Jonesborough Days: The Quintessential Small-Town 4th of July Celebration

In the land of lakes and mountains, tucked into the rolling foothills of extreme northeast Tennessee, is the tiny town of Jonesborough. With a population of around 4,000 residents, the town- at first glance- doesn't seem to have much more to offer than its most well known claim to fame: it is the oldest town west of the Appalachian mountains.

The town's tiny stature belies its ability to attract tourists of all ages, though. In addition to being one of the first entire towns ever added to the National Register of Historic Places, it is also home to the National Storytelling Festival (the world's largest gathering of professional storytellers) in October and Jonesborough Days, an event consistently rated as one of the top 20 summer events in the Southeast.

The Jonesborough Days event is traditionally held over two or three days on the weekend closest to the Fourth of July. To many, the event has evolved into the quintessential small-town, Southern celebration of Independence Day. Whatever you picture when thinking of a Southern summer celebration- from parades and fireworks to white-suited, straw-hat wearing politicians campaigning on the courthouse steps- Jonesborough Days serves it up in a mix suitable for all ages.

While the event may sometimes span as many as four days, the highlight of the festival normally occurs on Saturday. The biggest day of the celebration, Saturday sees a traditional parade- complete with fire trucks, horses, beauty queens and tractors- roll down Main Street at 10:00am. Twelve hours later, at 10:00pm, the sky over the small town's courthouse lights up with a simple (but elegant) fireworks demonstration, with booms loud enough to vibrate the very mountains on which the town was built (Jonesborough's bigger neighbor, Johnson City, holds a bigger and more professional pyrotechnic display which attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers; this display is located about ten miles to the east).

The time between these events is filled with an array of activities, usually structured around Jonesborough history and small-town values. The porch of the courthouse in the middle of town serves as a stage for everything from political campaigns to bluegrass bands, with constituents or dancers filling the street at the corresponding times. Local merchants peddle their wares along the rest of Main Street (sometimes spilling over to side streets) with offerings such as custom wood fixtures, homemade soaps, signs and jams and, of course, lots of toys and attractions for children. Jonesborough's renowned antique merchants also open their doors for extended hours during the celebration, affording shoppers from around the country an opportunity to take home an old Tennessee souvenir.

No small town celebration is complete without food, though, and the local merchants make great efforts to ensure no one in town is hungry. The celebration's food court presents an offering of chain restaurants juxtaposed by an individual cook with a barbecue grill, with the majority of fare falling somewhere in the middle and served out of concession trailers owned by local restaurants. Followers of barbecue will find a plethora of offerings available from some of the best shops in the region, and Southern staples such as sweet tea, lemonade and funnel cakes are more than abundant. Specialty vendors offering things such as fresh pork rinds are also present, and many leave with a new acquired taste.

Without a doubt, Jonesborough Days has earned its reputation as one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast, and has enjoyed that title for a number of years. This event is a must-see for anyone in the Southeastern United States. In 2006, the event will be held on July 1 - July 2, with lodging available in several local inns and bed and brefasts, and additional lodging available in nearby towns (such as Johnson City).

For more information, visit the town's website: http://www.jonesboroughtn.org/

Information can also be gleaned from calling the town's Visitor Center at (423) 753-1011.