Good morning, Cookeville.

I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend. The Heat Advisory is gone, and today's high is 88. Wednesday stays 88. Thursday is 90 with a 30 percent chance of storms after 1 PM.

In today's Cookeville Scoop:

Let's get into it!

Get Saturday's Tech tickets, and reserve a tailgate by Wednesday. Tennessee Tech hosts Samford at 6 PM Saturday at Tucker Stadium for Family Weekend and Legends Weekend. The Golden Eagles are 2-0 after beating Chattanooga 24-9. Individual tickets start at $25. Ages 3 and up need a ticket. Students get in free with an Eagle Card. Tailgate reservations close at 4:30 PM Wednesday. The Family Weekend tailgate is 4 to 6 PM, complimentary meal while supplies last. Buy tickets or call 931-372-3940.

Catch Algood Diner's food-truck ribbon cutting Thursday. The diner at 433 W Main Street cuts the ribbon at 2 PM, after the usual breakfast-and-lunch window. Friday and Saturday the truck's first festival dates are Fall FunFest on the square. I do not have a posted truck menu. Show up Thursday if you want the scissors, or look for them downtown this weekend. See the diner.

The 43rd Cookeville Breakfast Rotary Golf Classic is Saturday at 6 AM at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle Golf Club, 1500 Country Club Road. Proceeds support local youth projects. A price is not posted, so call 931-372-4653 to register. It is the early-Saturday option before downtown fills up. See the listing.

Algood Diner is taking the kitchen on the road. Thursday is the ribbon cutting. Friday and Saturday the truck's first festival stop is FunFest on the Historic Courthouse Square. The diner itself is breakfast and lunch, closed Sunday, and back to normal hours today after a Labor Day Monday close. See the diner.

Crawdaddy's makes Tuesday easier to sit through. All drafts are half price from 11 AM to 10 PM at 53 W Broad Street. Wednesday is Aperol Spritz. Thursday is $5 bourbons. Friday is Blue's pink flamingo, and Saturday is made-to-order Long Island teas. Sunday brunch drinks start at 10:30 AM. See the current specials.

Labor Day weekend asked you to pick a ranch, a fair, or a park. This one asks you to walk onto the square.

Fall FunFest is CityScape's 29th annual Main Street Festival, Friday from 5 to 10 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 10 PM around the Historic Courthouse Square. It is free. Live music, arts and crafts, food trucks, and a kids' area.

Friday is Tennessee Tech Night. Tech Boulevard is open 5 to 10. Bounce houses run 5 to 9. Opening ceremony is 5:45. Blue Mother Tupelo plays at 6. O.N.E. The Duo (Tekitha and Prana Supreme) is at 8.

Saturday is the all-day version. WCTE's Stations of Imagination and Safety Lane run 10 AM to 5 PM. Bounce houses stay open until 8. The Backroads Band is at 4. BoomTown Saints is at 6. The Frontmen close it at 8: Richie McDonald (formerly of Lonestar), Larry Stewart of Restless Heart, and Tim Rushlow (formerly of Little Texas), billed with 30 No. 1 hits.

If you have been waiting for a downtown weekend that does not require a wristband, this is the one! Volunteer if you want to help: 931-528-4612.

Friday also has Movies on the Quad on campus, so pick a lawn. Saturday's Tech kickoff is at 6 and The Frontmen are at 8, which is a choose-one unless you like a brisk walk from Tucker Stadium to the square.

Friday and Saturday both carry about a 50 percent storm chance. I do not have a posted rain plan. Bring a chair you can fold. See the FunFest schedule.

Story & a Craft is this morning from 10 to 11 AM at Putnam County Library, 50 E Broad Street. National Ants on a Log Day: stories, ant facts, and an edible craft. Peanut butter will be used. First Aid for Kids is 3:30 to 4:30 PM, led by a registered nurse. Free. See the Cookeville library listing.

Teddy Bear Sleepover is Wednesday. Bring a favorite bear or stuffie to the library by 5 PM, decorate a nametag, read a story, and leave them overnight. Pick them up Thursday beginning at 10 AM. Free. See the sleepover listing.

Movies on the Quad is Friday at Tennessee Tech. Pre-party at 6 PM with a student band, lawn games, friendship bracelets, and food trucks. The Parent Trap starts at 7:15. Free. Parking is behind TJ Farr and Henderson Hall. No outside food. FunFest is the other Friday lawn. See Movies on the Quad.

Becoming America: Voices of 1776 is in its last days at the Cookeville History Museum, 40 E Broad Street. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Free. Saturday is the last day. See the exhibit.

History Hikes is Saturday from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Start at the Depot Museum or the History Museum and walk Broad Street between them. September's theme is America's 250th and the Declaration of Independence. Free, and finishing the hike enters a prize drawing. It is a downtown walk, not a gorge trail. See History Hikes.

Friday's issue said Heart of the City Playground would close today for a new play surface. Leisure Services later delayed the work. It remains open. Resurfacing is now expected no earlier than September 21, and the late-October reopening target is unchanged.

If you want a backup while that date firms up, Cane Creek's playground near the splash pad is the other all-abilities option. Playland Pals in Smithville is indoor play for ages 0 to 7 at 301 S 3rd Street, Suite A. Tuesday through Thursday is 10 AM to 4 PM. First child is $14, extra siblings $10, socks required. See Playland Pals.

If this issue gave you a downtown weekend, forward it to the friend who still thinks Labor Day was the last plan. Have a local opening or schedule change we should verify next week? Reply and send the source. I will check it before it goes in.

Thanks for reading on a quieter Tuesday. I hope the holiday left you some rest, and that Friday finds you on the square or on the Quad. See you next time! 🧡

-- Travis