53rd Davy Crockett Days Celebration kicks off Oct. 4
By Alan Abbott
The Davy Crockett Days Advisory Committee and volunteers want to encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the 53rd Davy Crockett Days Festival.
The festival, held the first full week of October each year, gives us an opportunity to honor not only Colonel Crockett, but all those who came before us to make Rutherford and the surrounding area a great place to live. The dates for this year’s festival will be Oct. 4-10.
The current COVID-19 situation has caused the committee to make some tough decisions to make each event as safe as possible. Some events have had to be cancelled and others moved outside to allow for social distancing. In the event of bad weather, events are subject to cancellation since some things just cannot be safely moved inside. Everyone is encouraged to wear masks and social distance at any and all events and if someone does not feel well, they should not attend at all.
This year, Davy Days 2020 masks and T-shirts are available for purchase. Masks are $10, and shirts in adult sizes S-XL are $12 and 2X and larger are $14. These are available at City Hall and Changes.
The Davy Rocks Scavenger Hunt returns this year, but with a twist. Keep an eye on the festival’s social media sites for details. Also, watch for details for a social media Photography Contest and our Yard Decorating Contest. Residents are encouraged to decorate their yards for fall, and the winner of the decorating contest will be announced during festival week.
The week will kick off on Sunday, Oct. 4, with Opening Ceremonies and Flag Raising at the cabin at 2 p.m. Immediately following those festivities, the Rutherford Lions Club is sponsoring an Ice Cream Social. At 5 on Sunday evening, we will have a worship service at the cabin. Bro. Sammy Dowland, the pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, will bring the message. Bring your lawn chair and join in this time of worship.
On Monday night, the popular Trivia Tournament will return. This event, which is normally held at Station 9 Rescue Squad building, will be moved to Jones Volunteer Park beginning at 7 p.m. Teams should consist of no more than 10 people, and the entry fee will be $1 per team member. The First Baptist Church will once again furnish prizes for the winning team.
Tuesday night’s events will also be moved to Jones Volunteer Park. Station 9 will sponsor a Chili Supper beginning at 5 p.m. Chili and the trimmings along with hot dogs will be available. This will lead to Bingo, beginning at 7 p.m. on the WOW parking lot. A special thank you goes out to our local businesses for their generous donations that make this event so worthwhile.
One important change has been made to this event concerning how you will pay to play. Instead of passing a bucket, you will be asked to make a donation, $10 is preferred but any donation will be appreciated. This should save time throughout the night and the games can just continue until all the prizes are gone. This event has traditionally paid for much of the festival expenses, so please make your donation as you arrive. Come on out for a fun night.
The First Baptist Church will host a faith-based movie on Wednesday night. This year they will be showing “I Still Believe.” The movie will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the church lawn weather permitting or inside if necessary. Thanks to FBC for hosting this special worship opportunity.
Thursday evening usually affords a fun time with the Community Night Out. However, it has been decided that this event should not be held this year due to COVID-19 concerns. An attempt was made to have the Country Opry Show again since it was so well attended and enjoyed last year, but that show also had to be cancelled for this year. The committee is continuing to work to get something planned for these two evenings, but those plans have not been finalized. Friday afternoon, a reception for this year’s grand marshal will be held in City Hall beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Saturday will be the big day with activities all day and into the night. There will be arts and crafts and food vendors downtown all day. An Antique Tractor Show will be held on the lot behind the Rutherford Fire Department with registration beginning at 9 a.m. and awards presented at 12:30 p.m. he Pet Show will get underway on the tennis court behind Rutherford School at 10 a.m. Also, about that time, Station 9 will have their BBQ ready to start selling. It will be available at their facility until it is gone. Registration for the grand parade will begin at 1 p.m. near Davy’s cabin.
The Parade will begin promptly at 2 p.m. Obviously, it will be difficult to practice social distancing along the parade route. However, please do the best that you can to spread out along the parade route. Following the parade, around 3:30 p.m., there will be bluegrass and gospel music on the Davy Crockett Cabin porch. The festival will close with a fireworks show at the park at 8:30 p.m.
As always, a great deal of work has gone into planning the festival, so the committee hopes that you will come out and participate and enjoy as many of the events as you can. This year’s planning was especially challenging, but rest assured the committee has worked very hard to make plans for a safe and enjoyable week. Thanks to all who have helped in any way in the planning stages.
There are always places that help is needed at the various events. If you would be willing to help, email davycrockettdays@outlook.com or call Alan Abbott at 514-6483. You can follow all the plans and events on Facebook at Davy Crockett Days – Rutherford, Tennessee or Town of Rutherford, Tennessee and on Instagram @davycrockettdays.
