News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
If you got married at the historic Clay County Courthouse, your story is needed.
The Clay County Heritage Days festival next month will feature a sharing of courthouse weddings stories during a “marriage homecoming.” Courthouse Administrator Doug Young said the courthouse has long been a popular spot for people in and out of state.
“So people came down across the Tennessee border and got married in Celina, and they could get married in one day,” Young said. “I used to own a clothing store on the square in Celina and I saw a lot of people get married just out there standing in the courthouse yard.”
Young said the marriage laws in other regions and states used to be more complicated than in Celina, prompting many to travel to the town. The storytelling may reveal some things about the town’s cultural origins, Young said.
The sharing of stories just one part of the festival, which will feature live music, competitions, and food vendors. Young said many of the events are unique to the area, and the festival helps keep traditions alive.
“It’s really a celebration of the Appalachian culture and the way that we used to live’ Young said. “They’re the things in life that make us who we are today.’
The festival is not just for locals to enjoy, Young said. He said the celebration welcomes people from surrounding regions.
“We’d like to expose our city and county to folks from more than 50 miles away,” Young said. “Let ‘em come down and see how country folk live.”
The event is free and takes place August 4th and 5th.
