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HomeNewsCumberland City held their annual Lighting up the Cumberland on Saturday

Cumberland City held their annual Lighting up the Cumberland on Saturday

Cumberland City, TN – Cumberland City Tennessee held their 11th annual Lighting up the Cumberland fireworks show on Saturday, June 28th, 2014. The event is an annual tradition that draws people from all over the Middle Tennessee region, and this year from as far away as England.

ā€œIt’s a win-win situation for everybody,ā€ stated Cumberland City Mayor Gary “Whitey” Vaughn. As the time for the fireworks draws near, the small town of 315 people sees the population swell to anywhere between 10,000 to 15,000 people; and that doesn’t count the people watching from throughout the surrounding countryside. “If you can see the TVA Power Plants smokestacks, you can see the fireworks,” said Mayor Vaughn.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CEyiyJn8cM[/youtube]

Back when this event was in its initial planning stages 11 years ago some people expressed their doubts about its potential for success. ā€œSome people said “Lordy mercy their won’t be enough folks in Cumberland City to share a case of Coca-Colas”,ā€ said Vaughn. ā€œLuckily they were mistaken.ā€

The event is funded through a series of dinners held twice a month between April and October. Fish dinners are held on the second Saturday of the month, with schnitzel dinners held on the fourth Saturday. ā€œWe have a fundraiser six months out of the year, April May June, August September October. We have fish on the second Saturdays, and schnitzel dinners on the fourth Saturday. As we tell everybody people who thank us for we do as citizens, if it wasn’t for the people coming we wouldn’t have it.”

People stroll up and down the street in Cumberland City during Lighting Up the Cumberland
People stroll up and down the street in Cumberland City during Lighting Up the Cumberland

Pyro Shows out of Lafayette Tennessee puts on the 15 to 18 minute long fireworks show at Cumberland city. ā€œThey are the same company that does the shows out at Fort Campbell for the U.S. Army, the Tennessee Titans,ā€ said Vaughn. ā€œThey’re the only company that’s ever been allowed to do fireworks in Washington at the White House.ā€ He exclaimed, ā€œThey really take care of us!ā€

Musical entertainment next to City Hall
Musical entertainment next to City Hall

VaughnĀ was also proud of the fact that the city of Cumberland City is not required to contribute any taxpayer funds for the event. ā€œDonations and community fundraising covers the cost of having this event each year.The largest donations are a $5000 donation that comes from Stewart County Tourism, and another from the City of Dover, Tennessee.” Other sponsors include Traditions Bank, Synthetic Materials, Sportsman Market, Pine Bluff Materials, Ingram Barge Lines, TVA, CEMC, Busy Bee Market, and McIntosh Construction. ā€œLast year we raised over $40,000, that went to pay for all the groceries and everything involved in the dinners, and the fireworks show.ā€

Volunteers for the event come from throughout the region, “The event Co-Chairs Mr. Kay Hudson and Mrs. Mary Hudson are not even from Stewart County,” said Vaughn. ā€œEveryone chips in! We have in helping us for Montgomery County, Davidson County, Houston County, Dickson County; they come from all around!ā€

Face Painting
Face Painting
CEMC technicians replacing the blown transformer
CEMC technicians replacing the blown transformer

Murphy’s law raised its ugly head this year with a blown transformer, and a missing carnival provider throwing wrenches into the usually smooth works, but that did not spoil the evening’s spectacular finale. ā€œNormally we have a carnival the fella didn’t show up this year, I imagine he had a longer event somewhere,ā€ said Vaughn. ā€œRight now everyone’s talking about the power, CEMC is on the way. It’s just a main transformer. Gonna take a while but they are on the way.ā€

With a potentially hot election-year underway, politicians came out of the wood works for the event. ā€œThis year we got quite a few of the campaigners on hand. And many also come by and frequented us with our dinners and that always helps,ā€ said Vaughn.

ā€œWe’re so proud that we’re able to do this,ā€ concluded Vaughn. ā€œWe really do appreciate everyone coming out.ā€

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Bill Larson
Bill Larson
Bill Larson isĀ  is politically and socially active in the community. Bill is a member of the Friends of Dunbar Cave. You can reach him via telephone at 931-249-0043 or via the email address below.
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