Description: September 19th and 20th 2026 FPSHP
Location: Fort Pillow State Park
Fort Pillow State Historic Park
Saturday, September 19, 2026
11:00 am: Park Tour: Join Park Ranger Stoney Hughes at 11:00 a.m. at the Butterfly Garden Parking Lot. We will start our adventure by riding through the park with several stops along the way to look at what the park has to offer, as well as a chance to go across the new suspension bridge in route to the Restored Fortification. The program will cost $5 plus tax for our programming fees. Register online or call the park office to make your reservations.
2:00 pm: National Preparedness Month: Join Ranger Chris at the museum for a program on Preparedness. Each September, FEMA’s Ready Campaign celebrates National Preparedness Month. Since 2004, the campaign has taken the month to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies. The month is a great time to take small steps to make a big difference in being prepared. This year’s theme is, “Americans Stand Ready.” The theme reflects the spirit of unity, resilience and resourcefulness that make our country strong. It’s a reminder that each of us can make a difference by taking proactive steps before a disaster strikes, and encouraging loved ones to do the same, Americans can contribute to the safety and security of the entire nation. Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility, and disasters and emergencies can happen at any time, anywhere, and sometimes without warning.
3:00 pm: Fall Pollinators: Build a Bee Box. Many of the wild bees you may encounter in your backyard garden make their burrow homes in the soil. Some bees create hives in snags (a dead or dying standing tree, often with its branches broken off), or in holes in trees. The activity of native bees will encourage the reproduction of native plants in your yards and gardens. You can encourage native bees to nest near your wildflower gardens by providing man-made nesting blocks, or “Bee Condos.”
5:00 Cornhole and S’More! Meet seasonal ranger at the campground for an invigorating game of Cornhole with S’Mores refreshments. Notes: (1) The game of Cornhole is closely related to the game of Horseshoes, made popular in the United States during the Americal Civil War. The National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA) grew out of the throwing of mule shoes in the Union Camps during the Civil War. Courts sprang up in the backyards of Union states after the war. (2) During the Civil War, medicine was scarce, so the plant Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) was used to treat inflammations of the throat and stomach, and in the treatment of skin eruptions. The roots were boiled into a slimy mass that was used to coat the throat or stomach. To make the herb more pleasant, doctors extracted the juice from the marshmallow plant, cooked it with egg white and sugar then whipped it into a puffy meringue, which hardened into a candy that was administered to the patient.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
8:00 am: Flat Water Paddling -- Kayak Fort Pillow Lake: In Flat Water Paddling 101, you will learn how to properly fit and wear a life jacket, safely enter/exit a kayak or canoe, practice paddling strokes, and more! At the end of this program, participants may use their kayak to continue on a self-guided paddling experience and lake clean-up. Meet seasonal ranger at the dock at Fort Pillow Lake. All equipment is provided. Please bring water and any needed sun protection.
9:00 am Trash and Litter Scavenger Hunt: Meet seasonal ranger at the campground for a final "micro-trash" sweep of the entire campground. Turning in a bag of collected trash will earn children a park sticker or other prize!
12:00 pm: Museum Tour and Video: Meet seasonal ranger at the museum for an informative tour through the exhibits, insight into what a soldier would have carried in his pack, and to view the film on the Civil War battle Fort Pillow.
1:00 pm: Hike to the Restored Fortification: Meet the seasonal ranger at the museum for a short, informative round-trip hike up to the newly restored fortification where most of the battle at Fort Pillow took place. Along the way, hikers will cross the newly installed 120-yard-long suspension bridge, which is the longest in the TN State Parks. Ask about All-terrain wheelchairs that can be driven all the way to the Fort.
Event Document:
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Program Host: Fort Pillow State Historic Park
Contact Email: tyson.weller@tn.gov
Contact Phone: 731-738-5581