Fence Posts & Fireflies Festival in Cleveland
Raymond Kimsey was searching for an idea for a community event, when a friend suggested a festival.
“I wanted to give people a place to bring their children. We try to cater to a family atmosphere especially for the children,” he says of the resulting event, Fence Posts & Fireflies Festival.
Fence Posts & Fireflies opens for its third year on Saturday-Sunday, May 5-6, at the Venue Barn in Cleveland, Tenn. Admission is free and the Kids Zone is free for ages 12 and younger.
Kimsey says the festival will have about 60 vendors, live entertainment, community and home-based sections. Vendors include woodworking, refurbished/ upcycled wood products such as furniture, old tools made into lamps, jewelry and craftsmen who make purses.
The children’s area will offer face painting, petting zoo of farm animals, games, bounce house and more.
Kimsey says the first two festivals have been a learning process for him. For example, this year he has the same number of vendors as the first festival had, but the difference is there are no duplications in vendor items this year.
“The first year, we had too many food vendors and duplicates. We want to give everyone a chance to sell and help them make money,” he says,” so this year we have tried not to have any duplicates.”
Proceeds, which are made from vendor booth fees, will be donated to Aid a Veteran and a local children’s agency, Kimsey says.
To get to the festival from Chattanooga, take exit 20 off I-75 North, then travel east toward Ocoee. After about 10 miles, look for festival signs and follow them to the farm.
For more information: thevenuebarn.com/ fence-posts-fireflies-festival.