On Thursday, April 16, 2026 at Noon, the Smith County Chamber of Commerce and the Carthage Rotary Club will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Storybook Trail at the Carthage Walking Track/ Dog Park at 350 Industrial Dr in Carthage. The trail is on the east side of Industrial Dr, and north of the intersection at Jefferson Av. West, near the City Pool.
This is the first Storybook Trail in the Carthage area. The trail is the result of a year of planning by the Carthage Rotary Club and partly funded by the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation. There are 76 Storybook Trails in Tennessee intended to strengthen early literacy through interactive reading experiences on trails for children from birth to third grade.
The Carthage Storybook Trail features pages from the book by local author, inventor and retired electrical engineer, Larry Puhl. Ethan’s Space Adventure features art work based on the author’s animated video and a story to inspire interest in space science for young readers.
Parents and children of all ages are invited to participate in space themed games, including stomp rockets, space bean bags, hand speed challenge and demonstrations on magnets, radio communication and gravity beginning at 11:30 AM. All are welcome to stay for the ribbon cutting at Noon and to walk the Storybook Trail.
