks and fermenters. The process works by cooking various grains that are then cooled and placed in fermenters. The grains remain in these tanks from a few days to a few months. They are then moved into kegs or other storage and moved into our walk in cooler ready for serving.

The middle section of over 4,000 square feet will house the taproom of Tri Dog Brewing Company creating a great shared seating and gathering space.

The Victoria event company, owned and directed by Angie Cox McGuinn, will occupy 6,000 square feet at the rear of the building. The event space has a separate entrance from the north parking area. This area will be used for weddings, receptions, business meetings, luncheons, etc. We also plan to host pop-up events like art classes, yoga, children’s events, and gallery showings. The event space has a dedicated catering area as well as storage for small wares, chafing dishes and other catering equipment.

The Patio Garden will be a privately fenced in space at the rear of the building with outdoor seating, a small stage for acoustical music, chalkboards and games for adults and kids. The family and pet friendly outdoor space will include a relaxing outdoor patio and garden area with comfortable seating, fun games like corn hole and Ring-O, chalkboards and board games. They anticipate building a privacy fence between our area and adjacent property owners. A small stage will be constructed for outdoor acoustic music. Also, the owners have promised a beautiful waterfall! 

The upstairs will consist of space for corporate parties, changing space for wedding events and our corporate offices.

Oh, and the food they intend to offer will be great and unique! The menu will bring people back again and again! The founders have decades of experience in food service and have built relationships with many chefs that will help in designing an ever-changing menu of wonderful food. For their base menu, they have an agreement in principle with Melvin Jackson III of Fats BBQ to provide his delicious ribs and BBQ. Melvin is excited to show Harriman his capabilities with BBQ as well as his other offerings created for our location.

Meet the creators of the new Temperance Town Brewhouse:

Ged Gelber - President and Brewmaster

He has his Professional Brewing and Distilling Certification from Brewing and Distilling Center Knoxville. Ged has 20 years of food service experience and was the former catering director for the University of Tennessee. He is also a graduate of Northern Arizona University.

Bob Patterson - Consultant 

He is a realtor for Gables and Gates Realtors, Knoxville. He is a licensed general contractor, president of numerous start-up companies, was an airline and boat captain. Bob is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Check out Mushy's photos!

 Just point your camera at the QR code!

The Shack - Means Almost As Much To Me As My Bible

We found ourselves shut inside a condo on Indian Rocks Beach, in Clearwater, FL, this winter during a freak storm of high wind and rain.  Had it not been for the little library within the beach front unit, I may have gone crazy!

My granddaughter suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, Papaw, you have to read this book!" 

That may have been may have been one of the highlights of my entire life.  I've read the Bible through in several versions, but never had I completely grasped the meaning of a relationship with the Holy Trinity.  "The Shack"*, by William P. Young, opened my mine to the great love of each part of God.  It also made me more aware of the Holy Spirit, a part that we often overlook in our thoughts, action, and prayers. 

PLEASE, PLEASE, read this book soon; it will change your life and relationship with everything! 

Plus, there is a movie coming out soon, and you need to read the original thoughts of Mr. Young before you see it!

*A grieving father receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him to meet in the Oregon wilderness where his daughter has been abducted and murdered. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?"

My World's Best Mom Has Passed

Just a quick post to let everyone that follows this blog know that my mom has passed away.  She would have been 90 years old in October, and I had her love and guidance for over 70 years.  I thank God for that time and I know he is protecting her soul today.

Mushy

Come To The Tennessee Medieval Faire - This Saturday in Harriman, TN!

You've got to come to at least one day of this weekend's Tennessee Medieval Faire. It's joust for you!

Get more information HERE!

Let's Talk 16th Century Entertainment - The Tennessee Medieval Faire

What a wonderful century it was!  It was chock full of notables, with Henry VIII a.k.a. Hans Holbein the Younger, King of England at the top of the list, but it also included, Charles V (King of Spain) Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Frances Drake, Ivan the Terrible, Nostradamus, and a cast of hundreds of other familiar names you would remember from school, but that would take much too long to document here.  Just Google the 16th Century!

It was a glorious time for Knights, Maidens, Kings, Queens, and all those it took to keep the lot happy!  A grand time, if you liked wielding a sword, on or off a horse, or a lance with a blunted tip while riding a horse, wearing a hundred pound suit of armour!  Some did, and some still do!  You'll see it done live soon!

Unfortunately, the 16th Century was also filled with diseases, or as they called them, plagues; most gone today, or at least called by more scientific names!  You had your smallpox (1507), the Great Plague (1510), the Sweating Sickness (1517), and the Dancing Plague (1518...yes, look it up).

 

 

 

So, with all that exploring and death going on, the people needed entertainment, and there were many days devoted to feasting, such as Mad Day, Midsummer Day, and Ascension Day (just to name a few), when people would drink and make merry.  Dances were popular, whether you lived in London or in a small town, and so was getting together at the local pub for sing-alongs.

We're going to have a "special day" too...FAIRE day!

 

 

 

 

During times of plague outbreaks, theatre was outlawed, but normally this type of entertainment was favored.  Actors will soon roam the Roane County country side performing "joust" for you!

However, I suppose jousting rings a bell in most people's mind as the very best fun one could have in that day; either performing in a tournament yourself, or watching others risk life and limb while charging forward on thundering hooves and poking large tree branches at your opponent! 

 

 

 

You'll see that kind of mayhem and more at the Tennessee Medieval Faire, during the three weekends ahead in May!  Mark your calender now for either the weekend of May 16-17, May 23-24-25 (Memorial Day weekend), or May 30-31.  However, I'll be you'll want to come all three weekends!

This is the GRAND OPENING of the faire.  They aren't going anywhere; they are here to stay...with your help.  As you can see in my photographs, it is being constructed as a permanent site.  This is not a one time thing!

 

It is hoped that this family-fun site will bring tourist in from all over the country.  It was planned to be a "big deal", and Lars and Barrie Paulson have chosen Harriman, but more importantly Roane County, to be the home of this endeavor.  As you will see soon (last 3 weekends in May), a lot of hard work has gone into the planning and building of this facility.  Much remains to be done, but this is the beginning!

 

 

 

 

 

The facility will bring tourist money into the area, jobs to the surrounding counties, and just plain fun...we need more fun!  So please go out and support The Tennessee Medieval Faire...it will profit us all in some way.  Thanks.

I got a sneak peek at the Tennessee Medieval Faire grounds Saturday, when a "media day" was held.  It's located at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN.  Click the link for more information.  Tickets can be bought on site, as a matter of fact, the new entrance and ticket kiosks are nearing completion now.

The entire "faire" area is surrounded by an 8' wooden fence.  Besides the site's kiosks, pub stands, stages, and jousting arena, the fence is expected to enclose numerous vendor kiosks, for food, music, crafts, and etc.

 

Let me stress right now, that there are two main locations you need to know and and remember; the port-a-potties, and the BEER stand*!  It's probably going to be hot and dusty, like it was Saturday, so it's important to find these locations immediately upon arrival.  The potties are in several different locations, but unless other vendors come to sell beer, you need to remember the "faire's" primary location!  (*Hint: it's East of the "Tournament Arena")

 

 

 

 

I had a great time at the "media day", eating food, refreshing my thirst, and doing my favorite thing: snapping photographs!  All the characters were "in character" and, try as I might, I could not get one of them to speak to me in East Tennessean!  It was either "merry ol'" English, French, or Irish!  Seriously, I imagine that they now go home and speak in character with their families.

Did I mention that there will be BEER, food, beer, music, beer, and crafts at the faire?  Well, there will be, plus a day full of entertaining singing, plays, sword fights, and jousting...oh, the JOUSTING, is awesome!

 

 

The jousting comes especially for us from The Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre, and actors/jousters Taso Stavrakis, and Kent Shelton.  These two guys amazed me with their fearless charges at each other on horseback!  The crack of the lance snapping is worth the ticket price to me!

 

The ticket prices, by the way, are $14.95 for adults, $7.95 of children, and those under 5 get in free!  It will be a wonder to watch your 5 year-old's eyes widen, as the horses thunder across the arena with a "Knight In Shining Armour" on their backs!  This is why they call it "fun for the entire family" and a new tradition "joust" for you!

A couple of my other favorite characters (besides the knights) were:

 

 

Professor Brent McDeWitt, who will be running the "Punch And Judy Show" on site, as well as generally walking around representing the "faire".  He is a great guy, and I locked "ear to mouth" for a long time listening to his Irish brouge (a true one, incidentally).  What a great life he seems to lead; traveling the world doing shows everywhere with his "puppet" performance, and his beloved "Cheeko The Clown" act!  The places he's been and seen, and now he's in Harriman!

 

Corey Jones, because he is my all time favorite actor from RSCC stage plays, and just because I like Corey...always have!  He just happens to be the Faire's Henry VIII, and while he doesn't look the "old fat man" with gout part, as pictured in the history books, he does play the role to the hilt!  There were shouts of "beer and food" for everyone, which will probably grow in frequency once the activities begin next Saturday!  It's good to be the king!

And, as his fortune would have it, he has a beautiful leading queen in Debi Weatherington, playing his wife as Queen Catherine of Aragorn.  She, as did the real queen, seemed to keep things in order around the faire site.

There is a long list of "Royal Players", acts, and characters on The Tennessee Medieval Faire website and I tried to include as many as possible in this post (see bottom of post), but I think there were a few missing, but never fear, they will all be present come "faire" day!  Check out their "gallery" for more photos of actors and players.

LET ME REITERATE...there will be beer, sodas, water, food, entertainment, and most just family fun.  It will probably be hot, so think about sunscreen and maybe an umbrella...stay hydrated!

Remember, it's JOUST for you, so have loads of fun!

CLICK HERE FOR A GOOGLE MAP of HOW TO GET THERE!  Or put 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN, into your GPS device.

And lastly, here again are the dates:

May 16-17

May 23-24-25

May 30-31

...and PARKING IS FREE!

Look for a 4-page advertising spread in the Roane County NEWS Friday.  More information, photos, and games for the kids!

Here are a few more photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GO SEE THEM ALL!