As a part of Jonesborough’s St. Paddy’s Day Celebration, you can make a Victorian inspired St. Patrick’s Day card from 12-4 in the Christopher Taylor House. You can also hear the Irish fairy tale Molly Murphy and the Scorched Leprechaun at 2:00pm in the parlor of the Chester Inn Museum. Join us on March 16 for a wonderful day celebrating all things Irish!

 

       

 

Join Tennessee’s Oldest Town for their St. Paddy’s Celebration on Saturday, March 16. Discover everything from live Celtic music, green beer, Irish foods, a relaunch of the Jonesborough Gold Hunt and the Leprechaun Trail.

 

 

Enjoy Shamrockin’ on the Plaza in front of the Storytelling Center taking place from 4-7 p.m. with music starting at 5 p.m. Get into the St. Paddy’s spirit with live music from ETSU’s Roaring Jelly, enjoy a beer garden brought by Main Street Café and Catering with beer from Depot Street Brewery and a special menu of Irish foods. Come dressed in your kilt, leprechaun outfit or simply all decked out in green for our Best St. Paddy’s Attire Contest for a chance to win a special prize. Shamrockin’ on the Plaza is sponsored by Main Street Café and Catering and JAMSA, Jonesborough Area Merchants Association.

 

 

Bring the kids and explore the Leprechaun Trail. This interactive trail will guide you through participating museums, shops and restaurants downtown where you’ll discover treasures consisting of activities or St. Paddy’s-themed treats. One “treasure” along the Leprechaun Trial will be a dulcimer group playing traditional Celtic music. Another treasure you may stumble upon is a make-your-own Victorian, St. Patrick’s Day card from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Christopher Taylor House. Along the trail you’ll also hear stories from playwright and author, Anne G’Fellers-Mason, as she tells the Irish fairytale of, Molly Murphy and the Scorched Leprechaun, in the Chester Inn Museum parlor at 2 p.m.

 

 

Participate in the Jonesborough Gold Hunt, a mobile-friendly QR code scavenger hunt, taking place throughout downtown all weekend long. The hunt will include almost 20 locations incorporating Jonesborough’s unique history and architecture. You can find more information about the hunt and get started at jbohunt.com. Another great way to explore Jonesborough is by taking a guided tour of Main Street with the Heritage Alliance. Tour tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Chester Inn Museum located on Main Street.

 

 

Also going on in Jonesborough, the Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will also offer a Saint Patrick’s Day Contra Dance from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center. Admission for the dance is $7 for adults and $5 for children and students.

 

 

For more information call 423.753.1010.

On November 7, 89 eighth graders packed into the library at Jonesborough Middle School to accompany Annette Broadacre on her sojourn through Jonseborough in 1856 in A Sojourn in Jonesborough, an original play written by Anne G’Fellers-Mason. The Heritage Alliance was invited to perform by Social Studies and English teacher Mr. Anderson. The Heritage Alliance has two, primary source-based theatrical pieces that can travel to schools,
A Sojourn in Jonesborough and “Things Are Changing,” (a twoperson show focusing on local teacher Julia Bullard Nelson and the changing roles of gender and race in education at the turn of the 20th century).

A Sojourn in Jonesborough is based on the travelogue “Winter in the South” by David Strother as published in Harpers Monthly Magazine. The play picks up where the serial leaves off in Jonesborough, with the women
of the Broadacre family wishing to remain in town. Sojourn recreates what Main Street Jonesborough may have looked like in the year 1856. After the performance, students asked questions including, “What type of primary sources were used to create the show? Where can you find primary sources? What’s an archive? What societal
changes have taken place since the mid-1800s? What was the most surprising thing learned through the research? Why was Annette selected to be the narrator? Why did anyone think hoop skirts were ever a good thing?” Several students voiced an interest in wanting to volunteer for the Heritage Alliance.

Mr. Anderson shared, “The performance by the Heritage Alliance at Jonesborough Middle School provided
students with a first-hand account of how primary sources can be used in today’s world. Students focus on dissecting
primary sources in US History and understanding life in the 1700s and 1800s. Also, the use of storytelling in English class is a key element in understanding how characters and stories develop over time. A Sojourn in Jonesborough gave students an opportunity to see all of these elements working together to create a performance they won’t soon forget.”

Performances of A Sojourn in Jonesborough and “Things Are Changing” are available for local classrooms. To learn more about our educational programs, visit www.heritageall.org/education/. We are dedicated to providing educational experiences related to the history and preservation of our region. The Heritage Alliance actively cooperates with schools and school groups to teach history both outside and inside of the classroom.

The Heritage Alliance is proud to provide a wide range of educational experiences for multiple grade levels and age groups. Our options include a step back in time to a schoolday in 1892 at Oak Hill School, a scavenger hunt in the Chester Inn State Historic Site and Museum, hands on with artifacts from our museum collection, primary source activities, tours, museum theatre, a storyteller, and much more! All of our programs are connected to Tennessee State Standards. To learn more about our educational programs and where they fit into the Tennessee state standards, click HERE to access our Educational brochure!

 

This December marks the second year for the Colors of Christmas: Historic Tour and Dinner event! In 2017, the Heritage Alliance partnered with the Town of Jonesborough to merge the Holiday Tour of Homes and the Progressive Dinner into one elegant evening. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot last year, and thanks to those of you who completed the after survey, we have made modifications designed to bring you great cheer! We’re excited to continue this partnership in 2018. Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 1^st, and get ready to ring in the Holiday season in Jonesborough!

The Colors of Christmas: Historic Tour and Dinner opens several historic structures in Jonesborough, each decorated in Holiday finery. Guests can choose to tour only or have the option of a fine dining experience benefiting the Heritage Alliance’s education and preservation programs….but why not do both? Two seating times will be available for the four-course, Dinner portion of the evening, 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy appetizers in the Historic Inns of Jonesborough from 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. before being bused to the McKinney Center to continue the celebration with delicious food, festive live music, and camaraderie. Whether you choose to Tour only, Dine only or combine both, the Colors of Christmas is the ultimate kick-off to the Holiday season in Jonesborough.

Tickets are only available through the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center and can be purchased on line at https://townofjonesborough.thundertix.com/events/136373 or by calling 423-753-1010. Once you have purchased your tickets, we will send you information specific to your seating.

The restoration of a building does more than repair old walls and ceilings; it rebuilds connections, strengthens community and restores the spirit. Not only will you be celebrating restoration during the Colors of Christmas, you’ll also be supporting two, worthwhile causes. Your Colors of Christmas Dinner ticket helps to fund the preservation and education mission of the Heritage Alliance. The Colors of Christmas Tour helps the Town of Jonesborough fund the many free events, such as “At Home with Santa”, dedicated to children throughout the year.

The Colors of Christmas: Historic Tour and Dinner celebrates the many good things that result when we join together for the benefit of all. It is fun, it is festive, and it is fulfilling.

On Sunday, September 16^th, the State of Franklin Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), are hosting their Fifth Annual Bell Ringing in honor of Constitution Week.  The event will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Oak Hill School, located at 214 East Sabin Drive in Jonesborough across from the Jonesborough Public Library.  The program will include a ceremony honoring local soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War I, the David Crockett High School choir, the Over Mountain Men, and more.  Bring your chairs and bells that Sunday and “make a joyful noise” as America celebrates the Constitution.

The Daughters of the American Revolution began the tradition of celebrating the Constitution.  In 1955, the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week.  The resolution was adopted by Congress and signed into law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The State of Franklin Chapter of the NSDAR has been based in Jonesborough since 1929.