It’s Time for the Art’s & Ag Tour!

If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind event that you will truly be talking about for the rest of the summer, then head to Hickman County on Memorial Day weekend. The 4th Annual Arts & Ag Tour takes to the back roads of Centerville, Tenn., and Hickman County to discover its hidden farms, workshops and studios. This free, two-day, self-guided tour happens Friday and Saturday, May 22-23 and gives visitors a chance to enjoy and learn about farms, arts and good music.

One of the first stops coming from Nashville is Turnbull Creek Farm. Owned and operated by Kipp Krusa and wife Tallahassee May, the six acres offers Community Sustained Agriculture products and has diversified into organically grown flowers. It is also is home to Kipp’s custom hand-built acoustic guitar business, Krusa Guitars. Krusa is an internationally renowned luthier who has been building custom acoustic guitars, mandolins and ukeleles for nearly 20 years. From there you can meander from Mill Creek to Totty’s Bend to Shady Grove to Coble and to Pinewood and beyond, visiting a winery & a goat milk soap farm. You will meet a well-known Outsider artist, taste heritage foods, and stop by a workshop where barnwood signs and flags are made. Another popular place on the tour is Duck River Rose Farm, owned by Larry and Connie Baird, which features over 400 varieties of roses and dozens of baby goats. Many stops will also offer live music, workshops and demonstrations and items for sale. For the first time this year the studio of the Great Toyzini will be open along with other artists and the Band Angelica. Totty’s Bend Community Center is open with sweet treats and cold drinks, making it a nice pit-stop, as is Bernard Community Center where hand-made quilts will be displayed. You can also savor fried chicken at the oldest active church in Hickman County, Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church.

Most of the stops on the tour are not usually open to the public, so this is a once-a-year opportunity. The Arts and Ag Tour has become so popular that people come from around the state and beyond and make it a part of their Memorial Day Weekend family plans. Tour headquarters is Wild Duck Soup Emporium on the Centerville Square. There you can meet tour organizer Antonia Meadors and pick up a free map and Tour Guide featuring more than two dozen stops. Learn more at artsandag.com or Arts & Ag on Facebook. You can also contact Antonia at 931-729-0690 or artsandagtour@gmail.com. So put on some comfortable shoes, grab some friends and family, turn off your GPS, set your clocks to “country time” and head to Hickman County, Tenn., and the 4th Annual Arts & Ag Tour. See you there!