Martin, Tennessee hosts the 21st Tennessee Soybean Festival starts this evening and culminates the first weekend in September. What began as a concept by a group of professors at UT Martin has grown to an event expecting 25-30 thousand people in Martin. This year's theme is "Let it Grow" and features new events like Disney downtown with a showing of Frozen, art exhibits on campus, and concerts including chart-topping country artist Lee Brice. We learn all about the festival with the City of Martin's Brad Thompson on Sounds Good.
The Soybean Festival began 21 years ago, when a small group of agriculture professors lobbied for the soybean as the concept for a festival in Martin. This year, the event is expected to draw 25,000 to 30,000 people, reaching its peak attendance next Thursday through Saturday. The soybean is a diverse product in many food and household items, and a major cash crop in Tennessee. Because of its multi-purpose nature, the soybean is said to be "magic" and is thus an effective metaphor for encouraging community development.
See the full festival schedule
