Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Festivals this weekend: Cowpeas, craft shows and Civil War cavalry
BY SUSAN PIERCE
The first weekend of festival season kicks off with 15 events ranging from smalltown fun to the biggest crafts show in the Southeast.
Here are five that fit a variety of interests. Details on locations, hours and admission fees for these and more are found in the accompanying festival list. ›
For History Buffs: The Battle of Tunnel Hill re- enactment will mark its 25th anniversary this weekend at the Tunnel Hill Heritage Center in Tunnel Hill, Georgia. This battle re-enactment is one of the remaining few that take place on the actual battle site.
From 500 to 700 re-enactors portraying cavalry, infantry, Union and Confederates will gather in Tunnel Hill for the weekend. Gates open to the public at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, with battle re-enactments at 2 p.m. each day.
While waiting for the battle, visitors can walk the 1,477-foot-long
Western & Atlantic Railroad tunnel built in 1850, tour the historic Clisby Austin House or visit soldiers and sutlers camps. ›
Cowpea Cook- off: It’s all about the humble cowpea on Saturday when the International Cowpea Festival is held in Charleston City Park in Charleston, Tennessee.
The lowly legume will be the star of the Whirlpool Cowpea Cookoff. Anyone purchasing a souvenir spoon may vote on their favorite bean dish created by chefs invited to participate in the cook-off.
Ten hours of music, crafts, food and fun are planned. There will be a Princess and the Cowpea photo-op, an arts and crafts marketplace and a family-fun field complete with games and air toys.
And the festival committee is “happea” to announce their featured entertainer will be Craig Wayne Boyd, winner of Season 7 of “The Voice.” Bring a folding chair for his show at 6 p.m. › For Train Enthusiasts: Railfest at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum celebrates the pivotal role railroads played in the development of Chattanooga. Everything about Railfest is train-centered.
The fun begins Friday when gates open at 5:30 p.m. before a 7 o’clock concert. Music will represent folk music traditions that influenced railroading and traveling songs.
Saturday and Sunday’s festival includes crafting displays, operational model railroads set up to thrill youngsters, blacksmithing demonstrations, antique autos and tractors, a Rosie the Riveter re-enactor and, of course, all the TVRM locomotives on view along with train rides (ticket
purchase required). ›
New In Ooltewah: Who can resist dogs dressed in team colors?
That cuteness overload is part of the draw for a new event Saturday in Cambridge Square in Ooltewah. The Double Dog Dare You Festival is a fundraiser for Welcome Home of Chattanooga. Welcome Home provides end-of-life care for people in need and a home for those who have nowhere to go for end-of-life care.
This new festival will start at 8: a.m. Here’s a “ruff” idea of wha scheduled:
During the day there will be hot-dog-eating contest, and Kim mie Butcher from the Sports Ba will lead a fitness boot camp. But appears the show really goes to dogs about 6 p.m., when the para of dogs in team colors is held. T winner of the parade gets a bask of goodies from Cambridge Squa
Then Hit Town will perform at 7 p.m.
Basic doggie etiquette is expected of owners: Keep pets leashed, and clean up after them. › A Craft-Lover’s Best Road
Trip: If you’re looking for a fantastic crafts show, head to Atlanta for the Yellow Daisy Festival in Stone Mountain Park.
More than 500 vendors will fill the fields around Stone Mountain at this festival voted one of the top three crafts shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine. It’s a lot of walking — a LOT of walking — so probably not advised for young children. But the quality and quantity of products are worth a trip.
It’s virtually impossible to see everything in one day, so Yellow Daisy makes a great overnight girls getaway.