Heritage Days in Rogersville, Tennessee

The historic town of Rogersville, Tennessee will host Heritage Days, October 12-14, 2007. Started in l978 by the Rogersville Heritage Association to celebrate the heritage and history of Rogersville and Hawkins County, the festival has been held each year since on the first full weekend in October. Set up in historic downtown Rogersville, the festival attracts more than 40,000 visitors for the weekend. Billed as one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast for the month of October, there will be a lot to see and do while you are in town. In addition to over 100 arts and craft booths, there will be music, storytelling, dancers, antique quilts, antique cars and farm equipment, a quilt show, craft demonstrations, Civil war re-enactments, a children's activities area, children's train and, of course, food. Some of the master craftsmen will be putting on demonstrations of the making of their craft. Demonstrations you may see could include pottery, wood carvings or basket weaving. Some of the music being provided will be Appalachian and Celtic music. There will also be an art show.

The festival begins on Friday evening October 12, with a costumed children's parade then a chili cook-off. There will be several antique cars on display for the cruise-in. Activities will continue Saturday morning in the streets of downtown Rogersville. While walking the streets of downtown visiting all the booths, make sure you stop and visit some of the local shops and restaurants.

The town of Rogersville is full of history and plenty of historic sites to see as well. Rogersville is the 2nd oldest town in the State of Tennessee and home to the state's first published newspaper in l791. Rogersville was settled in early 1780 by Joseph Rogers in what is now known as Crockett Spring Park, which is located in downtown. A tavern and home built by Joseph Rogers still stands in the park. While visiting the festival, you may want to take a stroll through this beautiful park and visit the tavern and home. The downtown district of Rogersville is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another place to stop and visit while in town for the festival is Sinking Spring. Sinking Spring, also called the Ebbing & Flowing Spring, is only one of two such springs in the US which shows tidal characteristics. For a period of 2 hours and 47 minutes each day, the flow of the spring goes from just a trickle to 500 gallons of water per minute. The spring also maintains a constant temperature of 34 degrees. The spring is located just 2 miles from downtown.

The festival is open until dark each day. Rogersville is easy to access, located between Kingsport, Tennessee and Knoxville, Tennessee on Highway 11W. Admission to the festival is free. For a full list of activities and places to see while you are in town, you can contact the Rogersville Heritage Association at 423-272-1961.

Visiting Heritage Days in Rogersville is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy.