Trenton Teapot Festival attracts thousands
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TRENTON, Tenn. — A week of fun celebration and teapots has kicked off in Trenton. Thousands of people from all over the country have flocked to the quaint Gibson County community for the 35th annual Trenton Teapot Festival. More than 500 teapots line the walls of Trenton City Hall, a priceless collection celebrated by the community. “It’s grown from basically a walk back in 1979, a 1-day event, to a weeklong event,” festival chairwoman Dona Leadbetter said. And during that week thousands show up to take a look. “A lot of tourism,” resident Jackson Dover said. “A lot of people get to come see the teapots and a lot of things they might not realize are here in their backyard.” While they make their way around to check out the city, Mayor Ricky Jackson said they bring along some added revenue. “Anytime folks come in, they’re going to be spending or looking to spend, so it really helps out,” Jackson said. “We love it, and hopefully everyone else does too and they’ll come back and see us.” Hundreds of teapot yard signs can be seen lining the streets of Trenton during festival time. Organizers said it gives people a creative way to show off the city’s biggest attraction. “We really urge them to be out the whole month,” Leadbetter said. “Even though it is a weeklong festival, we celebrate the whole month. April is teapot time in Trenton.” From the Teapot Trot to Saturday’s grand parade, even those from out of town say “Cheers to 35 years.” “It’s just a really good hometown event,” Chuck Gavin said. “We’re actually from Troy, Tennessee, but we like to make the trip over here for the event.” One of the other big teapot events that took place Monday was the annual pet parade. Dozens of dogs and cats made their way to the new Trenton pavilion to strut their stuff for the judges. The pets were judged on everything from cuteness to agility. Sponsored by Friends of Gibson County Animals, most of the dogs that participated are rescues. The Trenton Teapot Festival runs through this Saturday.
