Old Town, Big Weekend!
MoonPies, storytelling, watermelon, live music, and a packed Main Street can mean only one thing: Jonesborough Days is back! The festival returns July 3-4, bringing one of Northeast Tennessee's favorite traditions back to Tennessee's oldest town.
Two Days, Zero Chance You'll Be Bored
The festivities kick off at 10 a.m. July 3 with the beloved Jonesborough Days Parade winding through downtown. From there, the celebration spills into nearly every corner of town, including Patriot Park, Heritage Park, and Discovery Park.
The Market is one of those places where a quick stroll somehow turns into an hour. Local artists, makers, and vendors fill downtown with everything from handcrafted gifts to pieces destined for someone's living room wall by the end of the weekend.
This year's celebration arrives as communities across the country mark America's 250th anniversary, giving an already patriotic event even more reason to wave a flag, wear red, white, and blue, and lean into the holiday spirit.
Leave Room for the MoonPies
Every festival has a signature attraction. Jonesborough's happens to involve competitive eating.
The famous MoonPie Eating Contest returns with contestants racing through stacks of marshmallow-filled snack cakes while the crowd cheers them on like they're competing for Olympic gold. It's ridiculous, completely unnecessary, and one of the most entertaining traditions of the entire weekend.
The Watermelon Social keeps the good mood rolling the following day. There's something refreshingly simple about grabbing a cold slice of watermelon in the middle of a Tennessee summer and joining a tradition that's been making people sticky and happy for years.
When it's time for a breather, head to Doc's Front Porch. Storytelling, local characters, and front-porch conversation remind visitors why Jonesborough earned its reputation as Tennessee's storytelling capital long before social media convinced everyone they were one.
Live music keeps downtown humming throughout the festival, creating the kind of soundtrack that makes it hard to leave when you planned to stay "just an hour."
Then comes the grand finale. At 10 p.m. on July 4, fireworks light up the sky above downtown, closing out a weekend built on community traditions, hometown pride, and the understanding that every great Fourth of July celebration gets a little better when MoonPies are involved.
Long after the last spark fades, visitors will head home with bags from the Market, photos from the parade, and stories from a weekend that somehow manages to feel both timeless and uniquely Jonesborough.
Explore more festival fun across the state at https://www.guidetotennessee.com/festivals!
