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Oak Ridge, TN

Culture

Secret City Festival

Oak Ridge is the site where thousands celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II. The 2005 Secret City Festival took place June 17–18, with a historic homecoming event that appealed not only to those who worked on the Manhattan Project six decades ago, but also to history enthusiasts from around the country.

From 1942 to 1949, Oak Ridge was a city of about 75,000 people — the fifth-largest city in Tennessee — yet it did not exist on any map. It was a secret city fighting a battle that had to be won. Today, the city remains one of our nation’s crown jewels, contributing significantly to national security efforts and basic scientific research.

The Secret City Festival recognizes this unique past. Events during the 2005 festival included:

• World War II re-enactments
• The premiere of the documentary film,
“Secret City: The Oak Ridge Story”
• Dedication of the Secret City Commemorative
Walk by the Oak Ridge Rotary Club
• Special programs at the
American Museum of Science and Energy
• Evening entertainment provided by
Bill Haley’s Comets and Jan and Dean
• Children’s activities
• Public tours at the Y-12 complex
• Home tours
• An arts and crafts festival

More information on this annual event is available at
www.secretcityfestival.com.

During the festival, the city partnered with the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation, TVA, and others to host a Manhattan Project/TVA Family Reunion.

Dogwood Arts Festival

Another major festival getting lots of attention this year is the Dogwood Arts Festival. In its 45th year in Knoxville, the festival expanded into Oak Ridge in April 2005, with a new feature trail and the official Dogwood Regatta. Associated with the Dogwood Regatta, the first-ever Dogwood Cardboard Boat Race was held on Melton Hill Lake.

John Iacovino, chair of the regatta committee and a board member of the Oak Ridge Rowing Association, says he thinks it is “fantastic” to have the festival come to Oak Ridge. “Our venue is world-class, and Knoxville folks don’t always have the opportunity to come to Oak Ridge and discover how much we have to offer. Being associated with the Dogwood Arts Festival changed that this year.”

He explains that the regatta is held on a section of the Clinch River as it enters Melton Hill Lake. The waterway is a rower’s dream, he says, because it is protected by two ridges and TVA controls the flow, creating an especially smooth course.

Approximately 1,500 rowers convened in Oak Ridge for the April regatta, which also included a junior regatta. Iacovino notes that this was the 21st year for the springtime regatta, but the first year that it has been associated with the Dogwood Arts Festival.

The festival is known throughout the Southeast for its
beautiful trails along some of the prettiest roads in East Tennessee. This year, the new trail in Oak Ridge was added to the list. “The abundance of dogwood trees on this trail was amazing, and the impact of the trees in full bloom was the topic of this year’s festival,” says Ed Pasley, executive director of the festival.

The first Dogwood Cardboard Boat Race was a hit with observers and participants, who constructed boats from cardboard and competed to stay afloat in the chilly waters of Melton Hill Lake. Tom Wright of ORNL Federal Credit Union, chairman of the Cardboard Boat Race, states, “For a new event, we were pleased that six boats were constructed, and all but one stayed afloat for the entire race. We hope to have 20 boats in 2006.”

An enduring element of Oak Ridge’s participation in the
festival is a community-wide effort to plant dogwood trees throughout the community. Dozens were planted in the fall of 2004, and nearly 100 are to be planted in late 2005.

Lavender Festival

In 2005, for the seventh year, the Jackson Square Business Association hosted the Lavender Festival. Held Saturday, June 18, the festival featured vendors and presentations focused on healthy lifestyles, cooking and gardening. The Lavender Festival is a peaceful, natural and refined festival unlike any other in the Oak Ridge area.

Each year Lavender Festival organizers bring a speaker to
the festival to offer workshops and presentations. In 2005, the presenter was Susan Belsinger, a teacher at L’Academie de Cuisine cooking school in Maryland for nearly 25 years. Belsinger has co-authored several cookbooks, and her articles and photographs have appeared in Gourmet, Food & Wine, The Washington Times, Natural Home, The Herb Companion and many more publications. She travels throughout the United States and Canada giving
lectures and demonstrations on subjects including herbs,
gardening and cooking, as well as using herbs for a healthy lifestyle and aromatherapy.

The Lavender Festival draws thousands of people each year to the Historic Jackson Square business district.

Other Events

Many, many other cultural activities take place in Oak Ridge throughout the year, reflecting the city’s richness in its people and their surroundings. The Oak Ridge Art Center and the Oak Ridge Playhouse are always busy with events, and the Oak Ridge Arts Council supports ongoing efforts like a summer concert series, an annual wine tasting and auction gala, and an “Evening With the Arts.”

Arts Council members include the Oak Ridge Art
Center, the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, the Oak
Ridge Civic Ballet Association, the Tennessee Mountain
Writers, the Oak Ridge Playhouse/Junior Playhouse, the
Oak Ridge Community Orchestra and the Oak Ridge
Community Band.

Associate members include the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Camera Club, the Foothills Craft Guild, the Oak Ridge Showchoir, Sound Company, and the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association.

For more information on Oak Ridge, visit www.oakridgevisitor and www.korrnet.org/orarts.