Good morning, Cookeville!

Spring has officially arrived — the Dogwood Park fountain is back on, the Easter egg hunts are loaded, and this week has something for just about everyone. In today's Cookeville Scoop: a preview of the 4th Annual Firefly Festival coming up April 11–12 at Dogwood Park (free, family-friendly, and one of our favorite weekends of the year), a sweet new bakery opening on W. Jackson, a community egg hunt Friday evening, and a handful of great reasons to get out and enjoy this town. Let's get into it.

-- The Cookeville Scoop Team

Grade-A Catering 35th Anniversary Open House & Ribbon Cutting — If you've lived in the Upper Cumberland for any stretch of time, you know Grade-A Catering. This Tuesday, April 7, the family-owned institution at 1570 Brown Avenue is throwing open its doors to celebrate 35 years of serving this community. Tour the facility, grab breakfast, and join the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce for the ribbon cutting at 8:30 AM (open house runs 7:30–9:30 AM). It's a free morning worth setting the alarm for. Questions? Reach them at 931-372-8540 or gradeacatering.com.

Nothing Bundt Cakes Ribbon Cutting — Nothing Bundt Cakes officially celebrates its new Cookeville location with a Chamber ribbon cutting this Wednesday, April 8. The bakery at 377 W. Jackson Street has been open since March 25, so if you haven't swung by yet, this is a fun occasion to do it. (More on the bakery itself in the Restaurants section below.) Contact: 615-405-9395.

Signature Luncheon: Meet the County Candidates 2026 — The Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce hosts its Signature Luncheon on Thursday, April 9 — a chance to hear from county candidates ahead of local elections. If local civic life matters to you (and it should!), this is one of the better opportunities to engage directly. Registration is required; head to cookevillechamber.com for details and to sign up.

Spring Concert — VIOLET SHOW at the Cookeville PAC — Also on Thursday, April 9, the Cookeville Performing Arts Center continues its spring season. Details are limited on our end, so we'd recommend checking cookevillepac.com or calling the CPAC box office at 931-528-1313 (Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM) for ticket info and times. PAC events tend to fill up, so worth looking into sooner than later.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is now open at 377 W. Jackson Street, and Cookeville officially has its own outpost of the beloved national bakery. The menu runs the gamut — classic flavors like red velvet, lemon, and chocolate chip, plus seasonal specials, bundtinis (the bite-sized version, which are basically irresistible), and tiered cakes for celebrations. It's not locally-owned, but the enthusiasm for this opening around town has been real. Phone: 615-405-9395, or follow them for updates.

Happy hour picks for Easter week: A few good spots if you're looking to unwind after the holiday weekend rush. El Magueyal is hard to beat for weeknight deals — $4 margaritas and draft beer specials Sunday through Thursday from 3–8 PM. The Putnam Room runs a weekday happy hour Monday through Friday from 3–5 PM, plus a late-night window on Saturdays from 8–10 PM (open Tue–Fri 11 AM–9 PM, Sat 4–10 PM). And if you need a third option, Drake's offers happy hour Monday through Friday from 3–6 PM and again 9–11 PM. Good week for it.

Here's something worth putting on the calendar right now: the 4th Annual Firefly Festival is coming up this Saturday and Sunday, April 11–12, at Dogwood Park. Free admission. All weekend. And if you've been before, you already know — this is one of Cookeville's best events of the year.

What makes Firefly different from a lot of festivals is the intentionality behind it. Every musician performing plays their own original compositions — no cover bands, no touring acts just passing through. It's a celebration of Cookeville's creative community: artists, musicians, makers, and makers-of-things, all gathered in one place to share work they actually made. That's a rarer thing than it sounds.

Beyond the music, the festival includes an artisan vendor marketplace (handmade goods only — the festival is serious about this), hands-on art workshops where you can try metalworking, mural painting, and candle-dipping, a kids' play area, food from local vendors, and the Firefly Music Awards ceremony. There's genuinely something for every age.

Now in its fourth year, this festival has earned its place as a Cookeville tradition. Hip Cookeville puts real care into it, and it shows — the production, the lineup selection, the community feel. We're already making plans for both days.

Dogwood Park, April 11 and 12. Free. Family-friendly. Bring the kids, bring a blanket, and bring an appetite — the food vendors are part of the experience. Setup begins at 8 AM both days; vehicles need to be out of the park before then. For more information and a look at the lineup, visit hipcookeville.com/fireflyfestival.

Lite Rock 95.9 Easter Egg Hunt at Cane Creek Sports Plex — Friday, April 3 at 5:30 PM. Billed as "bigger and better than ever," this annual community egg hunt is presented by Lite Rock 95.9 and Mountain Barn Builders. Expect candy, prizes, and surprise activities for the kids. It's a great way to kick off Easter weekend on Friday evening. Free (confirm any admission details at the door). All ages welcome — just show up!

Easter Sunday, April 5 — Cookeville has no shortage of wonderful churches for Easter services, and many open their doors wide to visitors and community members. A great weekend to explore one if you've been meaning to. Note that some local businesses may have adjusted hours on Sunday, so worth checking ahead if you're planning a meal out. Wishing you and yours a happy Easter!

April Featured Poet: Didi Jackson at PLENTY Downtown Bookshop — Monday, April 6 at 7 PM. PLENTY's monthly featured poet series is one of Cookeville's quieter gems, and this month they're welcoming poet Didi Jackson. If you haven't made it to one of these evenings yet, it's a warm, relaxed night in a great local bookshop — easy to pop into after the holiday weekend. Free (unconfirmed — recommend verifying with PLENTY directly). Located downtown.

Dogwood Park interactive fountain is back on for the season! The splash fountain runs April through October, which means it's officially time to dust off the water shoes. The park's performance pavilion and rose garden are in full swing too — a free afternoon out that kids love and parents appreciate just as much. Free, no registration needed. Just show up and let the kids get wet.

History Hikes — Looking ahead to next weekend: on Saturday, April 11, the Cookeville Depot Museum and Cookeville History Museum on Broad Street are hosting their monthly History Hike from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Start at either museum, walk between the two on your own timeline, and complete the activity to enter a prize drawing (monthly themes change). Free, drop in anytime during the window. A nice pairing with Firefly Festival if you want to make a full day of it.

Know someone who'd love to stay connected to what's happening in Cookeville? Share this newsletter with a friend or neighbor — it's the easiest way to help them stay in the loop. And if you've got an event tip, a new opening, or something we should cover in a future edition, reply to this email and let us know. We read every one. Thanks for helping us keep this community connected, week after week.

Thanks for being here with us, Cookeville. We hope your Easter weekend is full of egg hunts, good food, and a little sunshine. See you next week — we'll have full Firefly Festival coverage on the way! 🧡

-- The Cookeville Scoop Team