From the sun-baked red clay of the Smoky Mountains to the neon pulse of Beale Street, Tennessee smells of wood smoke, sweet molasses and frying chicken.

Walking through a Saturday morning at Nashville Farmers’ Market or along Gatlinburg’s Parkway, you can hear banjo picking drifting from a doorway. You can feel the grain of handcrafted walnut cutting boards under your fingertips and taste the tang of vinegar in a Memphis barbecue sauce. Tennessee souvenirs are a way to bottle that soundtrack and those textures to take home.

On a humid evening in Lynchburg the air carries the caramel scent of aging whiskey; in downtown Memphis, blues notes vibrate off brick walls. Between artisan booths at the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community and the glossy stacks of vinyl at a Beale Street record store, every market stall tells a local story.

Here’s what to buy in Tennessee to bring a piece of its spirit back home.

1. Tennessee Whiskey (e.g., Jack Daniel’s & craft distillates)

Why pick this up:
Tennessee whiskey carries the state’s limestone-filtered character and is central to its culinary and social traditions; a bottle is both a taste and a souvenir. It evokes Lynchburg’s sunlit distillery yards and the mellow caramel and charcoal notes that define the region.

What to look for:
Seek bottles labeled ‘Tennessee whiskey’ and single-barrel or small-batch releases for unique flavor profiles; special-release labels often reference local cooperages or vintage recipes. Check for distillery gift editions or locally designed packaging that highlight Tennessee provenance.

Price bracket (2025):
$30–$120

Where to find it:
Distillery gift shops (Lynchburg), downtown liquor stores in Nashville and Knoxville, airport shops.

2. Handcrafted Moonshine and Flavored Spirits

Why pick this up:
Modern craft moonshine revives Appalachian distilling traditions with clear, bright flavors—corn-forward, sometimes fruit- or spice-infused—that speak to rural Tennessee kitchens. A jar or bottle is a playful, storied taste of backroad hospitality.

What to look for:
Choose bottles from licensed craft distillers with clear labeling on mash bills and proof; fruit-flavored expressions (peach, apple) are popular and make for easy sipping. Avoid unlabelled, informal containers; legal distillers provide provenance and quality control.

Price bracket (2025):
$20–$45

Where to find it:
Tasting rooms in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and downtown Nashville; local liquor retailers.

3. Memphis Barbecue Sauces & Rubs

Why pick this up:
Memphis barbecue is an emblem of the city’s soul—sweet tomato-based sauces and smoky rubs carry the flavors of slow-cooked pork and sugar-caramelized bark. Sauce jars are portable ways to recreate Beale Street flavor at home.

What to look for:
Look for regionally named recipes (Memphis-style, dry rub blends) and producers that cite local hardwood smoke or pitmasters. Small-batch bottles and artisan spice blends often provide more authentic flavor than mass-produced labels.

Price bracket (2025):
$6–$25

Where to find it:
Barbecue joints on Beale Street, Cooper-Young Market in Memphis, specialty food stalls at farmers’ markets.

4. Nashville Hot Chicken Spice & Sauces

Why pick this up:
Nashville hot chicken’s fiery, spiced crust is an urban culinary legend; spice blends and hot sauces let you recreate that tongue-tingling heat back home. They capture the city’s bold, unapologetic flavors.

What to look for:
Pick blends that list cayenne, brown sugar, and paprika; sauces with smoked oil or rendered chicken fat notes offer more authentic depth. Bottles from family-owned hot chicken shops often include heat-level guidance.

Price bracket (2025):
$8–$20

Where to find it:
Grocery shelves in Nashville, hot chicken shops on Broadway, specialty food stalls at Germantown Market.

5. Blues & Country Vinyl Records

Why pick this up:
A record from Beale Street or Music Row is tactile proof of Tennessee’s musical heritage—blues, soul, and country pressed into grooves you can play at home. Vinyl carries the crackle and atmosphere of the scenes that shaped American music.

What to look for:
Seek original pressings or local reissues from Memphis and Nashville artists, live recordings from local venues, or modern pressings with liner notes about the local session musicians. Condition matters—look for minimal warping and readable sleeves.

Price bracket (2025):
$15–$60 (rare or vintage much higher)

Where to find it:
Record stores in Memphis and Nashville, stalls on Beale Street, independent music shops on Broadway and in East Nashville.

6. Handcrafted Stringed Instruments (banjos, mandolins, guitars)

Why pick this up:
Tennessee’s musical traditions meet master luthiers—an instrument is both a functional object and a crafted work of art reflecting local tonewoods and workmanship. A locally made banjo or mandolin carries the voice of Appalachian music.

What to look for:
Inspect craftsmanship: tight joints, quality inlays, and locally sourced tonewoods (maple, hickory). Smaller makers’ stamps and certificates of origin signal a true artisan instrument versus mass-produced imports.

Price bracket (2025):
$800–$5,000+

Where to find it:
Luthiers and ateliers in Nashville (Music Row area), Chattanooga instrument makers, festival instrument vendors at bluegrass gatherings.

7. Appalachian Quilts & Hooked Rugs

Why pick this up:
Textiles from the Appalachian foothills are woven with practical beauty—bold patterns, hand-stitching and heirloom fabrics that tell family and regional stories. Quilts make warm, tactile keepsakes steeped in domestic tradition.

What to look for:
Seek hand-stitched or hand-quilted pieces, natural fibers (cotton, wool) and visible irregularities that indicate handmade work. Labels or maker tags, or purchase from recognized craft cooperative booths, confirm provenance.

Price bracket (2025):
$80–$600

Where to find it:
Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community in Gatlinburg, craft fairs in Sevier County, museum shops featuring Appalachian craft.

8. Smoky Mountain Maple Syrup, Honey & Sorghum

Why pick this up:
The Smokies’ forests and apiaries produce amber syrups and honeys that taste like mountain flora; sorghum evokes old-time Southern kitchens. These pantry items are edible souvenirs that recall cool mornings and wood-fired breakfasts.

What to look for:
Choose small-batch or estate-labeled syrups and honeys; look for light-to-dark grading on syrups and floral notes on honey labels. Avoid unlabeled bulk jars—provenance ensures quality and food-safety standards.

Price bracket (2025):
$8–$30

Where to find it:
Farmers’ markets in Knoxville and Nashville, Gatlinburg artisan stalls, roadside farm stands.

9. Tennessee Pottery & Stoneware

Why pick this up:
Local potters shape river clays and glazes into functional ceramics that echo the state’s rural kitchens and riverfront towns. A hand-thrown mug or butter crock is a durable, everyday reminder of Tennessee clay and kiln traditions.

What to look for:
Look for signatures or stamps from local potters, visible wheel-throwing marks, and glazes that reference local minerals. Heavier, stoneware pieces signal durability; ask about food-safe glazes for functional wares.

Price bracket (2025):
$25–$300

Where to find it:
Pottery booths in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, Chattanooga artisan markets, craft shows at Franklin and Knoxville.

10. Hand-turned Hickory & Walnut Wood Goods

Why pick this up:
Woodworkers across Tennessee craft spoons, bowls, cutting boards and furniture from local hickory and walnut, offering tactile grain and the warm scent of cured wood. These objects blend practicality with regional material identity.

What to look for:
Prefer solid hardwood pieces, tight joinery, and food-safe finishes on kitchenware; ask about wood sourcing and whether boards are kiln-dried. Handmade stamps or maker cards indicate one-off craftsmanship.

Price bracket (2025):
$25–$200

Where to find it:
Woodworking booths at Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Franklin’s craft fairs, maker markets in Nashville and Chattanooga.

Local tip: Ask about the maker’s process and the origin of materials—stories from artisans make souvenirs richer. 🧡

Local Shopping Culture & Traditions

Tennessee’s shopping culture blends Appalachian craft traditions with urban music-industry flair. In mountain towns like Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community showcases decades-old artisan practices – woodturning, quilting, pottery. These are often passed down through families.

Urban markets in Nashville and Memphis reflect the state’s music and food scenes: Vinyl and instrument makers sit alongside specialty food vendors selling barbecue rubs and hot chicken sauces.

Bargaining is uncommon in most Tennessee markets, though occasional negotiation happens at flea markets or with bulk purchases from makers.

Weekend farmers’ markets and seasonal craft fairs are central to the buying rhythm; festivals (bluegrass, music, and food) also double as major marketplaces where visitors meet artisans directly.

How to Spot Genuine Local Souvenirs

Look for maker signatures, stamps or business cards, Tennessee artisans typically mark work with a name or studio. Materials matter: local walnut or hickory in wood goods, Appalachian-grown cotton in quilts, and clay-stamped pottery tie a piece to the region.

For food items, check labels for producer names, small-batch claims, and ingredient lists; licensed distillers and registered food vendors will have clear packaging and traceable addresses.

Avoid overly glossy packaging without maker information, uniform factory finishes on supposed “handmade” goods, or mass-produced souvenirs labeled vaguely as “southern” without local ties. When in doubt, ask about process and source—true artisans are proud to explain their techniques.

Where to Shop in Tennessee

• Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community (Gatlinburg) — largest contiguous group of independent artisans.
• Beale Street and Memphis Cooper-Young area — for music-related goods and local specialty foods.
• Nashville Farmers’ Market and Broadway/East Nashville shops — instruments, records and maker markets.
• Franklin Main Street and Knoxville Market Square — historic shopping streets with boutiques and galleries.
• Dollywood and Pigeon Forge artisan lanes — family-made crafts and food products.
• Airport gift shops in Nashville and Memphis — for last-minute, regionally-branded items.

FAQs

Q: Are souvenirs in Tennessee expensive?
A: Prices vary widely—local food items and small crafts are affordable, while custom instruments and heirloom quilts can be pricey; there’s something for most budgets.

Q: Is bargaining common in Tennessee?
A: Not usually—prices at craft markets and distilleries are generally fixed, though occasional discounts may be available at flea markets or if buying multiple items from one maker.

Q: How do I know if a food item is allowed through customs?
A: Check your country’s import rules before you travel; commercially packaged and labeled items (jams, sealed syrups, industrial bottles of whiskey) are usually fine, but fresh produce and some meats are restricted.

Explore Tennessee’s markets and maker stalls to discover the stories behind each craft and flavor, and bring home something that speaks to the state’s heart and hands—Tennessee souvenirs.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other top ‘what to buy’ ideas!

About the Author

Colin is the founder of SouvenirsIdeas.com and a passionate traveller with a soft spot for ceramics, markets, and food tours. He writes practical, first-hand guides to help you bring home souvenirs that actually mean something — not just more clutter!