Winter Heritage Festival

The Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend hosted the kickoff reception for the Winter Heritage Festival. The event warmed up in the entrance hall to the majestic lodge with hor douerves that served more like a meal than a snack, and the mingling was followed by a presentation by Bill Landry the host of the Heartland Series. Landry, who seems like the best guy in the world on the tv series, is the same, even better, in-person. The real man has not only true stories to tell of this place and its past, but he also has more wisdom and wit than the television will allow. Plus, he and his wife, who is every bit as charming as her husband, have moved to Blount County. Talk about incentive for this community to move into the future while preserving our past. Heaven forbid Bill and his bride would have to move to Monroe County to find a decent place to live at the foot of the Smokies.