Published: 1:52 PM, 10/03/2008
Source: The Rogersville Review

ROGERSVILLE — Freedom, a dynamic, high-energy group of eight professional active-duty Navy musicians, specializing in a variety of today’s popular music, will present free concerts in Rogersville on all three days of the Heritage Days Celebration, October 10, 11 and 12,2008. Performances will be on the Main Stage in the Town Square.

Freedom’s members are versatile entertainers performing music from contemporary styles such as Hard Rock, Rap, Country and Classic Rock.As the Navy’s premier rock band in the Mid-South, Freedom travels extensively to perform for audiences throughout an eleven-state region.This polished presentation will motivate and inspire you to “Let Freedom ring!”

Navy Band Mid-South is the United States Navy’s premiere musical organization in the Mid-South region. The professional Navy musicians assigned to the band are all active duty service members performing full time for the Navy. Under the direction of Lieutenant Junior Grade David Latour, the ensembles within the band perform music ranging from Bach and Sousa to the most current pop, country, and jazz hits.

The band operates from Millington, Tennessee, and is responsible for an eleven-state area that stretches north into Indiana and Illinois, west into eastern Colorado, and south into Mississippi and Alabama. As well as a traditional military ceremonial unit, the band maintains several musical ensembles, including Freedom, that perform a wide variety of music.

Local retired Naval officer, Marty Dobbins, contacted the band and made arrangements for their appearance at this year’s festival.

Rogersville’s Heritage Days 2008 celebrates the county’s military heritage with the theme Hawkins County Heroes: 1776 – 2008,” and will showcase Hawkins County’s military history.
The festival is sponsored by First Community Bank, Wellmont Hawkins County Memorial Hospital and the Tennessee Arts Commission.

Heritage Days celebrates military heritage

By Patricia Humbert

Rogersville’s Heritage Days 2008 celebrates the county’s military heritage with the theme Hawkins County Heroes: 1776 – 2008.” The festival, now in its 29th year, is sponsored by First Community Bank, Wellmont Hawkins County Memorial Hospital and the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Dates for this year’s festival are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 10, 11 and 12.

The festival will showcase Hawkins County’s military history. Visitors from the past will grace the museum at the Southern Depot as Rogersville’s citizens and soldiers describe their involvement in the Battle of Big Creek in 1863. Participants include soldiers who were captured or died in the battle and wives and mothers whose loved ones were caught up in the conflict. The museum will also host an exhibit of military memorabilia from the Revolutionary War to the present.

An honor guard of Sons of the Revolution will participate in a flag ceremony on the Town Square on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Five-Oh-First Army Airborne World War Two Reenactors will be camped on the Town Square in front of the Masonic Lodge, and the 12th Tennessee Cavalry Division and the 14th Tennessee Artillery Division will create a Civil War encampment in the courtyard of the Hale Springs Inn.

Friday’s events begin at 5:30 as the Cadets from Volunteer and Cherokee High School’s NROTC units and the Rogersville City School Drum Line, directed by Patricia Rhoton, lead the Children’s Parade through Main Street. At the same time, teams at the Heritage Days Chili Cook-off will be preparing their spicy dishes for a hoard of hungry tasters. The cooking will begin at 3:00, with judging at 5:30.

Following the Children’s Parade, Larry Elkins hosts the Heritage Days Car Show. Musical entertainment on the Town Square is from 6:30 until 9:00.

Saturday, beginning at 10:00 and Sunday, beginning at noon, over 100 craft artists will line Main Street, offering unique hand crafted items for sale. Heritage events include demonstrations of traditional skills such as spinning, basketry, wood carving, and dulcimer making. World War II vehicles and the Antique Farm Equipment will be on display on Depot Street. The Quilt Show will be at the Hawkins County Courthouse and the Art and Photography Show will be on exhibit in the Community Room of U S Bank.

Continuous entertainment will be offered on the Town Square, and will feature traditional music of the region, from traditional Scottish music and 18th century ballads to bluegrass, traditional country and gospel music. The Dance Stage located on Washington at Depot, will feature area cloggers and square dancers.

Children’s activities include traditional games at “Days Gone By,” learning activities in the Demonstrator’s yard, inflatable games, rock climbing and bungee jumping.

Of course, there are always wonderful things to eat! Favored fare ranges from the area’s finest Pig ‘n’ Chick barbeque to the famous Rotary funnel cakes. Hot roasted nuts, caramel apples and kettle korn will tempt every appetite. More traditional choices such as hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries will also be available along with ice cream treats near the Young’uns Yard.

Heritage Days is a regional tradition, a fun-filled weekend with events and excitement for every age and every taste. As it enters its 30th successful year, it is easy to understand why it has been named one of the twenty top events in the Southeast. Funds raised by the festival are used for the preservation of historic properties in Rogersville.

For more information about Heritage Days 2008, call the Rogersville Heritage Association Office at 423-272-1961 or visit our website: www.rogersvilleheritage.org.

Art & Photography Show

ROGERSVILLE — US Bank will sponsor an art, photography and three-dimensional art show at Heritage Days this year.

Original art in any medium and original photographs will be accepted.

A committee of local artists will judge all entries. Ribbons will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners, with three cash prizes of $50 going to the best in show in each of the three categories. All entries will be exhibited during Heritage Days in the Community Room of US Bank.

The entries in each division will be divided into three categories: Children (up through age 11), Youth (ages 12 through 18) and Adults (ages 18 and older). Each entry must have the title of the work and the artist’s name and phone number securely attached to the back with clear tape over the label. Work must be brought to the US Bank Community Room on Wednesday, October 8 between 1 and 5 pm, or on Thursday, October 9 between 9 and 5. Artists should pick up their works on Monday, October 13 between noon and 5 p.m.

Local artist Tata Andres will assemble and mount the show.

All entries must be ready to hang or exhibit and all must be clearly marked on the back with the name and contact information of the artist or photographer. Entry forms are available at The Local Artist Gallery on Main Street, The Rogersville Hawkins County Chamber of Commerce, the Heritage Association Office at the Depot Museum, 415 South Depot Street, Rogersville, TN 37857. Entry forms are also available on the Heritage Association website: www.rogersvilleheritage.org.