It’s once more fall in the Smokies, and that means a reboot of ranger programs to reflect the season. The new schedule will start up Sunday, Sept. 20. 

Daily

• A demonstration of the historic Mingus Mill in action will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located on U.S. 441 near Cherokee. 
• The Mountain Farm Museum at Oconaluftee Visitor Center is open dawn to dusk, showcasing what daily life used to look like. 

Sunday

• A ranger will lead a 45-minute walk around the Mountain Farm Museum at 11 a.m. exploring what life might have been like on an Appalachian mountain farm in the “ol’ days.” 
• The Cherokee Friends — ambassadors from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians — will lead two hours of demonstration and storytelling about Cherokee culture beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 
• Kids will have a chance to learn about the history of elk — and witness them firsthand — in a 45-minute Junior Ranger program beginning 5:30 p.m. at the Palmer House in Cataloochee Valley. 

Monday

• A 30-minute program about how black bears prepare for winter will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 

Tuesday

• A ranger will lead a 45-minute walk around the Mountain Farm Museum at 11 a.m. exploring what life might have been like on an Appalachian mountain farm in the “ol’ days.” 

Wednesday

Park staff will aim to predict the winter weather ahead using the folkloric methods people in the past deployed in a half-hour program starting at 11 a.m. at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 

Thursday

• The story of the elk’s return to the Great Smoky Mountains after a century of absence will be recounted in a half-hour program beginning at 11 a.m. at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 
• The Cherokee Friends — ambassadors from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians — will lead two hours of demonstration and storytelling about Cherokee culture beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. 

Saturday

• Visitors will learn the best places in the park to see elk, learn how they stay warm and get to touch some bonafide antlers in a half-hour program beginning at 11 a.m. at Oconaluftee Visitor Center.