🧭 Hundred-Mile Happenings: A Sorghum Mill, a Lantern Hike, a Star Party and 5 More October Day Trips From Dunlap

Or: Gas Up the Truck, Grab a Thermos. Here Are 8 One-of-a-Kind Fall Outings Within About 100 Miles of Home

Howdy, neighbor. October is the best month of the year to be a day-tripper around here. The leaves turn, the air gets crisp and every little town within a tank of gas throws some kind of party. The trouble is, nobody can keep track of them all. So that’s our job. Welcome to Hundred-Mile Happenings, where we hunt down the unusual, family-friendly outings within about 100 miles of Dunlap and lay them out plain: when, where, how far, what it costs and who’ll love it.

This first batch has a little of everything. You can watch sorghum syrup boil down at a family mill near Monterey and walk an 1855 grist mill fair in North Georgia. There’s a lantern-lit hike to three waterfalls at Fall Creek Falls, a mountaintop art festival in Mentone, Ala., and a whole town turned into a craft show in Bell Buckle. You can stroll a Huntsville cemetery where costumed volunteers tell the old stories, catch a free star party in Chattanooga and cheer paddlers finishing a 31-mile river race just down the road at Hales Bar.

⏱️ Your 30-second trip list

• Now through October (Tue., Thu., Sat.): Sorghum making at Muddy Pond, near Monterey. Call first.
• Sat. and Sun., Oct. 10 and 11: Prater’s Mill Country Fair, Dalton, Ga. Eastern Time. $10 cash.
• Fri., Oct. 16, 6 p.m.: Lantern Hike at Fall Creek Falls. $10.
• Sat., Oct. 17: Mentone Fall Festival in Alabama. Free, with $5 parking.
• Sat. and Sun., Oct. 17 and 18: Webb School Art & Craft Show in Bell Buckle. Free.
• Sun., Oct. 18, 1:30 p.m.: Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll in Huntsville. Free.
• Sun., Oct. 18 and Sun., Oct. 25: Free UTC Star Parties in Chattanooga. Eastern Time.
• Sat., Oct. 24: Chattajack paddle race finishes below Hales Bar Dam, about 31 miles from Dunlap.

🕰️ The one thing to remember: the time line. Dunlap is on Central Time. Chattanooga and Georgia are on Eastern Time, one hour ahead. So a 9 a.m. start in Dalton is 8 a.m. our time. Everything else on this list (Muddy Pond, Fall Creek Falls, Mentone, Bell Buckle, Huntsville and Hales Bar) runs on Central Time, same as home.

🍯 Watch Sweet Sorghum Boil Down the Old Way at Muddy Pond

Out in the hills of the Muddy Pond community, near Monterey, the Guenther family has been making pure sorghum syrup since the 1960s. During September and October, they fire up a wood-burning steam locomotive boiler and cook fresh cane juice down in a 22-by-8-foot pan, and visitors can stand right there and watch. Across the road, the Muddy Pond Variety Store sells bulk foods, enamelware, home-baked goods and, of course, sorghum.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: The mill says it makes sorghum every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in September and October. The next days are Thu., Oct. 8, Sat., Oct. 10, then every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through the end of the month. Daily hours aren’t posted, so call (931) 445-3509 before you go.
• Where: Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill, Muddy Pond community near Monterey, Tenn. (Central Time).
• How far: About 72 miles from Dunlap, roughly 2 hours on winding plateau roads.
• Cost: No admission is listed. Syrup, honey and baked goods are for sale.
• Who’ll love it: Grandparents who remember the stir-off, kids who’ve never seen where syrup comes from and anybody with a biscuit habit.

👉 Read more (Muddy Pond Sorghum)

⚙️ An 1855 Grist Mill Throws the Best Country Fair in North Georgia

The Prater’s Mill Country Fair started in 1971 as a way to save a run-down 1855 grist mill. Now it’s a two-day celebration of Appalachian ways. Nearly 200 invited artists sell handmade goods made from natural materials, and you can tour the working grist mill, a cotton gin and an 1898 country store. On the store side, local groups cook chicken and dumplings, collard greens and cornbread on a wood stove, and old tractors and plows sit out for show.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 10, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 11, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time. That’s 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. our time.
• Where: Prater’s Mill, 5845 Ga. Highway 2, Dalton, Ga.
• How far: About 60 miles from Dunlap, roughly 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Cost: $10 per adult, cash only at the gate (an ATM is outside). Kids 12 and under and military with ID get in free. Online tickets cost a little more with fees.
• Who’ll love it: Crafters, history buffs, tractor fans and anybody hungry for wood-stove cooking. Wear comfy shoes. The grounds are gravel.

👉 Read more (Prater’s Mill Country Fair)

🏮 Follow a Ranger’s Oil Lantern Past Three Waterfalls at Fall Creek Falls

Here’s one you won’t find on a postcard. On a Friday night, a Fall Creek Falls ranger leads a hike lit only by old-fashioned oil lanterns. The route passes three waterfalls and the historic Liberty Hill Schoolhouse, and you’ll keep an eye out for critters that only come out after dark.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Fri., Oct. 16, starting at 6 p.m. (Central Time).
• Where: Meet at the Nature Center, Fall Creek Falls State Park, Spencer, Tenn.
• How far: About 32 miles from Dunlap, roughly 45 minutes, our closest big state park.
• Cost: $10, according to the park’s event page.
• Who’ll love it: Older kids, teens and steady-footed grown-ups. It’s about 2 miles on rocky, uneven ground, so wear sturdy closed-toe boots and bring water and snacks.

👉 Read more (Tennessee State Parks: Lantern Hike)

🎨 Mentone Turns Its Old Schoolhouse Into a Mountaintop Art Party

Mentone sits up on Lookout Mountain in Alabama, and in October it’s about as pretty as a town gets. The Mentone Fall Festival fills the historic Moon Lake Campus, an old school turned artisan village, with more than 80 art vendors, food and two stages of music. The lineup runs from local pickers to a Patsy Cline tribute. Money raised goes toward repairing the old Moon Lake school building.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Central Time).
• Where: Moon Lake Campus, 5866 East River Road, Mentone, Ala.
• How far: About 75 miles from Dunlap, roughly 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Cost: Free admission. Parking is $5, which some listings call a suggested donation.
• Who’ll love it: Art lovers, leaf-peepers, classic country fans and couples looking for a pretty Saturday drive.

👉 Read more (Visit Lookout Mountain: Mentone Fall Festival)

🧺 A Whole Town Becomes a Craft Show: Bell Buckle’s Big Weekend

Tiny Bell Buckle, down in Bedford County, swells to many times its size for the Webb School Art & Craft Show. The juried show on the old Sawney Webb lot on Maple Street has more than 100 booths of pottery, ironwork, woodworking, baskets, jewelry and old-fashioned soaps, plus food trucks with dishes from all over the world. The Bell Buckle Chamber says there are more than 800 booths throughout town that weekend.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Central Time).
• Where: Downtown Bell Buckle, Tenn., and the Sawney Webb lot on Maple Street.
• How far: About 80 miles from Dunlap, roughly 1 hour 50 minutes.
• Cost: Free admission, according to the show’s FestivalNet listing.
• Who’ll love it: Christmas-list shoppers, crafters and anyone who loves a small-town square. Go early. It draws a big crowd.

👉 Read more (Bell Buckle Chamber: Webb Art & Craft Show)

🎩 History Comes Out to Say Hello at the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll

Don’t let the word “cemetery” scare you off. Organizers say this one is “educational, not scary.” On one Sunday afternoon each October, volunteers in period dress stand at the graves of the interesting people buried in Huntsville’s oldest cemetery and tell their stories in first person. There’s traditional music and a scavenger hunt for the kids, and the money raised helps restore old monuments.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sun., Oct. 18, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. (Central Time). Come and go as you please.
• Where: Maple Hill Cemetery, 203 Maple Hill Drive, Huntsville, Ala.
• How far: About 104 miles from Dunlap, just past our 100-mile line, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes.
• Cost: Free. Donations are welcome.
• Who’ll love it: History lovers, homeschool families and storytellers. No pets, and organizers say no shuttle buses this year, so plan to walk from parking.

👉 Read more (Huntsville Pilgrimage Association)

🔭 Free Sunday-Night Star Parties at UTC’s Old Observatory

On Sunday nights this fall, UTC opens its Clarence T. Jones Observatory in Chattanooga’s Brainerd area to everybody, free. Each night has a short, friendly talk and a planetarium show about what’s up in the sky. On Oct. 18 the topic is “Milankovitch Cycles and Ice Ages”, which is a fancy name for how small wobbles in Earth’s orbit helped bring on the ice ages. Oct. 25 is “Constellations & Costumes,” a Halloween-themed night, so the kids can wear their costumes.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sun., Oct. 18 and Sun., Oct. 25. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Eastern (5:30 p.m. our time), and the program runs 7 to 9 p.m. Eastern (6 to 8 p.m. our time). There’s no star party Oct. 11 because of UTC’s fall break.
• Where: Jones Observatory, 10 N. Tuxedo Ave., Chattanooga. UTC says to park in the upper lot behind Brainerd United Methodist Church and walk up the paved path, because the Tuxedo Avenue entrance is usually locked.
• How far: About 37 miles from Dunlap, roughly 1 hour.
• Cost: Free and open to the public.
• Who’ll love it: Curious kids, science-minded grandparents and anybody who’s ever stood in the yard wondering what that bright “star” was.

👉 Read more (UTC 2026 Fall Star Party Schedule)

🛶 Cheer On 31-Mile Paddlers as They Finish Right Below Hales Bar Dam

Chattajack is a river race unlike anything else around here. Paddlers on stand-up boards, kayaks, canoes and outrigger canoes paddle 31 miles through the Tennessee River Gorge, the stretch some folks call the “Grand Canyon of the South.” They start at Ross’s Landing in downtown Chattanooga and finish just downstream of historic Hales Bar Dam, in our own Marion County. This is the race’s 15th year, and the finish has a new spot this year: racers take out at the River Gorge Ranch, about a mile past the finish line.

Why it’s worth the drive:

• When: Sat., Oct. 24. The first wave starts in Chattanooga at 8:30 a.m. Eastern (7:30 a.m. our time). Finish times depend on the paddlers, and spectator times haven’t been posted, so check before you go.
• Where: Spectators park at the Riverdance parking area, 300 The Gorge Drive, Guild, Tenn. (Central Time) and ride a Chattajack shuttle to the take-out.
• How far: About 31 miles from Dunlap, roughly 40 minutes. It’s the shortest trip on the list.
• Cost: Organizers haven’t listed a spectator fee. Check before you go.
• Who’ll love it: Families who like a good cheer, river people and anybody who needs a little “if they can paddle 31 miles, I can finish my to-do list” inspiration.

👉 Read more (Chattajack: New Finish Line for 2026)

🗓️ Put These on the Fridge

• Thu., Oct. 8 and Sat., Oct. 10 (and every Tue., Thu. and Sat. in October): Muddy Pond sorghum making. Call (931) 445-3509 first.
• Sat., Oct. 10 and Sun., Oct. 11: Prater’s Mill Country Fair, Dalton, Ga. Opens 9 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. our time). $10 cash.
• Fri., Oct. 16, 6 p.m.: Lantern Hike, Fall Creek Falls Nature Center. $10.
• Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Mentone Fall Festival.
• Sat., Oct. 17 and Sun., Oct. 18: Webb School Art & Craft Show, Bell Buckle.
• Sun., Oct. 18, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll, Huntsville.
• Sun., Oct. 18 and Sun., Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. our time): UTC Star Parties.
• Sat., Oct. 24: Chattajack finish below Hales Bar Dam.

✅ Your Easy Day-Trip Checklist

• ✅ Check the clock. Chattanooga and Georgia are one hour ahead of Dunlap.
• ✅ Call or click before you leave. Weather and plans can change, especially for outdoor events.
• ✅ Bring cash. Gates, parking lots and craft booths don’t always take cards.
• ✅ Wear good walking shoes for gravel, grass and hills, and bring a jacket. Mountain evenings get chilly fast.
• ✅ Fill the tank and pack water and snacks. Some of these roads are long and lonesome.
• ✅ Shop local on the way out. Grab breakfast or gas from a Valley business. Find one on Dunlap.Directory.
• ✅ Snap a photo of this page so the dates and times ride along with you.

Practical rule: Pick one trip, write it on the calendar tonight and tell somebody you’re taking them along. A plan with a date and a buddy actually happens.

— Dunlap.Today

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which of these trips is closest to Dunlap?

The Chattajack finish near Hales Bar Dam (about 31 miles) and the Fall Creek Falls Lantern Hike (about 32 miles) are the shortest drives. The UTC star party in Chattanooga is about 37 miles.

Which ones are free?

The Mentone Fall Festival (free admission, $5 parking), the Webb School Art & Craft Show, the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll and the UTC Star Parties are all listed as free. Prater’s Mill is $10 cash for adults, and the Lantern Hike is $10.

Which ones are on Eastern Time?

Prater’s Mill (Dalton, Ga.) and the UTC Star Parties (Chattanooga) are on Eastern Time, one hour ahead of us. Chattajack’s own race schedule is in Eastern Time, but its finish area at Guild is on Central Time.

Are these good for little kids and older folks?

Most are. The craft fairs, the cemetery stroll and the star parties are easy outings. The Lantern Hike covers about 2 miles of rocky trail after dark, so it’s best for steady walkers.

How do you pick these events?

We look for one-of-a-kind, family-friendly outings within about 100 miles of Dunlap, and we check each one against the organizer’s own page. We keep a list so we don’t repeat the same events. If you know a hidden gem, tell us at Dunlap.Today.

🔗 Other Resources

• Tennessee State Parks: Events and park info
• Prater’s Mill Foundation
• Visit Lookout Mountain
• Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce
• UTC Jones Observatory: Directions and parking
• Chattajack 31
• TDOT SmartWay: Road conditions before you drive
• Dunlap.Directory: Local businesses for gas, breakfast and supplies

🍂 Slow Down and Go See Something

You don’t need a plane ticket or a big budget to make a memory. Some of the best days of the year are a short drive away, on a back road with the windows cracked and somebody you love riding shotgun. Pick one outing, mark the date and the time zone, and go enjoy this beautiful corner of the world. We’ll be back with more Hundred-Mile Happenings soon, never the same event twice. Read Dunlap.Today for plain-English Valley news and things to do, and find local businesses on Dunlap.Directory.