PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – Scores of talented artists and craftsmen seem to take a cue from Mother Nature when the leaves start changing colors in the Great Smoky Mountains and appear in Pigeon Forge for two major autumn festivals. Basket makers, carvers, painters and others are on hand for the Pigeon Forge Rotary Club’s Craft Festival and Dollywood’s National Gospel and Harvest Celebration.

The craft festival runs through Oct. 30 and attracts craftsmen, artists and exhibitors from more than a dozen states. It takes place under a giant red and white tent at Patriot Park.

Dollywood’s National Gospel and Harvest Festival runs through Oct. 31 and features an array of traditional and contemporary craftsmen and adds scores of free gospel music concerts to the entertainment lineup. Among the featured crafts are spinning, weaving, sorghum making, fiddle making, rug hooking and woodworking.