On Saturday, December 3rd and Sunday, December 4th, Brush Creek Baptist Church will host a Life of Christ Christmas Drive-Thru for all to enjoy.

This event will take place from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. each night.

Donations for the church’s Hats of Love Ministry are greatly appreciated!

For more information, please call 615-683-8249, or email bcmbc@dtccom.net. In case of inclement weather, please call the above number and listen to the recording.

Brush Creek Baptist Church is located at 26 School House Circle in Brush Creek, Tennessee.

The 4th Annual Grand & Glorious Christmas Show will be held at the Pleasant Shade Community Center on Saturday, December 3, 2022. The show will start at 2:00 p.m. and will honor and celebrate the Pleasant Shade Volunteer Fire Department. Several local musical guests will be featured.

A $5 donation taken at the door will benefit the Fire Department. There will also be a silent auction and refreshments for sale.

The Pleasant Shade Community Center is located at 743 Pleasant Shade Highway in Pleasant Shade, Tennessee.

Chapel Hill Church will host a Chili Supper on Saturday, November 19th from 4-7 p.m. Soup with fixins, dessert and drink will be available for $6. Whole Cakes and homemade ice cream by the gallon will also be for sale. Participants can also enter to win a country ham. Delivery is available in some areas but must be scheduled by Noon on Friday, November 18th. Call the number listed above.

Youth and Family Resource Network (The Spot) will host a Community Thanksgiving Feast on Monday, November 21st 6-8 p.m. All are welcome and invited to attend. Turkey and all the fixings will be served.Contact Barbara Kannapel for more information at the number above.

This Small Business Saturday, November 26, 2022 the Smith County Events Committee and the Chamber of Commerce will Co-Host for a Shop-A-Round Passport Event. The Smith County Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring two cash prizes and the event is FREE to participate in!

How to play:
Pick up a passport week of
Visit local businesses
Learn about them and/or shop with them
Get a stamp
Complete your passport
Turn in at the designated locations!

100% stamped will be entered for $100 cash prize
50% stamped will be entered for a $50 cash prize

Locations for passport pick up and drop off will be posted the Monday before Small Business Saturday.

There will be a table set up somewhere in Carthage on Main Street with goodies and passports as well!!

For local, small business owners:
To be on the passport you must be a chamber member, but there is no other fee. We are seeking businesses that want to be on the passport and that are willing to host a traveling small business for the day so we can support as many locals as possible! If you want to skip the call to participate just email smithcountyevents@gmail.com with your business name and if you are willing to host a traveling business!

Carthage, TN- The US Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), will be hosting the 11th Annual Defeated Creek Youth Deer Management Hunt at the Defeated Creek Recreation Area on December 3rd and 4th 2022.

The hunt will commence Saturday morning and conclude Sunday at noon. This year’s hunt is planned to accommodate 8 permitted hunters and 2 alternates with the goal of improved management of the deer herd populations within the area. There will be 5 rifle permits granted along with 3 archery permits at Defeated Creek Recreation Area. Hunters must be between the ages of 10 and 16 to apply for the hunt and must have completed a TWRA approved hunter safety education class.

All youth hunters must also be accompanied by a mentor 21 years or older who must also be hunter safety certified unless born on or before January 1, 1969. Applications are available at the Cordell Hull Lake Resource Manager’s Office located at 71 Corps Lane Carthage, TN 37030. Applications must be received by 4:00 PM Central Standard Time on Friday November 4th, 2022. For additional information, please contact the Cordell Hull Lake Resource Manager’s Office at 615-735-1034.

To get more information about this events and other programs offered by the US Army Corp of Engineers and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) check out their websites.

Are you ready Smith County? For the first ever of it’s kind within our county lines – drum roll- Upper Cumberland Game Con! What is this, you may ask? UCGC is a unique gathering space for gamers of all kinds. You like, RPGs? Awesome, they’ve got tons for you! Are you a board gamer? Sweet, there’s plenty for you, too! Everything from Trading Card Games (TCG) to Live-action Role Playing (LARP,) there’s something for just about everyone. Let’s dig in to find out more about the who, what, when, where, and why of it all.

Who? Local game store owner, Stephanie Winfree, of The Rogue and Raven has spearheaded the entirety of Upper Cumberland Game Con. She started with an idea, found a space, brought in vendors, and now it’s up to you all to bring in the crowds.

What is going to be at this con, you’re wondering? Laughs in gamer It’s going to be a fun-filled and action-packed day. For those of you who love TCGs or are interested in learning they will have Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon tournaments. Or maybe you are looking for a more immersive experience? Find yourself at a table for Warhammer, a D&D homebrew one shot, Dungeon Crawl Classics, or Call of Cthulhu. If you’re new to D&D or needing a refresher, there will also be a character building session!

So, let’s say RPGs don’t quite fit your fancy and you need to be all-in, talk the talk and walk the walk, possibly even wear the wares? They’ve got you covered with an entire LARP area! The LARP arena will open at 10am for training following with actual battle rounds starting at 4pm and lasting through the duration of the con.

If you’re looking for a more laid back experience, there will be tables for casual play, a plethora of board games to play hosted by Music City Geeks, face painting and temporary tattoos by a local artist and, we can’t forget to mention the food trucks and many splendored vendors. These vendors are showing up and showing out with all kinds of goodies from K-Pop, accessories and trinkets, games, collectibles, books and more!

When and where will this fascinating event be taking place? Mark your calendars for November 19th, 2022, starting at 10am (9:30 for VIP attendees) lasting through midnight at the Smith County Ag Center. For more detailed information, tickets, and to pre-register for events, go to TheRogueAndRaven.com/GameCon.

Bring the whole family, there will be yard games for the kiddos! Dive into a new hobby or pick up an old one. Find gifts for the upcoming holidays. Treat yourself! There’s a whole new world to experience at Upper Cumberland Game Con. (written by Jess Knowles)

The Smith County Drug Prevention Coalition will host a Parent Night Out on Monday, November 14th, at 6:00pm at the Smith Co. Chamber of Commerce. They will provide a free lasagna dinner and education on how you can talk to your children and teenagers about the dangers of substance use. Participants will be able to take home materials that will help guide the conversation with children about substance use. There will be time for questions!

This event is ONLY for parents, please make arrangements for your children. It is a FREE event, but we do ask that you register at Eventbrite to help us plan.

Lots of crafts and specialty items will be for sale at the Amazing Grace Marketplace on November 5th 2022 event. Breakfast and lunch baked goods will be available. Come shop early for the holiday season at 118 East Main Street, Gordonsville, TN from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Smith County and the Upper Cumberland area! As we continue into the Christmas season, several area Christmas Parades will be held for you to enjoy. 

The Carthage Christmas Parade is the first in the lineup, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 27, 2022. Smith County Hometown Christmas will also be held in Downtown Carthage on Sunday beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Gordonsville Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.

Look below to see a list of other Christmas parades happening in and around the Upper Cumberland:

• Smithville – Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. 
• Lafayette – Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. 
• Watertown – Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.
• Woodbury – Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.
• Red Boiling Springs – Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
• Lebanon – Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. 
• Liberty – Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
• Alexandria – Sunday, December 4, 2022 at 5:00 p.m.
• Hartsville – Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
• Mt. Juliet – Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.
• Cookeville – Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

Know of any more Christmas parades in the area? Let us know! Send us a message on Facebook with the location, date, and time of the parade, and we will add it to our list!