Good morning, Cookeville.

Mid-July has the cicadas buzzing and every patch of shade earning its keep. This weekend adds a different soundtrack: live bands, tiny race cars, repair tools, and the happy clatter of people making things at the old fairgrounds.

In today's Cookeville Scoop:

Let's get into it.

Early voting opens Friday. Putnam County voters can cast ballots for the Aug. 6 federal and state primary and county general election beginning July 17. Friday hours are 8 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday hours are 9 AM to 1 PM at the Election Commission, 705 County Services Drive. Bring an accepted photo ID unless you qualify for an exemption. Check the official voting details.

Get tickets for Night at the Museums: Indoor Encore. Cookeville's living-history performers bring eras from the Revolutionary War through 2020 to the CPAC stage Saturday, July 18, from 2 to 4 PM. Tickets are $10 at 10 E Broad Street. A 4 PM performance may be added only if the first show sells out, so treat 2 PM as the confirmed plan. See the city event page.

Choose your Makerfest pass. The festival begins at 10 AM Saturday and Sunday at the Old Putnam County Fairgrounds, 155 Fairground Street, and runs until the music ends. Admission is $3 for one day or $5 for both, with children 12 and under free alongside an adult ticket. Some races and repair-clinic submissions have separate preregistration. See the full activity list and get tickets.

Glammy's Cheesecakes makes the jump from food truck and pop-ups to a permanent takeout shop Friday. The ribbon cutting and grand opening begin at 10 AM at 565 S Jefferson Avenue, Suite C. The lineup includes individual and whole cheesecakes, dipped slices, frozen dipped bananas, parfaits, rotating flavors, and cold brew coffee. That is a respectable amount of dessert in one address. Read the opening details.

A new McDonald's is breaking ground at The Willows. The ceremony is Thursday at 10 AM at 1124 S Willow Avenue. Funderburk Family McDonald's will operate the restaurant, with Venture Construction handling the build. This is development news, not a lunch suggestion just yet: the projected opening is October 2026. See the project details.

Makerfest is putting a lot of wonderfully unrelated objects in one place this weekend: handmade goods, motorcycles, soldering irons, tiny orange racetracks, inflatable dinosaurs, and a full slate of live bands. Somehow, it all makes sense.

The two-day UC Makerspace fundraiser starts at 10 AM Saturday and Sunday at the Old Putnam County Fairgrounds. General admission is $3 for one day or $5 for both, and children 12 and under enter free with an adult ticket. The organizer says each day continues until the music ends, which feels more useful than pretending creativity keeps office hours.

The music alone could fill a weekend. Saturday brings Southern Sunrise, Ellie Johnson Band, Counter Culture, and Ninth Sun. Sunday's lineup includes Vinny DeGeorge, Glitch, Blazin Phoenix, Faraway Dogs, and Jay Fleming.

Then there are the things you can watch, try, or bring from home. Maker vendors and hands-on demonstrations share the grounds with car and bike displays, Hot Wheels racing, Power Wheels racing, and inflatable costume races. Hot Wheels registration is free for children and donation-based for adults.

The Fix-It Repair Clinic may be the most useful corner of the festival. Volunteers will examine small household items, basic electronics, toys, lamps, hand tools, bikes, jewelry, and other repairable objects. A fix is not guaranteed, and some jobs may need parts, but the goal is to teach, troubleshoot, and keep useful things out of the trash.

That gets to the larger point. Proceeds support UC Makerspace and Imagine Foundry's effort to establish a permanent home for creative learning, entrepreneurship, a community kitchen, food-business incubation, and repair skills in the Upper Cumberland. Makerfest is the fun-size preview of that idea, except the tiny cars are doing full-size bragging. Plan your visit and see registration links.

Senior Bingo and Medieval Arts Night. The Cookeville library has two Thursday options at 50 E Broad Street. Senior Bingo runs from 2 to 3 PM with free popcorn and prizes. Medieval Arts Night follows from 5 to 7:45 PM with a slideshow and a look at objects from daily medieval life. No admission fee or registration is listed. Library calendar.

Third Thursday Concert Series. Free live music starts Thursday at 7:30 PM at the Dogwood Performance Pavilion, 30 E Broad Street. The Cookeville Arts Council-sponsored series features a different band each month, though the city page does not name the July act. Bring a chair, settle in, and let the surprise remain musical. City event details.

Late Night Local. Nineteen locally owned businesses stay open Friday from 6 to 9 PM for music, special sales, and artist or vendor pop-ups. Participating spots include Plenty Bookshop, Cream City, Soul Craft Coffee, The Exceptional Bean, and The French Cookie. There is no admission fee listed, and buying something is optional. See the full shop list.

Comedy Night with Canaan Whichard. Roasted Cookeville hosts the Saturday show from 8 to 10 PM at 1068 E 10th Street, Suite F. Tickets are $10. The venue describes Whichard's comedy as edgy and clever, so this is the later, more adult-leaning option in the lineup. See Roasted's event calendar.

Dabgo Music Bingo Sunday. Brook Jolley hosts a free-to-play, phone-based music bingo game from 3 to 5 PM at Roasted Cookeville. Menu prices still apply, but the game itself is free. It is an easy Sunday option after a morning at Makerfest, especially if your music memory is stronger than your inflatable-dinosaur sprint. Event calendar.

If this issue gave you a weekend plan, forward it to the person who owns seven drills but would still stop for another one on sale. Know a local maker, repair person, food business, or small event we should catch next? Reply and send it my way. Those useful, oddly specific tips are what make the Scoop better.

Thanks for spending part of your Thursday with me. I hope you find something worth making, fixing, hearing, or tasting close to home this weekend. Keep the googly eyes on the legal side of the craft table. 🧡

-- Travis