Good morning, Cookeville.

It's a long weekend already, three solid days running into Memorial Day Monday. Summer concert season opens Thursday night at the Dogwood Performance Pavilion with Kentucky Just Us, and the regional Americana festival at Hippie Jack's in Crawford runs all four days, with Paul Thorn headlining Saturday night. Heads up on the forecast: storms are likely all four days, so check organizer socials before you head out.

In today's Cookeville Scoop:

Let's get into it.

Cookeville-Putnam Chamber Spring Golf Tournament. Friday, May 22 at Golden Eagle Golf Club. The Chamber's scramble-format tournament kicks off Memorial Day weekend with two flights, a 7 AM morning tee and a 1 PM afternoon tee. On-course contests, prizes, and the usual Chamber networking. Team registration required through the Chamber.

Rachel Moore Author Visit at Plenty Downtown Bookshop. Friday, May 22 from 6 to 7 PM at Plenty Downtown Bookshop (41 W Broad Street). Friday nights at Plenty have a way of turning into the best part of the week. Casual format, room for conversation, signing after. RSVP through the shop's website. plentybookshop.com/events.

Food Around the World Dinner: Spain. Friday, May 22 from 6 to 8 PM at Jamie's Eats and Sweets (50 W Broad Street). A four-course Spanish dinner with the story behind each dish, served around a shared table. The communal-seating, meet-your-neighbors-over-tapas format is the point of this series. Ticketed, check the event page for pricing. Event details.

Beaded Embroidery Workshop with Abby Weeden at Edison Hills. Saturday, May 23 from 10 AM to 1 PM at Edison Hills (127 W. Broad Street). A three-hour beginner-friendly workshop with Abby Weeden, crafting a handmade felt ornament with a radial beaded design. All materials provided (felt, beads, sequins, thread, polyfill, ribbon). Ages 14+. Some attendees finish at home. Register at edisonhills.com.

Charity Show at Mean Mel's: Sense of Identity and Touring Acts. Sunday, May 24, doors at 6:30 PM and music at 7:00 PM. Five bands, all ages, $15 cover, with proceeds going to homeless services. Lineup is Sense of Identity, Mind Virus (touring), Forfeiture (touring), Malador, and Illicit Tongues. Two touring acts joining the locals for a real local cause.

The Putnam Room has added a Saturday late-night happy hour. The new window runs 8 to 10 PM on top of the regular 3 to 5 PM happy hour Tuesday through Saturday. Saturday hours are 4 to 10 PM. This is genuinely useful for the post-dinner-elsewhere drinks crowd. Reservations recommended at 931-644-3722. 319 E Spring Street on the Historic Square. theputnamroom.com.

Crawdaddy's themed drink lineup, Thursday through Sunday. Crawdaddy's runs a different drink special each night, and the calendar happens to line up perfectly with this week. Thursday is $5 bourbons from their long bourbon list. Friday is Blue's Pink Flamingo. Saturday brings made-to-order Long Island Teas. Sunday brunch starts at 10:30 AM with mimosas, Bellinis, and Bloody Marys, with red and white Moscato sangria added in the evening. 53 W Broad Street.

Drake's $3 Miller Lite patio pints, Memorial Day weekend. Drake's is running $3 Miller Lite pints on the patio Friday through Memorial Day Monday. The standard Mon–Fri happy hour (3 to 6 PM and 9 to 11 PM) is still in effect. Weather will decide who actually gets to use the patio. 1010 S Walnut Ave. drakescomeplay.com.

About thirty minutes east of Cookeville, on a working farm at 642 Shiloh Road in Crawford, the festival grounds will fill up again this Thursday and stay full through Sunday. Jammin' at Hippie Jack's is into its second decade as the region's Memorial Day weekend Americana festival, and the lineup this year is one of the better ones in recent memory.

The headline name is Paul Thorn, who plays Saturday at 8:30 PM. Tupelo-born songwriter with a deep Southern songbook. Around him, twenty-plus acts over four days, including Grayson Capps, Cruz Contreras & The Black Lillies, Wild Ponies, and Jimmy "Daddy" Davis. The sound runs Americana and roots, with bluegrass-leaning moments through the day sets.

The festival markets itself as the only family-friendly Americana Roots music and arts festival in the area, and it earns that. Kids' activities throughout the weekend, arts and crafts vendors, morning yoga, evening bonfires, and themed nights including an 80's Night. You don't have to camp. Day passes work fine if you want to drive out for Paul Thorn Saturday night and head home after.

Pricing is straightforward: single-day passes start at $25, weekend pass is $100, and camping packages start at $175 (campsite, parking, one weekend pass). Camping options include Riverside, Scrappy Town, and RV sites. Tickets are sold through Zeffy. One thing worth knowing: 100% of festival proceeds go to the Council Of Americana Roots Music, the 501(c)(3) that runs the festival and serves underserved Appalachian communities. Founded in 2010, still local.

Now, the weather. Forecast is rain every day this weekend, and outdoor festivals get rained on. Hippie Jack's has been through this before, and the show keeps going. Bring rain gear, check the festival socials morning-of, and plan around it.

The drive is Hwy 84 east to Hilham, then a short hop to Shiloh Road. Tickets and full schedule at jamminathippiejacks.com.

Third Thursdays Live opens at Dogwood Pavilion. Thursday, May 21 at 7:30 PM at the Dogwood Performance Pavilion (30 E Broad Street). Kentucky Just Us takes the stage to open the free 2026 summer concert series. The full run is May 21, June 18, July 16, and August 20, sponsored by the Cookeville Arts Council. Bring chairs or a blanket. Watch the Cookeville Arts Council and Dogwood Pavilion socials Thursday afternoon for any weather call. Free.

Free library programs across all three branches, Thursday. Senior Bingo at the Cookeville branch from 2 to 3 PM (popcorn and prizes). Mysteries with Michelle book club at the Monterey branch at 3 PM, discussing An Eye for an Eye by Brian Lee Bournival. Resistance Band Training (seated, beginner-friendly) and Lego Club for kids at the Algood branch, both at 3:30 PM. Free, drop in. pclibrary.org/attend.

Kids Movie Night at Willow Avenue church of Christ. Friday, May 22 at 6 PM, 1150 South Willow Avenue. Free movie night with free dinner for kids in 6th grade and below. The Princess and the Frog is the feature. No RSVP, just show up. Free.

Inaugural Arts & Crafts Festival at the Putnam County Fairgrounds. Saturday, May 23 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the fairgrounds (155 Fairground Ln). First-time festival from Family Ties Events, a mother-daughter team running it for the first year. Local vendors line the grandstands with handmade arts and crafts, and there's a kids' table with coloring and painting supplies. $3 entry, children free. Outdoor venue, so weather will play a role.

Cookeville Farmers Market, peak Saturday. Open daily 6 AM to 6 PM on Mahler Avenue, with Saturday morning being the busiest window. Producer-only, meaning every vendor grows or makes what they sell. Strawberries are in, plant starts, fresh herbs, baked goods, honey, eggs. The covered building on Mahler is the actual market, not a tent setup. Free to browse. cookeville-tn.gov/farmers-market.

Community Breathwork Journey at The Wild Grove. Sunday, May 24 from 6 to 7:15 PM at The Wild Grove Holistic Healing Collective (145 East Spring Street). A 75-minute guided session: grounding, about 30 minutes of active circular breathing with music, integration and rest, and an optional community tea after. Bring a yoga mat, water, and a blanket. Ages 18+. Contribute-what-you-can pricing, tickets listed at $0 with a $25 suggested donation. Not recommended for pregnancy, seizure history, recent cardiovascular issues, or recent major surgery.

If you know someone trying to figure out their Memorial Day weekend plans, share this with them. We may know a few more options than most. Have an event, opening, or story tip for next week? Reply to this email or tag us on social. Word of mouth is how we keep finding the good ones.

Thanks for being here with us, Cookeville. Summer is starting, the weekend is long, and even with storms in the forecast, there's a lot worth showing up for. See you next time. 🧡

-- The Cookeville Scoop Team