News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The “Super Bowl of Marbles” comes to Standing Stone State Park Saturday.
The 40th annual National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship includes players from around the country competing to be crowned champion. Park Ranger and Event Director Shawn Hughes said there is plenty to do at the festival for those who play marbles more casually and those just looking for a family-friendly event.
“Invite everyone to come out to something unique and special,” Hughes said. “Something they are not going to see anywhere else. Something that supports traditions that are so important. Along with that, a day of fun. Marbles, music, food, I don’t think you can get much better than that.”
The event will also host smaller, less competitive marble tournaments. There will also be food, vendors, marble making, and live blue grass music but playing Rolley Hole will be the focus of the event. Hughes said the event is about celebrating folk culture as much as it is about marbles.
“Marble play has been going on for centuries,” Hughes said. “It could have been one of the first games ever played. Many people might not know this, it’s known as the Super Bowl of marbles or the world’s most challenging marble tournaments, but really its one of the most effective public sector folk-life projects in the state of Tennessee.”
The first National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship at Standing Stone was held in 1983. Standing Stone is the only state park in the nation that has a Rolley Hole yard.
“Events like this are so important because we can’t forget our traditions,” Hughes said. “In this case Standing Stone State Park is a great example of how a Tennessee state park can help the community.”
Rolley Hole has similar rules to croquet. The goal of the game is to keep your opponent from making his marble in the hole. The game is played on a 40 by 25 feet dirt yard.
The National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship will take place on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
