The 18th Union County Heritage Festival encourages all area quilters to enter the Union County Heritage Festival Quilt Show on October 1 at the Union County Museum and is sponsored by the Union County Historical Society.
Intricately crafted ribbons are given in a variety of categories. A special recognition is awarded for the Best Heritage Quilt, the quilt that best exemplifies the festival theme or the general heritage of Union County. The 2022 theme is “Follow your Heart” and is a tribute to Carl Smith and the many love songs he recorded.

The Union County Heritage Festival Art Show on October 2 had nearly 100 entries. Betty Bullen and her staff welcomed numerous artists and tourists to Union County.

Nearly 3,000 visitors answered the Union County Heritage Festival invitation to “Take a Country Road” to historic Maynardville, the cradle of country music, for the 16th annual event on October 2.
Visitors clapped hands and tapped toes to tunes by Flashback, Southern Spirit, Norris Freeway, Sleepy Eyed John, The Gospel Strings, Joseph Hensley and Dustin Ford. They marveled at young Silas Tian's fiddle playing of “Millionaire's Hoedown” and celebrated Eric Nafziger, Austin Stovall, and Marshal Murphy as they placed first, second and third in the 3rd annual Heritage Fiddle Contest.

As the 2021 theme says, tourists from area counties as well as several states plan to “Take a Country Road” for the Union County Heritage Festival on Saturday, October 2.
Just follow Thunder Road (Hwy 33) and Wilson Lane to all of the festivities in Wilson Park. Visitors can board the free shuttle (the big yellow bus) sponsored by Monroe Bus Lines, State Farm Insurance, and City of Plainview to view the Quilt Show, talk to the authors, and eat some country cookin' at the Union County Museum.

When the Union County Heritage Festival (UCHF) committee announced the theme for the 2021 Heritage Festival to be "Take A Country Road," my mind immediately went to what a one might have seen as he or she traveled down a country road in Union County some fifty-plus years ago. For sure, one would have seen a tobacco patch, or 'bakker patch' as it might have been called back then.

“Take a Country Road” to UT Extension Union County, 3925 Maynardville Highway, on Wednesday, September 29, and bring your best pie to enter the Union County Heritage Festival Pie Baking Contest.
UT Extension Union County will host the pie contest. Alyshia Victoria, Food and Consumer Science Agent, will be the coordinator.
Fruit, nut, and other are the categories. Winning pie bakers will receive cash prizes and ribbons.

It’s time to get those quilts ready for the 16th Annual Union County Heritage Festival Quilt Show on October 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union County Museum at 3824 Maynardville Highway in Maynardville.
All quilters are invited to bring their quilts to the museum on Thursday, September 30, between 1:30 and 6 p.m. Ellen Perry and Patricia Campbell will be at the museum to accept entries. Quilts will be judged and ribbons placed to be ready for viewing on Saturday during the festival.

Union County Heritage Festival Art Show and Contest will occur on Saturday, October 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Historic Snodderly House, 720 Main St., Maynardville.
Cash awards and ribbons will be given for Best Heritage, Best of Show, 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in two- and three-dimensional works and photography. Ribbons will be given to Honorable Mentions.

At the July meeting, the Union County Heritage Festival Board and Committee voted to postpone the Heritage Festival to 2021. “We decided to take that country road right on into next year,” commented Director Marilyn Toppins. "With every East Tennessee county experiencing spread above the CDC containment threshold, the risk overcame the ability to keep our patrons and volunteers safe."

While the pandemic has kept people at home, the Heritage Festival Committee has been busy planning the 16th Annual Union County Heritage Festival.
October 3, 2020, is the date to circle on the calendar.