Greeneville's 13th Annual Iris Festival will take place on May 19-20 of 2007.

The Greene County Partnerships Iris Festival was created in 1995 and has become the communities major festival of the year, featuring artists, craftsmen, food vendors and entertainers from across the country.

The festival was designed to offer great local and regional talent, and was promoted as a juried arts/crafts festival. As a juried festival, participating artists and craftsmen must meet certain criteria and can only sell handmade items. All applications go before a committee, which studies submitted photographs and information before accepting or denying each applicant. This insures that all items are handmade and eliminates duplication of arts and crafts.
In 2006, the 12th annual Iris Festival drew more than 32,000 spectators who enjoyed the aromas and tastes of dozens of delicacies from the festivals Food Court. Culinary delights spanned the globe -- from Australia, Japan and China to Greece and France, with such taste temping items as gyros, French crepes, bloomin onions and tropical delights. Streets were lined with vendors specializing in down-home favorites like ice cream, fudge and fresh-squeezed lemonade and snow cones. Visitors also were drawn to the Iris Festivals entertainment and dance stages. The entertainment stage was filled with blues, gospel, bluegrass and country music performers during the two-day event. The dance stage was a crowd pleaser at the opposite end of the festival area, featuring a varied lineup of performances, including jazz and tap, square dancing, line dancing and clogging.

As an added feature, the festival offered an outstanding Kids Korner, which was abuzz with activity. Youngsters enjoyed sand art, and a variety of fun activities, including a huge slide and moonwalk. Popular music filled the area and provided a draw for youngsters who sought their own kind of fun at the 2006 Iris Festival.
As with any festival, large or small, the crafters are an integral part of what draws the visitors. More than 150 crafters lined the streets and filled the parking lots of the festival area, some of which demonstrated arts like wheel-thrown pottery, intricate wrought iron, crocheting and woodworking. Many of the crafters provided samples, including homemade apple butter and jellies, to guests during the event.

Greeneville, the festivals central point is surrounded by history and enhanced by Richland Creek which is lined with native iris and is always a draw for the younger generation on hot festival days. On each of the four corners in the central area are monuments to Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States. A statue of Andrew Johnson, his early home, a replica of his birthplace and the Andrew Johnson Visitor Center are the heart of the activity area. The Evergreene Woodcarvers Show and Competition is held each year in conjunction with the festival, attracting noted woodcarvers from across the southeast. The talented craftsmen not only show and sell their wares, but also compete for prizes during the weekend.

The 12th Annual Iris Festival also featured its third Miss Iris Festival pageant which was held in the lecture hall of Greeneville High School. Also featured were antique cars and carriage rides throughout historic downtown Greeneville. Hundreds of volunteers were involved in making the festival a success. Not only did they provide the manpower for the information booths, soft drink booths and festival memorabilia sales, they assisted with the extensive decorating efforts that took place the day and evening before the festival. Thousands of yards of gossamer and ribbons, as well as festival balloons enhanced the stages, railways and light poles in the downtown area. Participating vendors often commented that they had never participated in a festival where so much effort was expended in decorating and making the event so attractive.
As with any event, advertising plays a large role in the participation and overall outcome of an event. Several directional signs were used and strategically placed throughout the region. The local newspaper, The Greeneville Sun, published a four-page flyer that showcased the event and highlighted the entertainment as well as provided a detailed map of the area, complete with the location of the craft booths and food court.

Overall, the 12th Annual Iris Festival attracted more than 32,000 visitors to the historic downtown streets of Greeneville, TN. Several states were represented by both visitors and artists/craftsmen. The direct economic impact of the festival reached in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Area businesses, lodging and dining fared well throughout the weekend.
With each year that passes, the residents of Greeneville and Greene County welcome the arrival of the Iris Festival and revel in the opportunity to showcase the area and the unique treasures it has to offer.