Tennessee 250

Check out one of our TN 250 grantee projects!

The Vanderbilt University Libraries podcast, "Made in Tennessee" highlights the everyday art and craft objects used, loved, and handed down through generations of Tennesseans. Hosted by Vanderbilt Special Projects Librarian Celia Walker and Tennessee-based appraiser Sarah Campbell Drury of Case Auctions, you can listen to the first 4 episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For more info, visit: http://madeintennessee.org/

Opening tomorrow — June 1.

Lines Were Drawn: The Treaty of Holston and Its Legacy invites visitors to explore the people, places, and historical memory surrounding one of the earliest treaties between the United States and the Cherokee Nation.

Learn more about the exhibition: https://www.easttnhistory.org/exhibitions/lines-were-drawn/

Lines Were Drawn is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee administered by the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.

Mark your calendars for the busy weekend ahead! 🗓

This Monday, June 1st, marks the 230th year of statehood for Tennessee! Celebrate it at the exciting events happening across TN this weekend!

Cannonsburgh Village Marble Springs State Historic Site Tennessee State Museum Rutherford County Library System Tennessee State Library & Archives Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site Main Street Murfreesboro/Rutherford, Inc.

This Saturday, May 30th, is the kickoff of the America 250 Lecture Series and Revolutionary Rutherford Traveling exhibit.

The traveling exhibit and the lecture series will be at Linebaugh Public Library from May 30 to July 13, 2026, with the lecture series taking place every other Saturday, starting on May 30. The lecture series schedules as follows:

5/30/26: Tennessee’s American Revolution, with Dr. Lynn Nelson
6/13/26: A Bicentennial Village Turns 50: The Significance of Cannonsburgh, with Dr. Stacey Graham
6/27/26: Heroines Aplenty: Portrayals of Revolutionary-Era Women in Tennessee over the Years, with Dr. Antoinette van Zelm
7/11/26: Interesting Grave Structures in Rutherford County, with Dr. Michael Fletcher

Rutherford County Library System

Make plans to attend!

Join Tennessee State Library & Archives for their annual Statehood Day celebration on Saturday, May 30. This year’s commemoration honors the 230th anniversary of Tennessee’s entrance into the Union and the 250th birthday of the United States—in other words, this is a big party! The State Library & Archives will display the Tennessee Constitutions and host crafts, tours, living history activities, and more.

As part of the extended Statehood Day celebration, TSLA will host a special Brown Bag Lunch lecture Monday, June 1, with State Historian Dr. Carroll Van West discussing Tennessee’s significance in the broader American story. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Make plans to attend!

Celebrate Tennessee's 230th year of statehood in East Tennessee at Marble Springs State Historic Site May 29-30.

Friday May 29th from 12pm - 5pm will be Tennessee Field Day for children to explore state history in collaboration with Ijams Nature Center, Museum of Cherokee People, and more.

Saturday May 30th from 10am - 4pm will be filled with demonstrations, guest lectures, music, dancing, and food.

This two day event is free to the public.

For more info, visit: https://tn250.com/events/event/6177256

Reminder! 📢📢📢

Tomorrow, May 23rd, Historic Granville, Tennessee will host the 27th Annual Granville Heritage Day. The new Independence Hall will be the focal point of the celebration as it displays the History of America. The Independence Gazebo Stage will feature Front Row Barber Shop Quartet, American Storytelling, and the Fiddle Sisters.

The festival will also feature “Stories That Built Us, Dreams The Move Us” tours at the historic 1880 Sutton Home, a guest lecture from Dr. Dr. Larry Knox of Knoxville, and so much more!

For more info, visit: https://tn250.com/events/event/6163298

Mark your calendars! 🗓

Here's what's happening across TN!

For more info, visit tn250.com/events
Rocky Mount State Historic Site Historic Granville, Tennessee Museum of Butler TN Robertson County Historical Society Eusebia Presbyterian Church Needham's Nursery Williamson County Public Library System

We would like to highlight some of the amazing projects of our TN 250 Grant recipients!

The Spirit of Nations Powwow, hosted by Indian Creek Productions, Inc brought the community together to experience the richness of Indigenous history in Tennessee.

Guests explored a Southeastern bark encampment, engaged with Cherokee cultural interpreters, and watched skilled demonstrators bring traditions to life, from pottery and stone carving to cornhusk dolls and finger weaving.

photo cred: Michael Byerley