Surviving a Festival with a Smile

Festivals are great fun, enjoyable outings for the entire family, and offer a wide variety of activities from which to choose. No one does a festival better Historic Granville. After all Granville has been hosting festivals since 1999 and currently hosts seven successful festivals annually. Our experience has taught us that festivals can be mentally and physically exhausting for visitors and for our volunteers.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Are you planning to attend the festival in Historic Granville on April 9th? Did you look at the promotions for the day and see Mayberry and I Love Lucy Day, Genealogy Festival, and Wine Festival. And then you saw the Saturday evening options; the Mayberry Dinner Theater or Sutton Ole Time Music Hour which is dinner and bluegrass music. Were you left feeling overwhelmed by all the choices?

Help is on the Way!

So, you are interested in the Wine Festival, that’s great. It is scheduled 12-4PM, come early and enjoy the Mayberry and I Love Lucy activities prior to attending the Wine Festival. You may be planning a trip to Granville to attend the Genealogy Festival because you want to learn how to conduct family research or you wish to know more about your Williamson or Sadler relatives. This does not prohibit you from attending Mayberry and I Love Lucy activities, the Wine Festival, and the Mayberry Dinner Theater.

As a volunteer who has helped plan events of the day and has worked festivals in Granville for many years, I’d like to offer a few suggestions for doing it all and enjoying the day with a smile.

Pre-Planning for the Festival

Prior planning helps you enjoy the festival. Go to the website www.granville.tn.com, from the menu bar at the top of the page choose “Events”, scroll down, choose Mayberry and I Love Lucy Day, and look at the preliminary schedule for the day. You may want to make notes about activities that are “must see” for you.

Repeat the process, this time choose Genealogy Festival. You will find a description of the activities, times, and location of these sessions. You may have a story to share and would like to attend the storytelling session, make a note of the time and location of the event.

Go back to the menu bar, choose “Events”, scroll down, choose Wine Festival. Please notice that there is an additional $25.00 charge to participate in the wine tasting. Participants must be at least 21 years of age, IDs are checked, and bracelets issued. The hours of the Wine Festival are 12-4PM.

The schedules on the website are preliminary schedules; they will not change unless there is an emergency which makes changes necessary. On the day of the event at the check-in stations, you will be given a schedule. Sandwich boards with announcement, schedules, locations and times are located throughout Granville on the day of the festival. We do everything possible to assure that you do not leave and say, “I didn’t know they had that!”

No Pretty Shoe Contest

Check the weather forecast and dress for comfort. It is often a little cooler in Granville, especially when there’s an early morning breeze from the lake. Dress in layers as the afternoon temperature could be significantly higher. Make sure every family member is wearing comfortable shoes, there is no festival contest for the prettiest shoes. The fastest way to get from one location to another is walking. Golf carts run on Clover Street with the ability to “hop on-hop off” but often, there is a wait.

I recommend you wear a hat and/or sunscreen to make sure you can enjoy sitting outside and listening to your favorite entertainment. A sunburn can cause a fun day to quickly become a miserable experience. We will have hand sanitizer at various locations; however, it is wise to pack wet wipes for emergency cleanups. A water bottle may be helpful, we sell water that you can use to refill your bottle. Stay hydrated, especially if it is a warm day.

What about parking?

When you arrive in Granville, you will observe people directing traffic. Someone will direct you to a parking lot. We use various locations for parking. If the lot to which you are assigned is a satellite parking area, a bus is available to transport you to the end of Clover Street. There is a parking fee of $5.00 per vehicle. Half the proceeds from parking go to youth programs in Jackson County. Please be respectful of local residence and do not park in their driveway nor their yard.

Where do I get tickets?

Visitors will find a station at the entrance of Granville where a $5.00 festival fee is charged. Children under the age of 6 are admitted free. Visitors will be issued a sticker to be placed in a visible place on their clothing. (You may put your money away until you are ready to shop or eat!) This sticker will serve as your ticket to all festival entertainment, museums, and historical sites. (Yes, admission is free with your purchase of a $5.00 festival ticket.)

Admission to the wine tasting is an additional $25.00. The Wine Festival is conducted by the Upper Cumberland Wine Trail, Granville is serving as host for the event.

The evening events require a reservation and are an additional charge. This includes the Mayberry Dinner Theatre and Ole Time Sutton Hour dinner and bluegrass. Reservations are available by call 931-653-4151 or on the website, www.granvilletn.com.

Special Needs

Handicapped parking is available, the people directing traffic can direct you to the appropriate parking lot. Our sites are handicapped accessible. If you require medication, even over the counter medication, please bring that with you.

We are able to accommodate most dietary needs. If you have severe food allergies, you may want to bring your own food.

Food

T.B. Sutton General Store will be serving sandwiches at the back counter 11AM-2PM with the back counter open for hand dipped ice cream until 5PM. (The chicken salad is wonderful.) A sit-down meat and three with homemade dessert meal, catered by Seasons, will be served in the dining room from 11AM-2PM. (The country cooking is the best you’ll find!)

Pot Luck Outdoor Cooking located in Pioneer Village is usually ready to serve by 10AM and they serve until the food runs out, usually around 2PM. The menu includes beans with ham, swamp cabbage, camp stew (Brunswick Stew); served with cornbread. For your sweet tooth, strawberry and peach cobbler are available. (I recommend the swamp cabbage!)

Mayberry Diner at the Event Center serving hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs off the grill. The pulled pork sandwich is made from Boston-butt which has smoked over-night, placed on the grill, and pulled just prior to making your sandwich. (I highly recommend the pulled pork sandwich.)

Lakeside Grocery Store has sausage/biscuits and coffee 7AM-10:30AM. Hamburgers and cold sandwiches made to order 11 AM-5PM. Chips, snacks, and drinks available 7AM-7PM.

Two food trucks: Paninis and More gourmet sandwiches and The Cobbler café.

Shopping

T.B. Sutton General Store has many one-of-a-kind items for sale. Jams, jellies, pickles, and old fashion candies are popular items. Sutton Store is also headquarters for Lodge cast iron cookware, Liberty overalls, and Stenson hats. Be sure to visit the Granville Artisans Gallery on the second floor for original works of art “made in Granville” by local artisans. Take something home for you and purchase one as a gift.

Granville Gift Shop is a fashionable boutique with box store prices. You’re sure to find something you like, shop the latest in spring fashions, choose beautiful jewelry, accessories, and summer hats.

The Southern Shops of Granville showcase Mayberry and I Love Lucy tee shirts and souvenirs. You can shop from the Christmas Shop, antique glassware, and wonderful home and garden décor.

Granville Broom Works on Line Street has handmade brooms and more. Follow the signs to visit this artisans shop.

Cell Service

Cell service is sketchy in Granville. Depending on your carrier, you may find a spot to make a call. It is further complicated with the number of people attending festivals and trying to make calls. You can often text even when calling is not an option. We have internet coverage and internet calling is an option. (Twin Lakes Community Wi-Fi).

Granville Sites

In addition to the festival activities, you will want to visit the Homestead, the Sutton Historic Home, featuring a vintage wedding dress and stories to tell. The pioneer village includes the Antique Car Museum where you can view the 40 Ford coupe moonshine running car and hear stories of legendary “shine runners”. The barns and out buildings contain vintage farm equipment and tools. The 1800’s cabin looks like the family just walked out the door. Artisans are demonstrating in the village and in the Arts and Crafts Building.

The Granville Museum has new exhibits on “Untold Stories: If These Hills Could Talk” and the Farm to Table Museum tells the story of “from one man and one cow” to “Purity Dairy”.

Visit the Post Office and Barber Shop Museum and marvel at the size. The Whistle Stop saloon tells the story of our riverboat days and a famous moonshiner.

The Mayberry and I Love Lucy Museum will put a smile on your face as you recall the commonsense advice of Andy and Lucy’s ability to make us laugh.

The Granville Whiskey Decanter Museum is a collection of 1800 Jim Beam decanters and related memorabilia. Our visitors describe it as an art museum.

Visit the vendors set up on the street.

Things You Already Know

There are many photo opportunities in Granville. We encourage you to take pictures, capture your memories. We would be pleased to have you share those with us on Facebook @Historic Granville.

Keep an eye on your children. Granville is a safe place. However, on festival days when there is a crowd; it is best to know where your children are.

Leave your valuables at home. We do not have a theft problem but if you lose a valuable, we may not be able to recover it. Items that are found are often left at Sutton Store but unless the individual comes to inquire, we have no way to return it.

Observe the barriers and temporary fencing, they serve a purpose.

Please be kind to our workers. Most of the people you see working are volunteers and have been working long hours preparing for your visit. We are happy when you join us on festival days! We recharge and get renewed energy when you smile, have fun, and tell us how much you enjoy being with us.

Become a Volunteer

After you see how much fun our volunteers have, you may want to join our family of volunteers. Pick up a volunteer form at Sutton General Store, complete the form, leave it with the store staff, and someone will contact you. You may also go to our website, www.granvilletn.com, from the menu bar choose “About”, scroll down, choose volunteer. You may complete and submit on-line or print the form and mail to the address provided.

April 9, 2022

Mayberry and I Love Lucy Day- 9AM-5PM

Mayberry Dinner Theater- 5:30PM (reservations required an additional charge)

Sutton Ole Time Music Hour Dinner and Bluegrass- 5PM (reservations & charge)

Genealogy Festival- 9AM-3PM-

Wine Festival- 12 - 4PM

Historic Granville Open Wednesday- Friday 11AM- 3PM and Saturday 11AM-5PM