Good morning, Cookeville. Hope Easter weekend treated you well.

Spring is fully in gear now, and this week has a lot going on. The big one: the 4th Annual Firefly Festival is this Saturday and Sunday at Dogwood Park, and it's free. Today also happens to be the last day to register to vote for the May 5 Putnam County primary, so head to GoVoteTN.gov if you still need to register. And tonight, there's a poet reading at PLENTY downtown. Let's get into it.

-- The Cookeville Scoop Team

Grade-A Catering 35th Anniversary Open House — Tuesday, April 7 at 8:30 AM at 1570 Brown Ave. Grade-A has been feeding Upper Cumberland weddings, events, and community gatherings for 35 years. A quiet institution if there ever was one. The Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber will be on hand for a ribbon cutting, and the open house includes a facility tour and breakfast. Stop in to celebrate a local staple. Free! More at UCBJ

Spring Concert 2026 at the CPAC — Two shows this week from the Cookeville Leisure Services School of Dance. The INDIGO SHOW is Tuesday, April 7 at 6:30 PM, and the VIOLET SHOW is Thursday, April 9 at 6:30 PM, both at the Cookeville Performing Arts Center. Students ages 3 and up perform in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. A nice weeknight outing if you have a young dancer in your life (or just enjoy watching kids do their thing). Grab tickets at the CPAC box office by calling 931-528-1313 (Mon-Fri, 9 AM-5 PM) or visiting cpactn.com.

Signature Luncheon: Meet the County Candidates 2026 — Thursday, April 9 at the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber. The Chamber's Signature Luncheon series puts Putnam County candidates in the room with the business and civic community ahead of the May 5 primary. If local government matters to you, this is a good way to hear directly from the people running. Check cookevillechamber.com/events for timing and registration details.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is officially open in Cookeville at 377 W. Jackson Street, and the official Chamber ribbon cutting is this Wednesday, April 8! Their signature bundtlets come in flavors like Red Velvet, Lemon, and Chocolate Chocolate Chip, each finished with that cream cheese frosting swirl they're known for. Moist, generous, and honestly a little dangerous to have in town. The Chamber ribbon cutting is Wednesday if you want to make it a whole event, or just pop in any time.

Drake's happy hour is worth bookmarking if you don't already know about it. Monday through Friday from 3-6 PM, specials start at $2 and include mini burgers, chips and queso, Busch Light, and the Pixy Stix martinis that seem to have a following. There's a second happy hour window too: 9-11 PM on weeknights. Located at 1010 S Walnut Ave. Full happy hour menu at drakescomeplay.com.

Here's what makes the Firefly Festival different from a generic spring fair: everything you see and hear is original work.

The musicians performing at Firefly play their own compositions. Not covers, not tribute sets. Their own songs. The artists and makers selling at the vendor booths designed and made everything themselves, with no manufactured goods allowed. The immersive art spaces are created by local and regional artists. Hip Cookeville, the organization that runs the festival, has been deliberate about this from the beginning, and it gives the whole weekend a quality that's hard to replicate.

This is the 4th Annual Firefly Festival, and it takes over Dogwood Park in the Historic West Side District this Saturday (April 11, 10 AM-8 PM) and Sunday (April 12). Free admission, both days.

What you'll find: multiple outdoor stages with live music running throughout the day, a full local artisan marketplace (pottery, jewelry, textiles, woodwork), interactive art experiences, food vendors and food trucks, and a kids area that's built for actual exploration rather than just keeping little ones occupied while the adults browse. If you've been before, you know. If you haven't, this is the year to go.

A few practical notes: parking on the street fills up, so earlier in the day gives you better options. Bring cash if you're planning to buy from any of the makers. The festival also hosts the Firefly Music Awards, which recognize and celebrate local musical talent.

It's become one of the best weekends in Cookeville's spring calendar. Free, local, and genuinely worth two days of your time.

See you at Dogwood Park!

Picture Book Putt-Putt at the Putnam County Library — all week, Monday-Saturday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Kids ages 5-12 can check in at the Children's Desk for a putter, ball, and rules to play a round of picture-book-themed mini golf. No registration, just drop in. Timed nicely with the Masters Tournament, which runs April 9-12. Free. pclibrary.org/events

Lunch and Learn: Woodturning Demonstration at the Putnam County Library, Cookeville Branch — today, Monday, April 6 at 12:30 PM. Local woodturner John C. Lucas demonstrates his craft. Bring your lunch, watch something get made from a piece of wood. Open to all ages. A genuinely interesting way to spend a lunch hour. Free.

April Featured Poet: Didi Jackson at PLENTY Downtown Bookshop, 41 W. Broad St — tonight, Monday, April 6 at 7:00 PM. PLENTY's monthly featured poet series brings poet and Vanderbilt professor Didi Jackson to the bookshop floor. Her collections Moon Jar and My Infinity have earned serious recognition. A quiet, thoughtful Monday evening if you're looking for one. Check plentybookshop.com for any ticket details.

TTU Baseball: Golden Eagles vs. Austin Peay at Bush Stadium — Tuesday, April 7 at 6:00 PM. Tech baseball hosts a former OVC rival for a Tuesday evening home game. Good midweek baseball under the lights. Check ttusports.com for ticket info.

Ford of Cookeville Cars & Coffee at Ford Lincoln of Cookeville, 1600 Interstate Drive — Saturday, April 11 from 7:30-10:00 AM. The first Cars & Coffee of 2026 kicks off Saturday morning. All makes and models welcome, complimentary coffee and donuts from the dealership, live DJ. A casual early morning meetup for car folks. Wraps up at 10 AM, right as Firefly opens. Free. fordlincolnofcookeville.com

Know something we missed? If there's an event, opening, or story worth sharing with the Cookeville community, hit reply and let us know. That's genuinely how some of our best content finds us. And if a friend or neighbor would enjoy the Scoop, forward this their way. It helps more than you know.

Hope this week treats you well, Cookeville. There's a lot of good stuff happening right here in town, so get out and enjoy it. We'll see you next Monday. 🧡

-- The Cookeville Scoop Team