The Greene County Partnership’s annual Iris Festival is back for its 28th year. The community event is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the streets of downtown Greeneville on Saturday and Sunday, May 20th and 21st. This family friendly event will feature a weekend filled with arts & crafts, entertainment, and activities for all to enjoy.
Arts and crafts booths will be positioned along College and Academy streets with a wide variety of items for purchase including several types of jewelry, quilts, metal art, hand spun pottery, fused glass, paintings, wreathes, hand-made clothing, wood signs, hot sauces, dips, spices and, of course, perennial irises. The Merchants’ Market will feature a varied selection of products from boutique clothing, promotional items, face painting and much more.
Food vendors will be filling the festival food court with enticing aromas to tempt every visitor. Delicacies that will be available include fresh homemade doughnuts, Egyptian cuisine, bloomin’ onions and spiral spuds. Booths will also feature vendors specializing in down-home favorites like cotton candy, ice cream, fruit kabobs, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and snow cones.
There will be new and familiar entertainment throughout the festival. Entertainers will perform a variety of music including country, bluegrass, rock, pop, and gospel. New to the Iris Festival, axe throwing will be a unique and exciting way to end your day of shopping. Members of The Appalachian Renaissance Faire of Tennessee and local musicians will be performing in various places among the festival crowd.
The 3rd Annual Keep Greene Beautiful Iris Festival Walk will be held at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The walk will begin at First Baptist Church and wind through historic downtown Greeneville. The entry fees for walkers are $15 per person registering as a student – 18 and younger – through May 13th, and $30 starting May 7th. A special group rate of $20 per person is available for groups of 5 or more.
The 8th Annual “Sundown on Depot,” car show, which will feature hundreds of cars, trucks, and bikes, will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Main Street. Organizers of the show have pledged all their proceeds from the event to Holston United Methodist Home for Children. Registration for any vehicle in the show is $15. Additional information is available by visiting www.sundownondepot.com.
The Downtown BrewFest in conjunction with the Iris Festival will take place on Saturday 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. on S College Street. BrewFest is a downtown Greeneville family friendly festival celebrating local food and local craft beers. Tickets are $30 for general admission and $40 for VIP access. BrewFest tickets include beer tastings, band, food and games area. Both the live music stage and food truck court are open to the public and free. VIP tickets allow you to enter an hour before general admission opens and includes BrewFest glass, light snacks, and other swag.
The 2nd Annual BRAGco. – Bicycle Ride Across Greene County – will kick off its inaugural ride on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. These courses were designed to display all of Greene County’s glory – from historic downtown Greeneville to the rolling hills of Greene County, and climbing and weaving along the Nolichucky River. The entry fees for the BRAGco. are “The Sprint” 23 mile route – $50, “The Roadrunner” 40 mile route – $55 and “The Classic” 68 mile route – $60. E-Bikes are welcomed.
Major sponsors for the 28th Annual Iris Festival are Eastman Credit Union, Grand Rental, Appalachian Auditorium at St. James, Ballad Health, State of Franklin Healthcare Associates, Greeneville Federal Bank, The Greeneville Sun, Radio Greeneville, Donaldson Company, Rodefer Moss, Brolin & Bailey, Durham & Hensley, Apex Bank and McInturff, Milligan & Brooks.
For more information on the various aspects of the festival, call the Partnership at 423-638-4111 or visit www.greenevilleirisfestival.com.
Music Stage Schedule – Saturday, May 20th:
11:00AM – Greeneville High Jazz Band
12:30PM – Magnificent Spiders
2:00PM – The Crankie Ladies: Joyce Carroll & Appalachian Renaissance Faire
3:00PM – Bandit Bridge
4PM – Josh Dean
Sunday, May 21st:
12PM – Asbury Praise Team
1:30PM – Madison Metcalf
3PM – The Foundations
4PM – Zach McNabb & Josh Dean
