Witches Wynd

Kingsport, TN – If you’ve lived in the Tri-Cities/Southwest Virginia region for even just a couple
of years, you know all about Witches Wynd (that second word is pronounced “why-nd,”
rhymes with “kind”), the annual storytelling event held at Exchange Place, Kingsport’s own
Living History Farm. One of the most unique and popular public events held anywhere in
Appalachia, this year’s collection of eerie tales will be offered (for the 31 st consecutive year!) on
Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21, beginning each night at 8 pm. And while Friday
night is virtually sold out, there are still some tickets available for Saturday.

People begin to check in at Exchange Place – located at 4812 Orebank Road in Kingsport,
Tennessee – around 7:30 pm, and are randomly placed in four groups. Then, around 8:00 pm,
when it is good and dark (prime time for those all “ghoulies and ghosties”!), each group is led
across the road of the historic farm. At this point they separate and are taken to four different
locations where, over the course of the next two hours, everyone gets to listen to Halloween-ish
tales told by some of this region’s finest storytellers. And then, just when you think the night is
over, you get served a special treat – there are cookies and hot cider waiting for you in
Roseland’s back porch, a sweet way to end the evening.

Our storytellers this year are Judy “Butterfly” Farlow, Hannah Harvey, Katie Hoffman, and Libby
Tipton. Oh, and in case anyone might be concerned that our stories are grossly macabre,
please know that our aim is to entertain, not frighten. Witches Wynd has, over the years,
proved to be popular with teenagers and pre-teens, as well as their parents. It is probably fair
to say that watching the evening news can be far more upsetting!

Tickets for Witches Wynd are $10 for everyone, and can be purchased by calling Exchange
Place at 423-288-6071. We are now equipped to take credit cards (though please note that
there will be a 50-cent surcharge attached to those orders). All the money we collect for this
annual event, as well as for anything that takes place out at Exchange Place, is used to benefit
the animals who live year-round at Exchange Place, as well as for the continued restoration and
preservation of the site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Exchange Place is a living history farm whose mission is to preserve and interpret the heritage
of mid-nineteenth century farm life in Northeast Tennessee. Exchange Place is a non-profit
organization maintained and operated entirely by volunteers and is supported by donations,
fundraisers, memberships and grants.