
2. Director Ryan Stevens (Stuart Little) says, “As we pass through October's spooky season and get deeper into fall, I'm getting nostalgic for the crunchy leaves and autumn winds of my home in South Carolina. I've been listening to the podcast Old Gods of Appalachia, which tells spooky stories set in the Appalachian south. Ghosts at the bottom of coal mines, witches in the marsh, and all sorts of strange creatures in the deep, dark woods lurk in each short, twenty-minute-ish episode, each one told in a powerful, and familiar, Southern drawl. If you like spooky stories or are perhaps curious about that peculiar part of our strange, old, very spooky country, I recommend it highly!
While the episodes don't have any offensive language, they can be pretty scary, so this may not be ideal for our younger Festival fans. Listener beware!”

Definitely would recommend. A good starting episode for anyone during these particular times would be “Loneliness and Connection.” So important to talk about right now!”

5. Our Arts Ed Director, Brooke Smith says, “During the fall months, I like nothing more than to plop myself down in front of the television and slip away from real life for a few hours. If you know me, you know that I am also a huge fan of animation. Cartoons are my faves, I have never grown out of them and never will! A few weeks ago, I decided to finally watch Disney’s highly acclaimed series Gravity Falls, and I am THRILLED that I did! Gravity Falls chronicles one summer in the lives of twin siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines, who are sent up north to the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, to stay with their “Grunkle” (great uncle) Stan and help him run his roadside shop of horrors, The Mystery Shack. However, things in Gravity Falls are not what they seem. Dipper and Mabel encounter gnomes, mermaids, and zombies, as well as the sinister Bill Cipher, an interdimensional triangle creature bent on destruction.
As a twin myself, I love the dynamic between Dipper and Mabel who are each other's greatest supporter (and sometimes biggest annoyance). I also love the combination of fantasy elements with real-world situations, as well as nod to the beautiful outdoors of Oregon. And, though it is set in the Pacific Northwest, the scenery and situations remind me of the great outdoors and rich lore that exist in Northeast Tennessee where I’m from! If you’re looking for something to watch that allows you to veg out a bit while also keeping you interested and excited, Gravity Falls is a perfect choice this fall!”