Heritage

Museum becomes a tapestry of quilts for Heritage Festival

Patricia Walker's Best Heritage Quilt for 2022

Thirty-five quilts from hand stitched to machine designed adorned the Union County Museum upper floor for the 2022 Union County Heritage Festival Quilt Show on October 1. Coordinating the event were Ellen Perry, Patricia Campbell, and Cleta Nelson Garner. The judges awarded hand stitched, quilted ribbons for a variety of categories.
Mitzi Talley took Best of Show and Best Patriotic Quilt awards. Patricia Walker received an award for the Best Heritage Quilt, Best Small Holiday Quilt, and the Best Small Quilted Item.

Tharps Harvest Last Crop of Tobacco in Union County

James and Lora Tharp with their last crop of tobacco hanging to cure in the family barn in Luttrell, Tennessee

Tobacco once was a way of life and a tradition. It is where people came from and how they grew up. A lot of hard work and pride went into the crop, but over the years it has become a dying tradition for many reasons, with little remaining in East Tennessee.

Union County Opry

Union  County Opry

Maynardville is now home to The Union County Opry. Known as the Cradle of County Music, Union County is noted for its musical heritage; four of its sons are now known throughout the world–Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Carl Smith, and Kenny Chesney. Lois Johnson, Hilda Kitts Harrill, and Melba Kitts Greene are among its best known women entertainers (https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/union-county/).

A Quilt Trail of Hay Bales

A Quilt Trail of Hay Bales

As the departure of the summer season nears, autumn is slowly breezing in on the dewy sunrise mornings and early sunset evenings. It is well-known that attending the Annual Union County Heritage Festival is a kick-off to the magical fall season here in Union County. The festival attracts all realms of people as there are vendors, contests, foods, and demonstrations to meet every expectation.