Here are 8 quirky and unusual things no one tells you about living in Tennessee, highlighting local customs, unique festivals, and odd regional traditions:
- Mule Day in Readyville draws over 200,000 people for four days of mule parades, races, and family fun—an unusual agricultural celebration you won’t find everywhere.
- The tiny town of Bell Buckle hosts an annual RC-MoonPie Festival, celebrating the iconic Southern snack combo with races, parades, and live entertainment.
- Lewisburg’s Goats, Music, and More Fair is a goat-obsessed local festival featuring goat shows, races, face painting, and crafts—definitely a quirky community event.
- South Pittsburg’s National Cornbread Festival involves competitive cornbread baking, a pageant, and a museum dedicated to cast iron cookware—an odd and charming tradition.
- Arrington hosts the Tennessee Renaissance Festival, where participants dress in medieval costumes and shop for artisan goods in a recreated 16th-century village.
- The Gum Wall in Nashville might get overshadowed by the one in Seattle, but Tennessee towns feature their own odd local spots that locals either love or find gross.
- Tennessee folk music and storytelling are vibrant at local festivals, preserving Appalachian culture with live performances, craft fairs, and traditional foods.
- Tennesseans take their barbecue seriously, but the surprising mix of sweet tea, hot chicken, and farm-to-table food culture makes for a deliciously eclectic culinary scene.
These unusual customs and festive traditions showcase Tennessee’s offbeat charm and deep roots in heritage that locals continue to celebrate every year.
SOURCES
(https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/8-towns-in-tennessee-with-unique-traditions.html)(https://www.tennesseenational.com/blog/cultural-festivals-of-tennessee-experiencing-local-traditions-and-celebrations)
(https://www.tennesseenational.com/blog/explore-the-unique-culture-of-east-tennessee-at-tennessee-national)(https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/tennessee)
(https://wheninyourstate.com/tennessee/12-things-people-from-tennessee-do-that-seem-insane-to-everyone-else/)
