Smithville: Music, Crafts, and History

Smithville, Tennessee, combines cultural events with crafts, historic architecture, and activities on the water. When planning your trip, you can weigh up festive music and dance dates, craft-related offerings, and a look at the town’s architectural history. Center Hill Lake is also among the options mentioned for visitors.

Music and Cultural Events

The Smithville Jamboree takes place every year on the Friday and Saturday closest to July 4. The exact calendar dates vary from year to year, so check the dates for your travel year. The festival showcases traditional Appalachian-style music and dancing. The Jamboree therefore centers on traditional music and dance culture.

The Historic Smithville Art Walk has a different focus. The organizers’ 2026 page lists the Historic Smithville Art Walk as an annual cultural event in Smithville and names more than 50 local and regional artists. The Art Walk also features live music by local singers and bands. While music and dance are the cultural focus of the Jamboree, the Art Walk brings artists together with musical performances.

Crafts and Hands-On Activities

The Appalachian Center for Craft offers hands-on workshops in blacksmithing, clay, textiles, glass, metal, and wood. The offerings depend on the schedule. These disciplines give you an overview of the different materials and craft areas that may interest you when planning a visit.

The Craft Center Gallery presents artworks by more than 150 regional and national artists. This makes it easy to distinguish the gallery visit from the hands-on workshops: the gallery focuses on exhibited works, while the workshops offer opportunities to practice crafts. Another option is the Family Craft Studio. It offers monthly art and craft projects for children aged six and older and their adult companions. Individual session dates vary. If you include these offerings in your travel plans, you’ll need to take into account both the changing workshop offerings and the specific dates of the Family Craft Studio.

Architecture and Building History

The Susie Foster Log House is a Colonial Revival interpretation of a historic frontier log cabin.

The Evans Block is located in downtown Smithville on the Public Square. It is considered the best-preserved example of late 19th-century commercial architecture there. Together, the two buildings represent different historical perspectives: the Susie Foster Log House is an architectural interpretation of a frontier log cabin, while the Evans Block represents commercial buildings from a particular period on the Public Square. Those interested in Smithville’s history can thus explore two different aspects of local architecture.

Activities on Center Hill Lake

Visitors to Smithville can enjoy activities on the water at Center Hill Lake. If you’d like to take different interests into account on your trip, you can include this option in your plans alongside the events and craft-related offerings.

For the broader travel guide: Dekalb.