There is something exciting going on every week here in our area; from downtown festivals to sporting events to live music to craft beer tastings, there's something for everyone. With strong community involvement for each event, guests will have an incredible experience, leaving a lasting impression. Want to share YOUR event or activity? Please add it to our event calendar now...
After Dark Movies in the Park
This summer outdoor movie series brings family-friendly features to the Dogwood Performance Pavilion in Dogwood Park each Friday in June. Admission is free. Movies begin at dusk.
Date/Time: June
Art Prowl
Art Prowl is Cookeville, TN's annual 2 day, free, mostly walkable art tour each fall. Meet 30+ artists in studios, galleries and other locations in Historic West Side and downtown. Featuring the best art in the Upper Cumberland area, plus demonstrations, kids' activities, and ART Prowl specials at local shops, cafes and pubs. Media: Clay, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Metal, Painting/Drawing, Print making, Sculpture and Wood. ART Prowl supports local artists, businesses and art education, and integrates art into our community.
Date/Time: November
Bacchanal: A Celebration of Art, Wine, and Food
Enjoy live music, bid on fine art donated by regional and nationally renowned artists during a live auction benefiting TTU arts scholarships. Feast on a gourmet co*cktail buffet and sample an extensive selection of wine and beer. Take home a commemorative wine glass or pilsner.
Date/Time: October
Blues and Brews Craft Beer Festival
Cookeville’s premier outdoor music and craft beer festival with more than 80 craft beers to savor in downtown's Dogwood Park. Benefiting WCTE, the Upper Cumberland's PBS station.
Date/Time: October
Boswell's Country Roads Harley-Davidson Toy Parade
Benefitting the Cookeville Police Department charity programs, join in a parade of motorcycles riding for a reason each holiday season. Staging at Boswell's Country Roads Harley-Davidson.
Date/Time: November
Celebration of Craft
An open-house event exploring the Appalachian Center for Craft facilities and grounds. A remote campus location of Tennessee Tech University, the center will host a fun, educational and entertaining day with live music, demonstrations, kids' crafts, gallery discounts, and more. Admission is free.
Date/Time: April
Christmas in the Park
Christmas in the Park kicks off to welcomes guests to Dogwood Park to “flip the switch” on the community Christmas tree and light display.
Date/Time: December - January
Cooking on the Square
Cookeville’s historic downtown square is transformed into a Cajun culinary destination the last Friday of October with live music and more than 75 teams preparing gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice. $25 provides a handmade ceramic bowl, all you can eat lunch and funds for Putnam County Habitat for Humanity.
Date/Time: October
Cummins Falls Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10K, and 5K
Select one of four scenic race routes along the Blackburn Fork State Scenic River for the Cummins Falls Marathon. Full-Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10K, and 5K raise funds to protect Cummins Falls State Park.
Date/Time: February
Dogapalooza
Join our #CKVLCanines at the Cane Creek Dog Park for a day to celebrate your fur-ever friend. Dogapalooza consists of various animal demonstrations, an off-leash play area, an agility course, vendors, activities for owners and dogs, educational areas and a Kids’ Dog Show. Admission is free.
Date/Time: April
Downtown Film Festival
Celebrate local filmmakers and storytellers at WCTE's Downtown Film Festival showcasing winning films and workshops.
Date/Time: August
Fall FunFest
Experience two days of fall fun as thousands descend upon Cookeville’s historic downtown square for food, live music, art & crafts, and lots of fun activities for kids including PBS/WCTE’s Stations of Imagination.
Date/Time: September
Haunted Half-Marathon
In partnership with Run the Cumberland, take part in this Halloween-themes race around Cookeville. All Haunted Half-Marathon runners will receive a race medal and t-shirt. Registration opens in May. Be sure to attend WCTE's Blues and Brews Craft Beer Festival that begins later in the afternoon.
Date/Time: October
Monterey Cruise-Ins
Come reminisce about the sweet rides of the past refurbished with tender, loving care at the Monterey Farmer's Market.
Date/Time: The fourth Saturday of each month at Monterey Farmer’s Market (April-October).
Monterey Movie in the Park
As part of the Monterey Movie in the Park summer series, watch a movie under the stars at Whitaker Park.
Date/Time: The last Saturday of each month from May to September.
Monterey Standing Stone Day
Join in and visit Monterey for the annual Standing Stone Day celebration as the community’s history centered on the iconic Standing Stone Monument comes to life. Sitting atop the monument is the only remaining piece of the dog-shaped monolith carved by the members of the Cherokee Nation dating to prehistoric times. The monument bearing the stone was built in 1895 by the Naragansett Tribe No. 25 and was the focal point of the first-ever Standing Stone Day that year, in which 3,000 residents, visitors, citizens and dignitaries came to dedicate the Standing Stone Monument. That was the day the town’s history was carved in stone.
Date/Time: October
Putnam County Fair
Music, midway and more, this almost century-old-event is held each summer and is a favorite of many. The fair offers carnival rides, beauty pageants, a rodeo, livestock and poultry competition, western dance competitions, a strongman competition, a quarter/walking horse show, motorcycle racing, demolition derby, gospel singing and much, much more, all at low or no cost.
Date/Time: End of July-Beginning of August
Red, White, and Boom
A fun and festive option for families, girlfriend getaways, bro trips and couples, celebrate America with Cookeville’s Red, White & BOOM Celebration. With multi-day events, Cookeville knows how to show our country’s independence. There’s even a 1,000-ft waterslide through the middle of downtown! From Slide CKVL to cruise-ins to patriotic parades to firecracker flea markets to concerts to the 2nd largest fireworks show in Tennessee, there is something for everyone at this FREE, freedom event.
Date/Time: July 4th Weekend
StoryFest in the Park
Lend us your ears, for tales under a tent in Dogwood Park. Storytellers from all over will be present to delight guests for this all-day event in Cookeville’s downtown. Admission is free.
Date/Time: May
Take Flight with Tennessee Flying Machines
Take flight with the Tippins as famed country music singer/songwriter Aaron Tippin and his family offer up unique flight experiences. Tennessee Flying Machines, located at the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport in Sparta, TN, provides scenic flights around the beautiful Upper Cumberland, complete with waterfalls and lake views, in restored warbird planes. Gain your pilot's license or feature planes in photos or special occasion events. Tennessee Flying Machines also serves as an aircraft maintenance and restoration facility.
Date/Time: YEAR-ROUND
Taste of the Town
Taste of the Town is a memorable evening of food and festivities, featuring more than 25 local restaurants in appreciation of CityScape members. CityScape is an organization focusing on downtown preservation and revitalization.
Date/Time: May
Tennessee Tech University Athletics
With 14 NCAA Division I sports programs, Tennessee Tech is home to all the athletic action you can handle. Catch a football game inside newly renovated Tucker Stadium or big-time college basketball inside the Hooper Eblen Center. The university also fields highly competitive baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, golf, track, and cross country teams.
Date/Time: YEAR-ROUND
Upper Cumberland Home and Garden Show
The annual home & garden show hosted by the Home Builders Association of the Upper Cumberland showcasing builders, landscapers and home improvement ideas and trends.
Date/Time: March
Wine on the WestSide
Wine on the WestSide is an annual event hosted by CityScape with sponsors throughout the community. The event features more than 125 wines and craft beers for attendees to sample. The wine and beer come from vineyards and microbreweries around the world. In addition to these fantastic tastings, there are also food booths from various local restaurants and caterers. The event also features live music and even a beer tasting seminar. Be sure not to miss this memorable event!
Date/Time: August
Run For The Wall -
Run For The Wall is the largest and longest organized cross-country motorcycle run of its kind in the world. Register and ride with us for as many days and miles as you'd like. Join us at one of our overnight stops, on one of our Four Routes. We travel from California to Washington, D.C. and from Washington, D.C. to Marseilles, Illinois every May with over 1,800+ participants annually.
Date/Time: May
TennGreen Land Conservancy's Hike-a-Thon -
TennGreen Land Conservancy's Hike-a-Thon is an event unlike any other in the Southeast! This event celebrates the great outdoors and raises much-needed funds for conservation by connecting participants with nature and awarding outstanding prizes to individuals and teams throughout the month of June. There are several prize categories for participants interested in hiking, paddling, mountaint biking, climbing, and more! Through this peer-to-peer fundraising event, participants can serve as active advocated for conservation by inviting their firends, family, and colleagues to support them in their endeavors. Unlike a one-day race or walk, the Hike-a-Thon is a month-long event-enabling people of all ages, locations, and abilities to "compete" for a good cause!
Date/Time: June
