Monday, May 25, 2009

Special Guest Of This Year’s Libertyfest

The Lawrenceburg Beautification Board will continue their tradition of connecting Tennessee with other states in celebration of our country's birthday on July 4th by having as one of their special guests Mr. Roger R. Smith of Culleoka, TN. As the board will be saluting "The Peachtree State" this year, many of the activities will center around the things that have made the state of Georgia famous - such as peaches, Coca-Cola, Gone With The Wind, and Savannah native Paula Deen.

Even though Mr. Smith is a Tennessean, a cattle farmer, and a retired meter reader for the Duck River Electric Company, he is most assuredly connected to Georgia in a very unusual way - Mr. Smith is a renowned "peach seed carver" whose carved seeds have been featured on the White House Christmas Tree, as well as at various art shows including The National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, GA; The Historic Shaw Art Fair in St. Louis, Missouri; and The Tennessee Arts and Crafts Show in Nashville, TN.

Mr. Smith began carving seeds in the late '60s and early '70s as a hobby that soon became an avenue for making new friends as well as becoming a business venture. Mr. Smith made the following comments concerning his unusual talent, "I have transformed peach seeds into just about everything from animals, villages or towns, and people, to an entire baseball stadium with players, spectators, and cars. Peach seeds are like people, they come in all shapes and sizes. Any peach seed can be transformed into something that before only existed in my imagination. The secret is to get everything in the proper proportion." Mr. Smith was featured in an article in Tennessee Home and Farm approximately two years ago, and that is how the Lawrenceburg Beautification Board discovered him.

This year's 8th annual Libertyfest Celebration - A Salute to the Great State of Georgia - will take place Thursday, July 2nd through Sunday, July 5th and will include a "Coca Cola Day" & an "Old Fashioned Hamburger and Ice Cream Social" on Thursday, July 2nd, a "Paula Deen Cooking Contest" and "Gone With The Wind" Ball on Friday, July 3rd, and "Libertyfest on the Square" on Saturday, July 4th, where Mr. Smith will have a booth featuring his famous peach seed carvings. The festival will also feature "Libertyfest at LCHS" which includes the annual baseball match-up, food vendors, music by the WLX Country Cafe Band, and, at dusk, the magnificent fireworks display that has become a wonderful tradition for local people as well as visitors from other areas. "Libertyfest at LCHS" will take place from 6:00pm until 10:00pm on July 4th at the LCHS Football Stadium.

"Libertyfest on the Square" will also feature a replica of a Civil War Camp, a Doggy Beauty Pageant, food and arts and crafts vendors, and music throughout the day. The fun will begin at 10:00am (registration for the Doggy Beauty Pageant will begin at 9:00am - there is no fee to enter). Please make plans to attend what is sure to be a wonderful 4th of July experience on the Public Square in Lawrenceburg - and then later that same evening at the LCHS Football stadium where you and your family can watch a magnificent fireworks display - completely free of charge!!

 

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