Mark your calendars for this year’s William Walton Harvest Festival, which will take place at the Historic Smith County Courthouse on Saturday, September 29, 2018. The day’s festivities will begin at 10:00 a.m.
During the day, vendors and craftsmen will be set up around the Historic Courthouse, transforming downtown Carthage into a Colonial Craftsmen’s Fair.
The festival will feature live music, food vendors, a kids area with a bungee jump activity, bouncy houses, balloon artists, face painting, small rides, and a dunking booth. A scavenger hunt, history demonstrations, and historical re-enactments are also planned.
DTC Communications will sponsor a Minute Man Call cash giveaway beginning at 11:00 a.m. Register with your name and phone number at the Smith County Chamber of Commerce booth for the chance to be called onstage to win a cash prize every 30 minutes.
The William Walton celebration will also include a ceremony with the DAR and the winner of the DAR essay contest.
All restaurants, clothing shops, and gift shops in downtown Carthage will be open that day.
The Smith County Heritage Museum will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., offering festival guests a chance to feel like they have stepped back into the past.
The Miss Harvest Queen Pageant will start at 4:00 p.m., followed by an exciting free performance by Forever Abbey Road at 7:00 p.m. to end the night.
This year’s William Walton Harvest Festival is brought to you by the Smith County Chamber of Commerce and these fine sponsors:
- DTC communications
- Citizens Bank
- Rackley Roofing
- Smith County Bank
- Walmart
- Wilson Bank and Trust
- Concordia Care Smith County
The William Walton Harvest Festival celebrates the rich history of Smith County and the founder of Carthage, Captain William Walton.
William Walton was the first settler in the frontier area which later became Carthage, Tennessee in 1783. Mr. Walton was given the Carthage, Tennessee land area for his loyal service in the American Army during the Revolutionary War for freedom against the British Empire from 1776 to 1781.
Many historians believe that Mr. Walton built a log cabin on the northeast bank of the Cumberland River in the future Carthage land area during 1783, very near his grave site of 1816.
In 1804, Mr. Walton decided to donate for the small amount of $1.00 50 acres of land to the Town of Carthage, Tennessee in order for a community to develop and create a future city government for the public welfare.
1n 1813, Mr. Walton donated more than two acres of his land inside the Carthage area to the Geneva Academy, which was a Tennessee State government public education institute which supplied teachers if the local community raised a portion of the money and provided a land area for a school as well as a school building. Later in 1814 he built the first Carthage public school in the area where the 1997 Citizens Bank of Carthage now stands. Geneva Academy of Carthage lasted from 1814 to 1907 when Carthage Mayor L.A. Ligon and the Carthage City Council of John Shaw, T.J. Fisher, F.B. McGinness, W.V. Lee, Frank Swope, and W.E. Myers took it over until the Smith County School System was formed in 1914.
You can learn more and stay up-to-date on all information about the William Walton Harvest Festival at https://www.facebook.com/williamwaltonharvestfestival/.
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