Since 1972 Smithville, Tennessee has been celebrating the Independence Holiday by hosting the Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival. The festival pays homage to both the music and arts of the ancestors of the Middle/East Tennessee area. The pure and unadulterated sound of Appalachian bluegrass is simple and invigorating. The competitive events are too numerous to list, but this year’s ranged from folk singing, clogging and buck dancing to banjoing, dulcimer playing and square dancing. The link to the festival is smithvillejamboree.com in case you are interested in attending in 2027!
My friend Ruth and I thought it would make for an interesting road trip. We would take the backroads of Tennessee and stop at various smalltown antique and mercantile shops along the way. Sometimes the most obscure places are the most exciting!
The following pictures show my three treasures I found on our adventure.
CIGAR LABEL DISH FROM THE 20’s and 30’s
PILI ROJAS PAINTING ~ NEW ORLEANS
Liberty, Tennessee was the most intriguing of all the small towns. It was founded in 1797 by a Revolutionary War veteran from Maryland who built a mill on Smith Fork Creek. Much of Main Street’s historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The bank has been converted into a two-story antique store with a large variety of treasures. We were delighted when the clerk tending the shop, and closing for the day, indicated that she would remain open so that we might browse. You can’t beat Southern Hospitality!
THE NEW BANK VAULT ~ AKA DISPLAY AREA
THE ORIGINAL BANK VAULT ~ AKA DISPLAY AREA
Due to the distance of our trip and what we wanted to accomplish, we decided to make it a two-day journey. The drive to Cookeville, our hotel destination, was very scenic with the stunning Center Hill Lake all around us.
The next morning we ventured back to Smithville to experience the Jamboree. Due to the extremely hot temperatures we were unable to remain outside for too long at a time. There was a delightful coffee shop called the Button Willow which allowed us the opportunity to rest and hydrate. The owner Matt offered us that Southern Hospitality once again by taking time in his very busy schedule to chat and allow us entrance to the restroom which had a “Closed “ sign on it. We watched and listened to a few more acts and then headed back to our car.
The subsequent photos are images of items I found interesting. If you’re ever in Smithville around the time of July 4th weekend by all means check out the Fiddlers’ Jamboree!
