Good morning, Cookeville.

Happy Monday. April is moving right along, and the back half of the month is starting to fill up. This week brings a couple of ribbon cuttings and a big Friday night at Revolver. Then April 25 is shaping up to be one of the better Saturdays of the spring, and we want to make sure you have it on your radar early.

In today's Cookeville Scoop:

Let's get to it.
-- The Cookeville Scoop Team

Two Ribbon Cuttings Friday — The Wild Grove + Let's Face It Aesthetics

Two Chamber ribbon cuttings are scheduled for this Friday, April 17. The Wild Grove is a new business cutting the ribbon. Let's Face It Aesthetics and Med Spa is an established local medspa at 103 W Main St, voted the number one med spa in the Upper Cumberland two years running. This ribbon cutting likely marks a new location or expansion. Check the Chamber's events page for confirmed times.

Waka Flocka Flame at Revolver — This Friday, April 17

Hip-hop artist Waka Flocka Flame is performing at Revolver on South Jefferson Avenue this Friday, starting at 7 PM. Tickets run $34 and up on Eventbrite, and the listing was showing nearly sold out when we checked. If you're planning to go, grab tickets before they're gone. Get tickets here.

Spring Bizapalooza 2026 — Tuesday, April 28

The Chamber's annual business networking expo is back on Tuesday, April 28 at 4:30 PM at 1 W 1st St downtown. This year's theme is "Networking in Paradise: The Ultimate Luau." Local businesses set up booths to showcase their work, and it's free for anyone to attend — no Chamber membership required. Twin Lakes is the presenting sponsor. Registration is encouraged. Details at the Chamber site.

Tennessee Central Soda Shop — Coming April 24

A soda shop called Tennessee Central is coming to Cookeville, with a Chamber ribbon cutting set for Friday, April 24. The original Tennessee Central is a well-loved spot in Monterey near the Depot Museum there. If this is a second location, it's a welcome addition to Cookeville. A good local soda shop is the kind of thing a town doesn't know it's missing until it's there. Watch the Chamber's events page for details.

Picture a full Saturday at Red Silo: live music running from afternoon into the evening, a food truck out front, a bounce house for the kids, a dunk tank, cold pints on a spring afternoon, and a silent auction going in the background. That's WishFest.

WishFest 2026 is happening on Saturday, April 25 at Red Silo Brewing Co (118 W 1st St, downtown Cookeville) from 11 AM to 10 PM. Admission is free. The event benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. It's a cause that hits close to home for a lot of families, and WishFest is Cookeville's way of showing up for it in a real way.

Red Silo is donating a dollar for every pint sold throughout the day. So if you're there having a drink, you're contributing without doing anything extra. The silent auction runs all day as well if you want to put in a bid on something.

If you're building out April 25, there's a natural companion event: the Made Here Market is happening just a few blocks away at 114 N Cedar Ave from 9 AM to 3 PM that same morning. It's the Biz Foundry's outdoor market featuring only Upper Cumberland makers, with handmade goods, food trucks, and live music on Cedar Ave. Start the morning at the market, catch lunch, and head to Red Silo for the afternoon. That's a full Saturday without leaving downtown.

For more information on WishFest, contact Dana Dillon at 931-559-9120 or keep an eye on their Facebook page for lineup updates.

Here's what else is happening this week and into the weekend:

Caliber Collision Food Drive at 690 County Services Dr — today and tomorrow, April 13 and 14. Caliber is collecting non-perishable food donations through Tuesday as part of their annual Refuel the Community initiative. An easy stop if you have something to give. Free to donate.

Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA — Saturday, April 18. The YMCA hosts free family activities and healthy-habit programming for Healthy Kids Day, which is a nationwide YMCA event. The whole community is welcome, no membership needed. Free, open to all.

Pet Adoption Event at 17 W Spring St, downtown — Saturday, April 18 at 11 AM. A pet adoption and fundraising event is happening downtown this Saturday. If your family has been thinking about adding a dog or cat, worth a look. Free to attend.

Made Here Market at the Biz Foundry — Saturday, April 25, 9 AM to 3 PM at 114 N Cedar Ave, downtown Cookeville. All vendors are Upper Cumberland makers who handcraft what they sell. Food trucks and live music on Cedar Ave. Same day as WishFest at Red Silo, so April 25 is lining up nicely as a full day out. Free to browse. More at thebizfoundry.org.

If you're heading out to anything this week or circling April 25, reply and let us know how it goes. We love hearing what Cookeville is up to.

Have an event, a tip, or something coming up in May that the community should know about? Send it our way. Just reply to this email anytime.

Share this with a neighbor or coworker who likes knowing what's happening around town.

Thanks for being here with us, Cookeville. We'll see you this week.

-- The Cookeville Scoop Team 🧡