At a recent Breakfast with the Mayors event, sponsored by Franklin Tomorrow, Nolensville Mayor Halie Gallik announced that there will be a Nolensville Buttercup Festival on May 3, 2025. Previously it had been announced by organizers of the festival that it would cease after a 25-year run. An organization meeting at Town Hall took place on February 3 to form a planning committee for the event.
While the festival’s primary organizers had become frustrated by non-sanctioned vendors popping up at the edges of the festival without paying a booth fee and the town’s unwillingness to stop this from happening, Historic District business owners were not ready to let the event go. They took the town council at their word and asked for them to join forces and create a new and better Buttercup Festival.
“The original Buttercup Festival purpose was to support and grow the Historic District Businesses,” the town said on their social media. “The Town of Nolensville is committed to honoring the rich traditions of the past festival organizers and is committed to working with the businesses in the historic district to continue a festival……”
Nolensville Mayor Halie Gallik called a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners in response to the request, and after significant discussion, Commissioners voted unanimously to approve two resolutions. The first resolution was to create a Nolensville Buttercup Festival Committee. The second was to appoint the committee members to manage the event. The new planning committee will include four Historic District business owners and three representatives from current town committees.
“We all firmly believe in the value of promoting Nolensville, benefiting the businesses and residents of our town whenever the opportunity to do so arises,” Gallik told Len Serafino of the Williamson Herald. “The town was honored when we were approached by so many Historic District businesses and past buttercup committee members, to work together to continue this important festival. It was the perfect opportunity to bring together the business community with multiple town committees.”
Anyone who has ever worked on an event knows that it is a massive endeavor. This event has had more than 100 vendors, music stages, beauty pageants, food trucks and filled the town with visitors. It usually takes a solid year to pull an event like this together. Luckily, the planning committee has a tested blueprint and a number of vendors who have not rebooked and are willing to come back to this “new” festival. The town will again provide police, fire and public works employees, to keep traffic flowing and provide emergency assistance.
“Last Monday’s meeting was very informative,” said Lynda Moses on Facebook. “Speakers knew what they were talking about, and what was behind them and were looking forward to the new days ahead. New relationships were formed afterward in the front hall. It was a volunteer group’s dream, with everyone offering their ideas and skills. The people best able to handle so much traffic are in charge of it, which frees almost all the merchants, instead of a few, in charge… People have been so discouraged and upset to think such a great event ended. Vendors depend on it. The public has made it loud and clear what they like and don’t.”
Added Stacy Harris-Fish, “I’m grateful such a historical event will continue on. Heaven smiles down and history continues on for sweet Nolensville.”
Please join our FREE Newsletter
