For the 21st time, the Village Green in downtown Smyrna will be transformed into the sensory-overload that is the Fall Jonquil Festival.
On Oct. 28 and 29, the city’s biggest event of the year will feature 125 booths selling arts and crafts in addition to puppet shows, live music, fair food, activities for children, and (surprise) there will be some jonquils.
Even if you know what a jonquil is — "a fragrant short-tubed, yellow flower with long narrow leaves that blooms," says the city — you might be too embarrassed to ask why Smyrna is all about the plant.
The Jonquil City’s connection to the flower dates back to a burlap sack in 1883.
That's when the son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Taylor, a couple who owned 80 acres on Atlanta Road near the old Brawner hospital, sent a sack of the bulbs to his parents from Spokane, Washington.
And like the couple did about 135 years ago, folks will distribute jonquil bulbs to neighbors at the festival.
More history - What's a jonquil and why is Smyrna obsessed?
Credit: BRANDEN CAMP/SPECIAL
Credit: BRANDEN CAMP/SPECIAL
The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28 and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29.
But an hour before the main event begins Saturday, there will be a children's costume parade. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in the back parking lot of Smyrna First Baptist Church, 1275 Church St., the city said.
The parade starts at 9 a.m. and will travel north on King Street from the church parking lot, through the festival area, around Village Green Circle and end at the Veterans Memorial lawn.
Four judges will award a prize to the winner with the best costume in three age groups: newborn to two years old, three to six years old and seven to 12 years old.
The city said that at the craft fair, artists will peddle paintings, clothing, furniture, jewelry and more.
There will also be live entertainment like the "professional Frisbee dog entertainment" show K-9s in Flight, a puppet show by Peter Hart and live country tunes from J. Scott Thompson.
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Friends of the Smyrna Library will also hold a book sale, with hardbacks starting at $1 and paperbacks starting at 50 cents, the group said.
Wear stretchy pants and prepare for about a dozen vendors selling pizza, cotton candy, candy apples, corn dogs, ice cream, snow cones, Polish sausage, chicken sandwiches and barbecue.
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