The fifth annual Valley Fest in Dunlap, Tenn., is right around the corner. Or, right down the road.
"Two and a half miles as the crow flies," said Sue Ann Lockhart, owner of Dunlap's Cookie Jar Café, in regards to the smalltown festival. She pointed over her shoulder from where she stood on the café's rustic wraparound porch.
The Cookie Jar is currently selling tickets to the two-day festival, which is scheduled to take place May 3 and 4. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekend wristbands are $8 apiece.
"The fest is a lot like Riverbend, but smaller," Sue Ann explained. It will include a car show, beauty pageant, 5k, 10k and fun run as well as a number of live musical acts, with the chart-topping country group Exile headlining. "It's very multicultural," Sue Ann told me. There will also be live acts playing reggae, calypso, jazz, funk, African-traditional and more.
Of course, what's a festival without the food? This year - as every other year - The Cookie Jar will be at the event serving up made-from-scratch chicken and dumplings, smoked pork, country meatloaf and funnel sticks. "Think french fries, but funnel cakes," Sue Ann said when she saw my quizzical look at the term "funnel sticks."
In addition to its fun take on that sweet festival favorite, the café will also be offering a variety of its famous desserts. There will be an assortment of cupcakes stacked high with whipped icing. Flavors include red velvet, pink velvet, even blue velvet. The restaurant also has a new strawberry and cream cheese cupcake dusted with red sprinkles.
In fact, the café's decadent dessert counter is currently featuring several new summer-inspired strawberry recipes. For instance, there is strawberry torte (which will also be offered at the festival), and strawberry pie made with a sugary homemade jelly and freshly chopped strawberries served in a buttery crust. My favorite, however,is the triple layered sweet strawberry cake smeared in cool pink cream cheese icing with hunks of fresh strawberries.
So give yourself an excuse to stop by Cookie Jar, where you can now pick up passes to the much-anticipated Valley Fest. It is springtime in the Sequatchie Valley, which means sunshine, lush landscapes and, of course, strawberries. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to Sue Ann and her crew at Valley Fest!
COOKIE JAR CAFÉ
ADDRESS: 1887 Kelly Cross Road, Dunlap, Tenn.
HOURS: Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (all times Central) and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
PHONE: 423-949-5852