Smithville Jamboree

July 5-6

It was time to experience a Tennessee style Bluegrass/Old-Time Competition Festival.  Well, the 42^nd Smithville Jamboree was not what I expected; it was a combination of a street fair, a hometown celebration, and a music competition.  

Yes, it is held downtown Smithville TN, a quaint southern town with a struggling town center.  The drug store, soda fountain, cafe, dress shops, city building, and library make It obvious this was a busy town until the advent of box stores.

Being Tennessee the focus is Bluegrass with a little Old-time and considering the venue this makes perfect sense.  The community comes to listen and be entertained by the performances; Bluegrass is the flashier style and perfect for stage performances where as Old-time focuses on barn dances, silly songs, and vaudeville. 

Friday was a beautiful day and gave the vendors and festival organizers ample time to set-up on the day after July 4^th.  

Getting ready for the Jamboree

July 5th, we arrived mid-day Friday to discover local churches and community organizations opened their doors to the public by serving home cooked goodies, hot dogs, and burgers.  In addition they held garage sales to support their ministries.  One group served freshly made ice cream so fresh it was still soft! 

Back on the street we found the usual booths containing food vendors, clothing, gourmet and local food items, personal care, arts, crafts, and more... about 10 blocks worth.

But the rain started falling late Friday night so Saturday in Smithville was a different story.  It was wet! 

Streets were wet, chairs were wet, tents caved under the rush of water, and many vendors packed up and left by early afternoon.  But people still came and the show went.  The stage was dry and most competitors were anxious to strut their stuff for a chance at the prize money.  The audience donned rain wear, umbrellas, found shelter under an overhang, or simply stood in the rain.

Thank you to Smithville for an interesting and rewarding experience.