The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a resolution on Monday, April 16, recognizing the return of the Old Oak Festival to the Tusculum College campus.
The resolution, presented by Rep. David B. Hawk, who is also a former student at Tusculum College and represents Greene and Unicoi counties, honors and recognizes the Old Oak Festival and its efforts to promote local arts, entertain and educate citizens and celebrate the history and culture of the State of Tennessee.
“As an alumnus of Tusculum College, I am so pleased to see the Old Oak Festival return to Greene County. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our heritage and bring the community together,” said Hawk.
The resolution recognizes the Festival’s past as the Old Oak Folk Festival, which ran from 1977-1991, with the mission of educating the public on the rich cultural heritage of Appalachia through arts and crafts, music, theater and literature.
It also honors the return of the event, recognizing “the Old Oak Festival of Greeneville and Tusculum College” and encourages “all Tennesseans to join in celebrating the return of this wonderful event and its promotion of Appalachian culture.”
The event begins this week, running Thursday, April 19, on the Tusculum College campus. The Festival and will feature four full days of activities through Sunday, April 22, and will include artists from a variety of genres, as well as live music ranging from blues to blue grass.
Activities will be going on all four days; however, vendors, artisans and musicians will be performing and have their wares available for sale Friday and Saturday. For a complete schedule of events please see the website at www.oldoakfestival.org.
Also part of the festivities will be a quilt show on Friday and Saturday.
The quilt show, presented by Country Home Accessories, will be held in the atrium of the Pioneer Arena of Niswonger Commons and will run Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The show will feature more than 150 quilts made by local quilters. Some of the quilts will be for sale, others for display only. There will also be a presentation from the antique collection of Juanetta Swatzell.
The arts and music festival will span four days and will feature something for everyone, including music, art, an author’s row, theater and poetry, as well as gallery and museum exhibits on the campus of Tusculum College.
For complete schedule of events please see the website at www.oldoakfestival.org.
The festival is being coordinated by a committee of college and community representatives who are working to bring the historical event back as a major arts and music event in the East Tennessee region.
Music at the Old Oak Festival will feature acoustic rock, blues, blue grass, electric rock, R&B, jazz, Broadway and gospel. Musicians will perform on three stages scattered throughout the campus on Friday and Saturday and will feature groups like Jimmie D and the B Movie Blues, the Great Smokey Mountain Blue Grass Band and the Tusculum College Jazz Band.
Music begins at 3:45 p.m. on Friday with Tusculum student rock band Shiloh Road and continues until 8:30 p.m. with a closing performance by The Kevin Wilder Group, featuring classic rock. Music begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday with Michael Cable and the Hot Mountain Caravan, and runs throughout the day. Closing out the music portion of the festival will be hillbilly rock band Bootleg Turn at 8 p.m.
Other music acts include Stephen Winslow and Ben Kirk, Zach Wampler, Tusculum College rock band Shiloh Road, Wayne and Jean Bean, Lonesome Pine, Mike Joy, The Kevin Wilder Group, The Scat Kats, Sandy Ray and the Cold Shoulders, The Foundations, The Madisons, the Threetles, Joyce Carroll, Greeneville Middle School choirs, Charles and Susan Tunstall and Ben Sneyd.
Art vendors vary from glass and metal jewelry from Jewelry by Gloria (Lenon) to ink prints from Ben Clark and crochet rugs from the Crafty Lady.
The Evergreen Woodcarvers will demonstrate the art of woodcarving and provide lessons for those who wish to learn the skill.
Other vendors are Tusculum College art students; Richard and Freda Donoho, artists in glass; Jimmy and Judy Rader, artists in wood; Buckthorn Artistic Originals, painted feathers; Joan Beaver, pencil and oil prints; Broyles Oak Rockers; Josh Swatzell, photography; Betty Goudy, oil paintings and bird houses; W.T. Hines, woodwork; Light Images, photography; Channa Payne, jewelry; Nick Hankins, mixed media paintings; Walnut Ridge Llamas, spinning and weaving; Collins Lane Art, wheel-thrown pottery; Rew Art, acrylic painting, and Mike Willis, wood items.
There will be three performances during the festival of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” presented by Theatre-at-Tusculum. Show times are Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Tickets may be reserved in advance by calling 423-789-1620.
The college’s Allison Gallery at the Rankin House will be open throughout the weekend, featuring top student work in a “best of” show for student painting, sculpture and photography.
Food vendors will be on campus and will include the Pioneer Perk; John Price, hotdogs and Polish sausage; Ella Price, strawberry shortcake and hot fudge cake; Debbie Haney, gyros and Philly cheese steak sandwiches; Rural Resources, health food including veggie wraps; the Smoking Pig BBQ, Karly’s Kettlecorn, and the Creamy Cup offering coffee and ice cream.
On Thursday, April 19, a launch party will be held for the “Tusculum Review,” the literary journal produced by faculty and students. The journal features works of top creative fiction, non-fiction, art and poetry from writers across the country. Special guest readers are essayist Katie Fallon and poet Gary McDowell. The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Shulman Atrium.
Several local and regional authors will be on hand on Saturday in “Author’s Row,” and many will be signing copies of their work. Copies of the Tusculum Review past and present will also be available.
Participating writers include: Dr. Robert Pollock, a 1965 alumnus of Tusculum College; Susan D. Vance, a 1991 alumna of the College; Travis Reynolds; Matilda Green, admissions, records and communications clerk for the College; Jack Smith, director of the library for Tusculum College; Emory Rhea Raxter; George Ryan, a 1975 alumnus of the College; Dr. Joel Van Amberg, associate professor of history; Lisa Hall; I.S. Moore; Joe Kilday; Kim Rhor, and Ruth Kross, adjunct faculty at the College.
Both the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library and the Doak House Museum will be open to visitors during the festival and will have special activities planned for adults and children.
A special Civil War exhibit, “Scholars then Soldiers” will be featured during the weekend of the Old Oak Festival at the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library. Exhibit hours are Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Another unique feature will be an opportunity to participate in the “Big Box” experience. The Big Box project is an exhibition of video art created by Tusculum College Professor Chris Jacek and students in his digital media department. In the Big Box experience, projection is used to create an enclosed video room that offers both surround sound and surround vision.
The Big Box experience is free of charge. It will be open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Annie Hogan Byrd Auditorium.
The festival will also feature children’s activities and storytelling performances, as well as a chapel service on Sunday morning at the Garland Library.
There is no fee to attend the festival. Art vendor hours will be Friday from noon until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, contact Vance at 423-636-7303.
Parking will be available off Shiloh Road and across the Erwin Highway. No alcohol will be sold or permitted on campus. Coolers are also prohibited.