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Organizers for the 2019 Homesteads Apple Festival in Crossville have pulled a Civil War reenactment from this year’s event.
The reenactment had been planned by the The Sergeant William A. Hamby Camp, a chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Crossville.
Camp Adjutant James Lovelace said the decision to cancel the reenactment came as a surprise to him.
“We done a lot of things for this town and we’ve got very good reactions from the people of this town. But at the same time, I was shocked,” Lovelace said. “Then I had to call all these people back that I had already planned to come in, and some of these people were already scheduled at other events and canceled to come to this. We were kind of hurt by the whole situation.”
Lovelace released a statement on social media Saturday regarding the cancellation. According to the statement, organizers told Lovelace the cancellation was due to the group’s “political climate”.
Lovelace said the organizers had been receptive of the group’s idea.
“This was our first year with the Apple Fest, and it was just a ‘hey, let’s see if they’ll let us come’,” Lovelace said. “When they opened the door for us to come, we were excited about it. I had people coming from basically all over the plateau to take part, and then we got cancelled out.”
A representative with the Cumberland Homestead Tower Association declined to comment on the reenactment’s cancellation.
Despite the cancellation, Lovelace said he has no hard feelings towards the Apple Festival’s organizers.
“We’re not going to protest the Apple Fest at all,” Lovelace said. “I hope they gain all the money they hope to get and keep the tower open because it is part of the history of Cumberland County. I wish them the best.”
The Homesteads Apple Festival is scheduled for Sept. 21-22.
