Tusculum's Old Oak Festival

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of attending the Old Oak Festival at Tusculum College, located in tiny Tusculum, Tennessee. We met some new friends, connected with old ones, and generally had a splendid time.

Every time I read or hear someone talking about the backward hillbillies of the southern Appalachians, I want to point them toward Tusculum College. Founded before Tennessee became a state, it is the oldest college east of the mountains, and accepted women, free blacks and Native Americans from its inception. The founder, Samuel Doak, was a Presbyterian minister who gave the invocation as the heroes of the Battle of Kings Mountain departed upper East Tennessee to do battle with the British in South Carolina. His home, adjacent to the campus, is open to visitors, having been restored to its 18th Century stateliness.

Amid the centuries-old trees that give the festival its name, the oldest building still standing on campus was once the library. When it was constructed in 1841, one of the donors was Andrew Johnson, Greeneville's most famous native son. Today the building serves as a museum.

The festival celebrates local artists, craftspeople, and musicians, with continuous performances by local and regional talent, a food court, and vendors selling everything from T-shirts to hand crafted furniture.

Learn more here, and make plans to attend next April. Accommodations in the area include several major chains, along with the General Morgan Inn, a 5-star property on Greeneville's Main Street.

Before returning on Sunday, we enjoyed the hike to Marguerite Falls, along a trail lined with numerous wildflowers, including the showy display of halberd-leaf violets accompanying this post.