Cookeville
Around Cookeville
Photo: Jmtunafish · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Town and around · Tennessee · 149k people
Cookeville
Locals say Upper Cumberland · “Hub of the Upper Cumberland”
Where the hills welcome you home.
Tennessee Tech purpleTennessee Tech goldCumberland Plateau green
Welcome to Cookeville, the heart of the Upper Cumberland. Whether you're here for the lakes, the trails, or just a good meat-and-three, you'll find friendly folks and a relaxed pace. Grab some sweet tea and make yourself at home.
Clubs for Cookeville
No clubs for Cookeville yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Cookeville. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Cookeville. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Tennessee Tech University Home of the Golden Eagles.
- Center Hill Lake Popular for boating and fishing.
- Burgess Falls State Park Scenic waterfalls and hiking trails.
- Cummins Falls State Park Swimming hole and waterfall.
- Standing Stone State Park Hiking and a small lake.
- Dale Hollow Lake Clear water, great for fishing and houseboating.
- Outdoors Hike to Burgess Falls
- Outdoors Swim at Cummins Falls
- With kids Visit the Cookeville Depot Museum
- With kids Cheer on the Golden Eagles at a Tech game
- Evenings Catch a show at the Backdoor Playhouse
- Evenings Listen to live music on the square
- Locals love lakes
- Locals love state parks
Through the year
- Putnam County Fair summer (July-August) County fair with rides, livestock, and food.
- Monterey Mushroom Festival fall (September) Celebrates the local mushroom industry.
- Cookeville Depot Days fall (September) Street festival with music, crafts, and food.
- Dale Hollow Lake fishing tournaments spring and summer Bass and crappie tournaments on the lake.
- Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football fall Home games at Tucker Stadium.
Humid subtropical with four distinct seasons. Best: Spring and fall are the best times to be out.
Talk like a local
- “Upper Cumberland”
- The region name locals use for the area.
- “the lake”
- Any of the big reservoirs like Center Hill or Dale Hollow.
- “meat-and-three”
- A cafeteria-style restaurant serving a meat and three sides.
- “Tech”
- Tennessee Tech University or its teams.
Getaways
- Crossville Golf courses and Cumberland County Playhouse.
- McMinnville Cumberland Caverns and scenic drives.
- Nashville Music, dining, and big-city attractions.
- Tullahoma Outdoor recreation and nearby Jack Daniel's Distillery.
Local flavour
Teams
- Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles NCAA Division I (Ohio Valley Conference)
Eat and drink
- Meat-and-three Southern style restaurant with a meat and three sides
- Catfish Often fried and served with hushpuppies
- Hushpuppies Cornmeal fritters
- Sweet tea Southern staple
- Country ham Cured and salty
- Biscuits and gravy Breakfast classic
- Banana pudding Dessert with vanilla wafers
Where people go
- Lakes Center Hill Lake, Dale Hollow Lake
- State parks Fall Creek Falls, Burgess Falls
- Small-town squares Courthouse squares in Cookeville, Livingston, Sparta
- Meat-and-three restaurants Local diners serving Southern classics
- Hunting and fishing spots Abundant in the region
- Caves Numerous limestone caves
- Tennessee Tech campus Home of the Golden Eagles
Heritage and traditions
The Upper Cumberland is proud of its lakes, caves, and Appalachian heritage, with a strong sense of community and a love for traditional music and outdoor life.
This time of year in Cookeville
- Deer hunting Fall A fall tradition in the woods.
- Leaf peeping Fall Scenic drives in the Cumberland Plateau.
- Livingston's Overton County Heritage Festival Fall Celebrates local history and crafts.
Say it like a local: “Yonder” — A long way off.
Festivals
- Upper Cumberland Music Festival Summer Bluegrass and country in Cookeville.
- Sparta's White County Fair August Agricultural exhibits and carnival rides.
- Livingston's Overton County Heritage Festival Fall Celebrates local history and crafts.
- Dale Hollow Bluegrass Festival Summer Weekend of bluegrass by the lake.
- Cookeville Arts and Crafts Festival Spring Local artisans showcase work.
- Monterey's World's Largest Fish Fry May Community fish fry with music.
Landmarks with a story
- Cookeville Depot Museum Restored 1909 railroad depot.
- Sparta Rock House One of Tennessee's oldest buildings.
- Overton County Courthouse Historic county seat in Livingston.
- Standing Stone Monument Ancient Native American stone.
- Dale Hollow Dam WPA-era dam, engineering marvel.
- Old Mulkey Meeting House Pioneer church in Monroe County.
Food traditions
- Catfish dinners Fried catfish with hushpuppies, a local staple.
- Mushroom dishes Monterey's mushroom industry inspires local recipes.
- Country ham biscuits Salty ham on a biscuit, a Southern breakfast.
- Beans and cornbread Hearty Appalachian comfort food.
- Persimmon pudding Fall dessert made from wild persimmons.
Music and arts
- Bluegrass Rooted in Appalachian string bands.
- Country music Influenced by local legends like Lester Flatt.
- Quilting Traditional craft passed down generations.
- Folk pottery Handmade stoneware in local tradition.
A little history
- 1850s Founded as a railroad town
- 1915 Tennessee Tech established
- 1943 Dale Hollow Dam built
- 1970s Mushroom capital of the South
- 1951 Center Hill Dam completed
Rivalries
- Tennessee Tech vs. Austin Peay OVC conference rivalry in football and basketball.
- Tennessee Tech vs. Murray State Basketball rivalry with a Kentucky school.
- Cookeville High vs. White County High Local high school football rivalry.
- Putnam County vs. Overton County Friendly competition in various sports.
- Game day Tennessee Tech football games
- Game day High school Friday night lights
- Outdoors Float the Caney Fork River
- Outdoors Hike to Cummins Falls
- With kids Floating the Caney Fork River
- With kids Visiting the Cookeville Children's Museum
Southern Appalachian accent with a drawl; 'you all' becomes 'y'all', and words like 'creek' can sound like 'crick'. Local speech is relaxed and friendly.
Only here
- Monterey is known as the 'Mushroom Capital of the South'.
- Dale Hollow Lake is a top spot for world-record smallmouth bass.
- The Upper Cumberland has more caves than any other region in Tennessee.
- Cookeville is called 'The Hub of the Upper Cumberland'.
New here? A few tips
- Embrace the lakes: boating and fishing are big here.
- Try a meat-and-three for lunch; it's a local institution.
- Learn to say 'Cookeville' with a short 'oo' (like 'cook').
- Get ready for hot, humid summers and mild winters.
- Support the Golden Eagles; Tech sports unite the town.
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Nearby
Every areaDeKalb CountyTennesseeFiddles, farms, and friendly folks.CrossvilleTennesseeHighland lakes, fairways, and apple orchards.McMinnvilleTennesseeRooted in the hills, blooming with pride.JamestownTennesseeWhere every road leads to water or woodsDaytonTennesseeWhere the plateau meets the riverGrundy CountyTennesseeMountain air, small-town heart.GlasgowKentuckyWhere the hills open into wonder.TullahomaTennesseeWhere the highland meets the sky.
Cookeville, TN. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.