In Case You Missed it: Photos From LaVergne’s Old Timers Festival

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Old Timers Festival
photo by Lee Rennick

As floats, horse riders, dance troops and marching bands gathered at the LaVergne Public Library, down the road at Veteran’s Memorial Park booths, food trucks and children’s activities were being set up for the 46th Annual Old Timers Festival. The City of LaVergne’s long-time community and family celebration took place last month and offered music; food; and booths for craft vendors, local non-profits, sponsors, businesses and politicians. Then, at 10:00 a.m. the parade traveled down Murfreesboro Road.

The theme this year was “Serving Thru History”, as this year marked the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the City of LaVergne. The Grand Marshall of the parade was Rick Autery, a veteran of the Marine Corps, Nissan retiree, and he sits on the city’s Senior Citizens Advisory Committee.

For more than ten years, the Rolling Thunder, a 501(c) (4) non-profit motorcycle organization with 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States, has been leading the Old Timer’s Day Parade. Their organization’s mission is to bring accountability to return Prisoner of War and find Missing in Action, dedicated to the watchwords: “We Will Not Forget.”

Since starting in 1974, the event has only been canceled twice by weather. It has, however, been growing every year in both booths and participants in the parade. In 2015 or 2016 they decided to increase the focus on kids and music. An estimated 10,000 came to some part of the event this year.