This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

This project is funded by Putnam County with support from a grant provided by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

In the heart of Tennessee, there's a little slice of heaven you've just got to see.

[♪♪] Oh, man.

Wish you were here.

Welcome to Wish You Were Here.

Adventures in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland.

I'm Shane Stout, your guide as we experience the scenic beauty and unique culture of this stunning region in Middle Tennessee.

Together we uncover hidden gems, explore the charm of small town holiday traditions, and meet remarkable people that define the uniqueness of Tennessee's Upper Cumberland.

Now, before we meet up with our Wish You Were Here field correspondents, let's explore the House of Vin-Tique, a rare retail shop in the historic district of downtown Cookeville, featuring an eclectic mix of nostalgia and antique treasures.

It sounds like it's a great day to shop for a one of a kind treasure for yourself, or that perfect gift to go under the tree.

Sometimes beautiful items from the past seem to be forgotten or just thrown away.

But let's go to a place where those items are cherished and put on display for all to see and purchase for their own homes.

Just in case you prefer a more modern feel or look, the House of Vin-Tique offers many beautiful items for you as well.

We are here in the historic west side of beautiful downtown Cookeville, and I couldn't be more excited to introduce you guys to Lisa and Brady Bush.

And you are the owners of this fabulous shop.

We are so excited.

Thank you so much for having us.

Well thank you.

Hi and welcome to the House of Vin-Tique.

So we're going to start off with the origin story because you guys are new to this space, but not new to collecting vintage items.

So tell us a little bit about how you got started.

We got started across town actually.

We started with an online business, an auction site, and then we opened a brick and mortar called the Best Little Hoard House, which we I'm not sure if we're allowed to say that on public television, but here we are, which we loved, and we're just thrilled to be across town now.

And we kind of have evolved our antiques story.

It's a lovely location.

But you're not doing it alone.

You're not a one man show.

You've got a dynamic duo situation going on.

So Brady, tell us about how it is working together.

And also you have alternate ways to shop.

Yeah.

So.

Well it's wonderful.

Between our online sales and the brick and mortar, we wanted to be multi dimensional and not just have antiques.

So the House of Vin-Tique also has luxury gifts for both men.

That's right.

Men and women, as well as, brand new luxury purses, luxury sunglasses, all the things, new to the historic West Side.

I can't wait to get shopping.

Tell us how you pick and curate the items that are here.

Because they are very diverse.

I could be in here for hours looking around.

Every time I walk through, I see something different.

We do a series of things.

We have 65 sellers throughout the United States on our auction sites, so we source a lot from that estate sales and, you know, just digging and what they call junking.

We go everywhere to source these items.

Now, Brady tell me what's trending in the vintage slash antique space right now.

What are you guys seeing customers come in for?

Well, the jadeite glass that green colored glass is very popular right now.

It does keep going up in value.

We started off with quite a bit of that, and we got more coming.

So that's the great thing about the House of Vin-tique is every day when I start work, I come in and there's more stuff to put out.

Well, you could look all afternoon.

It is a true experience.

And Lisa, you were showing me earlier, you have some things that throwback to some of our historic locations, like Ralph's Donuts, cream City.

Yes.

Yeah.

We have some Cream City advertising and Ralph's Donuts.

And we do really, really well here with advertising in general, tins and signs and things of that nature.

And we love it.

Now, Lisa, tell me we're here in the west side of downtown Cookville.

So if someone's never been here before, what can a visitor expect the experience to be like when they arrive?

I think that Cookeville has an experience beyond any other ambiance that I've ever been around, and it's great.

You can do everything on foot.

There's so many great shops, so many great restaurants.

This is a destination for an entire day, maybe two.

Now, Brady, you were talking earlier about when visitors come here, they can expect to spend all afternoon.

And so if you're going to spend all afternoon you're going to need some place to eat.

Yes.

Well, the most popular place to bring your family that I've seen from experience is visiting the historic West Side.

And so when they come, your customers that live here in Cookeville will have their family come in, and then they'll come out to eat at one of the great Craw Daddy restaurants, our Father Tom's or 37 Cedar, and of course, are our next door neighbor.

World Foods, has been here forever.

So our other shops, you can come out and make a day of it.

It's not just coming to the House of Vin-Tique It's making sure you visit everything historic Cookeville has to offer.

And speaking of historic, understand that we're right around the corner from Cream City with the wonderful historic sign.

So there's so much to see across from the Cookeville depot.

It is just a wonderful, lovely, walkable experience in this time of year in the fall, because there's a breeze in the air and we're down here and we can do all our Christmas shopping.

So you'll want to take your time to bring your friends and family here to the House of Vin-Tique and find that perfect, one of a kind gift just for you or someone you love.

So plan a trip to the beautiful, historic west side of Cookeville and visit the House of Vin-Tique, where you can find whatever fits your style.

Cherish the nostalgic past down one aisle and dive right into a fresh, modern look down the next, and then go treat yourself to a delicious meal or tasty treat right down the street to finish off your day.

Looking for a unique stein and dine experience?

This cafe and taproom promises an otterly amazing time.

I think field correspondent Jason Grider can get to the bottom of this otter themed dining experience in McMinnville, Tennessee.

[♪♪] Downtown McMinnville, Tennessee continues to grow and thrive, with many shops and boutiques, as well as several places to sit down and have a delicious meal and one of those spots to enjoy a delicious meal, as well as a rich, energizing cup of coffee is Barren Fork Brews.

Yes, Shan, and we'll find out what's otterly amazing.

And I hope you didn't write that joke.

We're here at Barren Fork Brews, so we're going to get something to eat, some unique drinks.

It's going to be a lot of fun.

We are in McMinnville and I'm here with Ashley and Amber, the owners here of Barren Fork Brews.

So why McMinnville?

We have family here.

We've always loved it on this side of town.

And, we were looking to open a brick and mortar, and the time was right for this space.

This building has been in McMinnville for a long time.

It was the blue building.

I think a lot of people remember that completely redone.

It's beautiful in here.

How long did it take to get it like this?

I think that it took them about two, maybe even three years to get everything up and going.

I know we toured it for the first time, last September, and it didn't look anything like it does now.

So we came to see it, you know, from bare bones to what it is.

Did you guys come from the food truck, realm into this now, right.

Okay.

So how did that work?

What's been the big difference for you?

We don't have to load and unload every day.

We get to work in one spot.

We don't spend 3 or 4 hours a day on the highway.

Their truck couldn't go over 55.

So it took you a long time to get across town, especially in Nashville.

I gotcha.

So so when people come here, what do you hope that they experience at your restaurant?

and bar and coffee and brunch?

You've got it all.

So what's the experience?

What's the vibe as the kids say.

So our hope is that people will come in and kind of have this be their home away from home.

We have a really unique concept in that not only is there a restaurant here, but we're a part of a huge complex, that has multiple Airbnbs.

So the opportunity to not only cater to the local community, but we also get to meet, you know, all kinds of people from hopefully all over the U.S who are here for weddings or events or things like that.

And I hope that we can create a space that both love.

Well, gosh, just downtown McMinnville itself is beautiful.

I mean, it's it's come such a long way in a short amount of time.

It's awesome here.

Now, what is the the signature dish or what's what's the dish that you guys really hang your hat on here?

We've been told the Smashburger people are loving the Smashburger.

We're pretty proud of the cornbread bowls.

They're bowls filled with cornbread.

And then we have a hot chicken one and a sloppy Joe one.

That sounds great.

I want that now.

Yes, that sounds delicious.

Right.

So let's talk a little bit more about the origin story, about how you got here.

We heard earlier about the food truck.

So is that was that the beginning for you or how did it happen.

Yes.

So six years ago, we left our jobs and decided to open up Tennessee Tatercakes, which was... It's quite a bit different from this concept.

It was just loaded, like delicious fried mashed potato cakes.

Okay, but we have done that for the last six years, and our end game has always been, you know, to move on to a brick and mortar.

We thought originally that we would end up probably in the Lebanon like, Wilson County area.

Sure.

Then this became available and it was a great gift.

And I never thought that we would relocate, you know, all the way to McMinnville, Tennessee.

But it's been a wonderful move, and it's been everything that we have hoped for since we opened up our food truck.

Let's get to the bottom of the big question.

What's the deal with the otter?

We are Barren Fork which is on the river.

So we just, yeah.

You picked Otter and ran with it?

Yeah, we thought it was adorable.

Does your otter have a name?

Because it's on your t shirts and your coffee mugs have been named the Otter.

His name is Peeves.

Peeves?

Because.

Because... We don't pet peeves.

We pet otters.

Okay.

It's a it's a great place here in McMinnville.

Just part of the growth that McMinnville has seen.

This area is beautiful.

The complex behind you guys are talking about beautiful.

Everything is coming up roses in McMinnville.

And especially here at Barren Fork Brews.

It's a lovely place.

The food's great, the drinks are great.

You need to come and experience it here in downtown McMinnville.

So grab some friends and take a trip to downtown McMinnville, Tennessee and see what tasty treats Barren Fork Brews has to offer.

But don't forget to see what other exciting shops and boutiques this beautiful town has right down the street.

You may even want to make a day of it.

Local artisans demonstrations, live music and local shopping.

You'll find that and so much more in historic downtown Smithville.

This art themed event sounds like a perfect match for our newest field correspondent, Mirlie Larose.

Let's see how they're painting the town in Smithville.

[♪♪] Each year, the streets of downtown Smithville, Tennessee transform into a showcase of the area's many talented artists, as well as artists from surrounding areas.

With the familiar small town charm Smithville is known for, they put on a display that highlights just what makes their town such a hotbed for highly talented artists from all types of mediums.

Thanks, Shan.

I'm Mirlie Larose, your newest correspondent for Wish You Were Here.

I'm here in Smithville, Tennessee, and I'm not alone.

I'm here with Artwalk coordinator Sherry Elkins.

Welcome to the Smithville Art walk.

Thanks for having us.

We're super excited to be here.

I'm sure you're familiar with the vibrant artisan pedestrian friendly street fairs of Europe, but what about Smithville Tennessee?

Yep, you heard that right.

The fourth annual Smithville Artwalk has completely transformed the streets of the historic downtown Smithville.

Sherry, I have so many questions for you.

Let's start with how did the idea to bring the artisan vibe to Smithville, Tennessee come about?

A few years ago, there was nothing on Walnut Street.

And just maybe five, six years ago, we had people moving in and started opening up some shops, and they were trying to think of some ideas of how to bring people to the street, let them know that there's things happening here now that their stores here.

And I wanted to do something that hadn't really been done around here.

So they came up with the Art Walk four years ago, and it's just been growing ever since.

I've noticed there's tons of people.

There's tons of pottery designs, food, local music.

Can you tell me how were you able to incorporate certain challenges each year to make this program so much more better than the first year?

So it's really a community effort.

So Smithville's kind of become a little melting pot.

We've had so many people move here.

We have so many interesting people, lots of different artists.

A lot of them are local.

And then they just reached out to people they knew or met people at other shows.

We've had a great response.

Just from sharing on social media this year.

The visual Art society from Tennessee Tech, they sent over some students this year with some of their artwork.

We have people from Art around Tennessee, which is in Cookeville.

They're here sharing some information on their our events.

So it's really just been a really big community effort of gathering people locally that have so many different kinds of art.

That's really important, I'm sure, to bring everyone into the community.

Yeah, we've have some incredible artists this year, from acrylic and oil watercolor paintings.

We have potters, we have metalwork, we have woodworkers.

And we also brought in some local farmers market to boost this year to just share their art of cooking and baking.

So we have some baked goods, some canned goods.

We also have a food truck on site.

We have an incredible band.

Marguerite Bean, it's going to start at 5:00 with some jazz.

That's exciting.

Yes.

I definitely need to pick up some recipes.

I need some more recipes up my sleeve.

Of course.

Yeah, just take it and take the price off.

Say you made it.

I like that idea, I really do, yeah.

What impact has the Artwalk had on local businesses and local artists?

Can you tell me a little bit about that?

We have some really amazing shops in downtown Smithville.

And they most of them are staying open late for the event.

Every first Friday.

All the shops stay open late.

I love bringing events down here.

It brings people down to Smithville, shows them what they've been missing.

We're actually here inside the purple door.

He has antiques and oddities.

Lots of really cool things.

Were in a vintage booth here, which is somewhere I love to shop all the time, so it's great for the downtown.

It brings people to Smithville, shows them you know, what's here to offer, and for the artists, it just gives them a place to show their work.

And we've kept the cost of our vendor base very low.

It's I mean, you can't find many shows that are this price, so it just gives the artists a way to showcase their work and let people see what they have.

And people can take home a one of a kind piece for someone who has never been to the Smithville Artwalk, can you tell me something that they should be looking forward to if they come here and experience it for the first time?

I've actually been a vendor for the last three years at the Artwalk, and it is my favorite show to participate in because there's something just so warm and nostalgic about it.

I love that it goes into the evening and we'll have it all lit up with lights.

They always have a nice jazz band playing in the background.

It's very classy.

It just sets a different mood to it.

It's really different than anything else that I've been to.

So definitely if you haven't been come down, check it out for yourself.

See what it's all about.

I'm so excited to see what the Artwalk has to offer.

Can we look around?

Yeah.

Let's go!

Take a walk along the streets of downtown Smithville and see what beautiful works of art you'll encounter right around the next corner.

No matter what your taste is, we're sure you'll find a treasure you can take home and enjoy for years to come.

[♪♪] What is more magical than a small town holiday celebration?

How about six festive celebrations sprinkled with Christmas cheer across Tennessee's Upper Cumberland?

From festivals to free family fun with thousands of twinkle lights, Santa Claus and an extra portion of small town charm, I think field correspondent Jason Grider is bringing the ho ho ho to this year's small town Tennessee Christmas.

[cheery music] Each holiday season, many families sit down to watch classic Christmas movies to give them that sense of wonder and magic that a small town, old fashioned Christmas brings.

Well, this year, why not take the family out to any one of the wonderful small towns right here in the Upper Cumberland and find that same sense of wonder and magic right down the road?

Hey, we're here at the Putnam County Welcome Center, and as you can tell, Christmas right around the corner.

So what are we going to do for Christmas?

We have plans made for you already.

Billie Davis is here from the Tennessee Upper Cumberland Tourism Association and small town Tennessee Christmas is on the way.

Billie, What is that?

It is a celebration of all things Christmas.

So one thing that we do really well in the Upper Cumberland is Christmas.

We do Christmas.

Great.

Amazing.

We do everything great.

But Christmas we go over the top.

That's right.

We really do.

And we have some towns that really excel at it.

So what we're doing is we're making it really easy for everyone to come and visit us.

We are going to put these towns together who do it really well, and we're going to make it to where you guys know how to come and visit us.

During those times where we've got the magic happening in the Upper Cumberland.

And this is for locals and people coming from all over.

Right?

Absolutely.

The more the merrier.

Because it tell me if I'm wrong in this, but a lot of people come to the area because of these traditions like this, like Christmas and Christmas parades and all the stuff that people do around Christmas time.

Yeah.

You know, I think that we take it for granted a little bit because it's so normal to us, but it's not common everywhere.

So we are going to just invite people in and let them see how we have a small town.

Tennessee Christmas.

I know you're still in the planning.

There's still people signing up and doing different things.

Do you have any places already that we can do?

We can put a spotlight on I do okay.

Let's see.

Yeah.

So Smithville, Tennessee.

Yeah.

They do Christmas extremely well.

They have a live window display.

So they put like little scenes on.

They completely decorate the windows.

They dress up.

Oh yes.

And they enact this scene.

It's incredible.

It's so magical.

Yeah.

So the entire town participates.

The downtown area is completely lit up.

They have Christmas trees.

It's right after their parade.

It's magical.

That sounds great.

I've never seen that.

That's.

That's awesome.

Where else?

Cookeville.

Cookeville is an amazing city that we have here.

And they're going to have Christmas on the square.

So Cookeville has a amazing activity for kids.

Everything is free for the family.

They have trains the kids can ride, beautiful tree lighting ceremony crafts, pictures with Santa Claus.

Now tell me if I'm wrong on this.

But I heard that you were guaranteeing snow.

We are guaranteeing snow.

How can you do that?

It's Christmas magic.

Oh, I see, yeah.

All right, so we're in, Cookville.

We've seen all that.

We've been to Smithville, we've seen the live windows.

That's really neat.

And where else?

You can't have Christmas in the Upper Cumberland without Granville?

Oh.

Of course.

Yes.

Right.

Yeah, yeah.

So Granville is magical.

People don't know about Granville.

It is literally like stepping back into time.

Yes.

Into a Mayberry town.

So imagine that Christmas overload.

And so it'd be like step.

It'd be like going to an Andy Griffith Christmas show.

Yes.

Yeah, but it'll be live and in person.

Absolutely.

Now, one of the things that everybody loves to do around Christmas time in winter is ice skating.

I know that's one of my favorite things to do.

But is that available?

Absolutely.

We have two of the towns on on our trail that have ice skating rinks.

Really?

Magical.

I wouldn't have thought that.

I know it's amazing.

And then there's more things going on, like Cumberland County Playhouse has something going on too, right?

They do a phenomenal job always at Christmas, and it's different every year.

Last year they did White Christmas.

This year I think they're doing a Rudolph and Elf.

Oh sweet.

Oh yeah they're amazing.

So that is a must see here in Upper Cumberland.

And then also we have this incredible place called a Christmas marketplace.

And it is one of the coolest things you will ever experience.

It's it's magical in itself, but it's also great for shopping.

So.

So is it more magical or more shopping?

It's a little bit of both.

Or is it shopping magically?

It's that.

Yeah, it's definitely that.

Well, that sounds great.

A lot of fun happening at the small town Tennessee Christmas here in the Upper Cumberland.

Yeah.

We have a lot of the businesses participating too, as far as just like food and beverages, our coffee shops, we're making signature drinks.

Just to kind of tie into that spirit of Christmas.

So it's gonna be really exciting.

I definitely can't wait.

Christmas is a magical time.

Magical time.

Sure.

And a great place to start your trip here in the Upper Cumberland for the, small town Tennessee.

Christmas is right here in the Putnam County Welcome Center.

All kinds of information they have available for you, not just on this event, but all the events going on around the Upper Cumberland.

Oh, absolutely.

They are the information destination.

They have a whole wall of stuff in there that you can just pull off and really take with you somewhere.

And either way, you can plan your trip while you're here too.

Yeah.

They actually even have the, Tennessee's Upper Cumberland visitors guide.

It's amazing, by the way, if you don't have it, grab it.

But they have all of all of the things that you could possibly do in this region.

They have information on it?

Yes, tons of information.

And there's even one in there about food.

So you can plan your trip and your food and all the stuff.

So great place to start here in the, welcome center in the gift shop.

They've got t shirts, hats, they've got a Taylor Swift puzzle in there.

Yeah.

So, I mean, really, you could come do all your Christmas shopping here, then go out and do more Christmas stuff.

Billie, thanks so much for your time today and taking us around and letting us know what's going on for Christmas here in the Upper Cumberland.

I appreciate it.

Absolutely.

Season's greetings to all of you.

Thanks for watching.

Christmas is right around the corner, so start planning now and which beautiful Upper Cumberland town you'd like to experience that magical, old fashioned small town Christmas.

Or maybe just visit them all.

[cheery music] Antique shopping, unique dining destinations and more holiday fun than we can wrap up with a bow.

Today's explorations have definitely got us ready for the holiday season full of festive fun.

We hope it inspires you to plan your holiday themed adventure to Tennessee's Upper Cumberland.

Thank you so much for traveling with us on today's journey and until our next adventure.

Happy holidays and wish you were here!

[Christmas music] Oh, so like every time I open my mouth, I freeze.

Is it hot in here or is it just just me?

This is on PBS so we can learn about shapes.

Today we're going to learn about squares.

I think I said Jim.

Jim like it's a southern Jim.

My deep south came out on that.

This project is funded by Putnam County with support from a grant provided by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.