On Friday November 22 4pm – 7pm A Hometown Community Thanksgiving Dinner will be held at the the Smith County Ag Center.

This special event is an opportunity for neighbors to come together and celebrate the season of gratitude. Enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal featuring roast turkey, delicious side dishes, and tasty desserts. Food while supplies last, so be sure to come early!

This event is FREE and everyone is welcome, whether you’re sharing the holiday with family or just looking for a warm meal and good company. We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to join us for an evening of community, fellowship, and giving thanks.

Join Us for a Hilarious Christmas Classic performed by the Students of Smith County!

Get ready for some holiday fun as Smith County Playhouse presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever November 14th-18th! This delightful show is adapted from the bestselling Young Adult book and has become a holiday staple for groups across the United States.

Watch as a couple tries to put on a church Christmas pageant with the Herdmans—the most chaotic kids you could imagine. With mayhem, laughs, and even a few heartwarming Christmas carols, this show is perfect for getting into the holiday spirit!

Tickets: Available online at the link https://smithcounty.booktix.com or at the door.

Don’t miss out on the laughs and holiday cheer. We hope to see you there!

The Smith County Drug Prevention Coalition will host a Veterans Luncheon on Wednesday, November 13th at 11:30 a.m. at the Smith County Chamber of Commerce, 939 Upper Ferry Road, Carthage.

The event is open to the community and is free. The guest speakers will include Lifeliner for Region 3N and US Marine Corp Veteran, Pete Smith a US Marine Corps Veteran

High Point Health Riverview will host a book and gift sale offered by TriState Book Fairs on Friday, November 22nd 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. There will be lots of great selections for all ages. All proceed benefit the volunteer program at the hospital.

American Legion Post 57 will be conducting its annual Poppy Drive on November 8th and 9^th.  Members will be located at Walmart and SavWay in Carthage, and at the El Corral in Gordonsville. Come and say hello to some of Smith County’s Veterans and get a Poppy. Donations are welcome. 

The Smith County Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 10^th at 2 p.m. The parade will travel down Main Street starting from Carmack Ave and end in front of the Historic Courthouse. A ceremony will begin immediately following the parade at the courthouse. This year’s guest speaker will be Command Sergeant Major(Ret) James Kyle.

Line up for parade participants begins at 1 p.m. in front of Powell and Meadows Insurance along Carmack Ave.  All Veterans are invited to walk or ride on the trailers provided in the parade. 

Come out and help us celebrate Veterans Day.

The Carthage Junction Depot will host its yearly Art Crawl on Saturday, November 9. This is a spectacular way to complete your Christmas shopping early with unique, handcrafted goods while supporting local businesses. Local Artists and craftsmen will have pop up shops in 8 different locations around Carthage. Maps of the participating locations will be available at Citizens Bank, Carthage and at any hosting shop. Visitors who get their map stamped at every location can drop their map off at the Carthage Junction Depot to be included in a drawing for a basket full of items from every participating store and artist in the Crawl. 

This year’s Art Crawl welcomes the following artists: 

Erica Apple has been tie dying for over 5 years and continues to amaze customers with the vibrant colors and beautiful variety of styles and designs she lovingly creates by hand.

Tetiana Suzi is an artist specializing in Impressionist-style oil paintings. Her work focuses on capturing the beauty of everyday scenes and other inspirations close to her heart with a fresh, spontaneous approach. Her collection includes a variety of subjects, from serene landscapes and still life to lively animal portraits, all painted with a sense of emotion and movement. You’ll find both small, intimate pieces and larger works. Explore her art and discover the joy and energy she pours into every painting.

Lori Greer, the creator behind Loops & Leather, loves all things fiber art from processing wool to spinning & weaving with traditional methods and tools. She offers Farm to Functional items with the fleeces from her small “flerd” of Angora goats & Merino sheep along with natural cotton for kitchen linens.

“I am a small-town professional artist with over 25 years of devotion, education, and experience, and I specialize in drawing animals, specifically pets. I pride myself on memorializing our furry friends with timeless traditional portraits to keep their spirits with us even after they are gone. My art style is heavily inspired by vintage Art Nouveau and American Neo-Traditional tattoo, and I love to incorporate bright colors, metallics, and textures to make my drawings and paintings come to life.”

Cub Knob Creations specializes in using the ancient art of pyrography to make modern day jewelry, cutting boards, wall art, and other decorative items. Great for gifts or a piece of wearable art for yourself.

“I’m primarily known for my portrait art. I have a knack for capturing likenesses and creating something new. I’m often asked to include loved ones who have passed into new family portraits. I am versed in acrylic painting, charcoal, graphite and colored pencil. As for my personal art, I enjoy woodburning and am inspired by all aspects of nature.”

Barclea Rhea, affectionately known as Buddy, is the owner and operator of Buddy’s Art and Music (formerly Topper’s) in South Carthage. Most definitely a creative, “outside the box” thinker, you can often find wild creations from found objects in progress outside of his store. A accomplished painter, printmaker, and sculptor, he offers art lessons along with lessons in a variety of musical instruments available for sale in his business along with a small gallery of work by local artists.

Vine & Branch Sawmill, Esteban Reyes, and the work of several other local artists can be found at the Carthage Junction Depot. 

Daniel & Lauren Greenwood of Vine & Branch Sawmill are from Hickman, TN. Together, they create their work out of Eastern red cedar sourced within Middle Tennessee from log to finished piece.

We hope you will try to make it to all of these businesses that have generously opened their doors to host the talent of our county for this fun event! Keep an eye out for other upcoming events at the Carthage Junction Depot posted on the events tab of their Facebook page. December’s event will be a Gingerbread House competition open to the community for entries!

The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA) will hold a commodities distribution for Smith County on Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 9 until 11 a.m. at the Smith County Agricultural Center.

Sign-up will be available at the distribution site. The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, national origin, religion, or disability in admission to, access to, or operations of its
programs, services, or activities. This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.

About Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency: Established by the Tennessee General Assembly in
1973, the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA) uses a combination of funds from federal,
state, and local organizations to provide a wide variety of services and supports to the most vulnerable
individuals within our 14-county service region. UCHRA aims to help the Upper Cumberland region cultivate
self-sufficiency and build true wealth through innovation, collaboration, and leadership; envisioning a
region abundant in resources, fostering a productive and vibrant life for the people of the Upper
Cumberland.

The Smith County High School Soccer programs came together for a Co-Ed Alumni Game on Saturday October 26. The programs started in 2002 and 2003 and there were a few alumni from a decade back in attendance. Close to 25 former players showed up, not all to play, but most did take the pitch for a rousing full field game.

While it was pretty evident that not everyone has stayed in game day shape, the skills and ideas looked to be clear and intentional like no time had passed. Personality and smiles were abundant the entire time. Oh and if there are any doubts about it being too rough for the women to play with the men, you need to make your way to the Women’s games. The former Lady Owls definitely held their own and then some.

Unfortunately some events had been rescheduled for the same day due to the recent Hurricane, work schedules and even some college players having a schedule conflict meant that there were quite a few who could not make it, and they were greatly missed. However, this is now on the books as an annual October tradition and will remain Co-Ed until it is no longer possible, at which time there will be a Women’s game and a Men’s game.

Thank you Coach Kemp for putting this together, Coach Bussell and Kit Jenkins for standing in as the team coaches, the current Owls for officiating, Coach Lisa, The Lady Owls, the spectators, and of course the amazing Alumni. This was a fun and much needed day of family!

(article and photo submitted by Vivian Schaffers)

The lake shoreline clean-up for Cordell Hull will be held on Saturday, November 9th from 9 a.m. – Noon at the Roaring Rier Park 10417 Dodson Highway in Gainsboro TN.

Morning refreshments and lunch at Noon provided by the Friends of Cordell Hull Lake! The Annual Meeting will be held at Noon for volunteers and members.

Hometown Halloween is hoping to increase the Halloween experience for all the little candy goblins!! We have seen an increased nostalgia for traditional trick-or-treating and hope to provide a guide to families searching for the best route to travel for trick – or -treating.

Last year we tried to form a map but did not have enough people submit to make one. We are hoping this year we can grow it! Fill out the form in the link below to be a part of the first annual Trick-or-Treat Trail in Carthage! Submit by 10/27 to be included! https://forms.gle/W92fRvsB4Sce48696

What the Map will look like: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit… i

Hometown Halloween is October 31st from 6 PM to 9 PM. Carthage has a curfew of 8:00 PM. 

We suggest you have trick-or-treat set up 4:00PM to 8:00PM at your home!