Due to an unforeseen conflict, the Union County Lion’s Clubs Free Spaghetti Dinner (originally planned on September 7 before the Union County Opry’s Lonesome River Band concert) has had to be rescheduled. The FREE Spaghetti Dinner will now be held at 5:30 pm on Saturday December 14th before the Union County Opry’s fantastic annual Christmas Show!! The dinner is still free! And followed by excellent music. Hope to see you there!

The Union County Lions Club will be hosting a free homemade spaghetti dinner for all Union County citizens on Saturday, September 7, at 5:30 p.m. at Union County High School. Dinner will include salad, Italian bread, drinks and desserts, and will be held just before the Union County Opry presents the Lonesome River Band. This band has been touring for 42 years and is one of the most respected names in Bluegrass.

Tim Shelton Syndicate played and sang with passion and emotion at the Union County Opry on August 5, 2023. The band opened with a fast paced song from their debut album titled Ain't got No Woman with Shelton carrying the melody. They followed with Middle Age Crazy by Jerry Lee Lewis. Then covered songs by Ralph Stanley and the Stanley Brothers. Joe Booher nailed Killin in Griffin and proceeded to wow the audience with his mandolin picking throughout the performance. Jr. Williams, who played guitar and banjo, owned Roving Gambler.

As of May 28, the Pavilion at Heritage Park, better known as the Farmers Market, is completely ready for use. From the lights in the rafters to the natural concrete floor, the place exudes practicality with a festive twist.
The stage, back dropped with a gigantic American flag, was framed by the cedar siding on the back wall. Commissioner Danny Cooke from the Union County Opry welcomed hundreds to the pavilion to eat Buddy’s Bar-B-Q and enjoy music by Flashback and Authentic Unlimited.

Like a warm blanket of love, the Union County Opry wrapped the audience in Christmas cheer at the 2021 Christmas show, “Bringing Country Home.”
Singing and playing tunes from Elvis to the Eagles with a spice of Cajun and more than a sprinkle of nostalgia, musicians evoked dreams of the star, the tree, the gifts and the hope of the season.

Andrew Edmondson, Union County High School Class of 2021 Graduate, applied for every scholarship he found available, including one offered by the Union County Opry, and his efforts truly paid off. Edmondson received several scholarships to cover most of the expense of attending college in the Fall. When asked what the requirements are for receiving scholarships, he chuckled, “I don’t really remember, I just took one of every scholarship application available and followed the instructions! It’s not really that hard; it tells you exactly what to do, you just have to do it.”

I would like to share a few experiences of the full and rich life of one of our most highly accomplished local residents, Jim Clayton. He is returning to his first love, music, and will join the Union County Opry Band for a live performance this Saturday. Clayton’s uncle gave him his first guitar on his sixth birthday, and he was in love! As he grew older, he idolized Eddie Arnold and wished to be like him; but God had better plans.

Last year on March 1st I was so happy to share the exciting news of the Union County Opry with our readers! I concluded the article with the news that I had a copy of their schedule on my refrigerator and was looking forward to catching some of their shows, inviting you to join me. Then the Coronavirus hit. Our world seemed to stop spinning as the pandemic raged on. I confess that it was an unreasonably long time before I could bear to remove that show lineup, well into the Fall, long after any hope was gone.

County Commissioner Debra Keck enlightens us regarding the Joint Economic Community Development Board (JECDB) and their current and upcoming plans and projects. I have known Debra Keck for years as Mayor Mike Williams’ assistant, and we interacted often, especially when working together on functions of the Chamber of Commerce and as members of the JECDB. Recently, Keck and I discussed the progress being made in Union County.

I'm sure you've noticed the Union County Opry signs posted at the Maynardville city limits. I know I have, and we're not the only ones. Middlesboro resident, William Isom, who drives to Knoxville to work each weekday, noticed them also.