Tennessee Hippys Unite!

I'm over here in Carter County.

And once I was almost beat up for having long hair. ( it now been cut off).

This is to illustrate the kind of mentality to hippies down here.

But you know I still love 'em.

 

I actually posted this on the personals in a similar thread, but thought it was worthy to repost here. I've been around this forum as a casual observer for a while, and decided it was time for me to put my two cents in. Granted all that claim or look hippy arent, and some that dont look it are, but if you look closely you will see you are not alone, there are hippies in TN, quite a few to be exact. Here is what I posted in the personals:

This is an older thread, but I ran across it, and felt it definitely deserved a reply. I am not a chattanooga native, actually an Athens, GA girl, but I have lived here for 16 years now. Although the redneck and bible thumper communities probably do greatly out number us, its amazing to me however, that more people don't realize that there is a certain hippie cross section to this area stretching from middle tn to the NC mountains.


First, you have the Farm, one of the oldest, and contiously operating hippy communes in America. www.thefarm.org it also has its own hippie museum.

Bonnaroo Music Festival is smack dab in the middle of TN, and wouldnt be the sucess it is without a certain part of our culture.

Moonshadow farms or the Sequatchie County Institute, http://www.svionline.org/ , is a sustaibale architecture/organic farming and art community.

Chattanooga has a very progressive cross section as well. From the north shore, with shops and organic groceris, to community urban farms, to its conversion from one of the most polluted cities in America, to being named the Environmental City of America.

Whether, it sprang forth from it, or drew the culture in, the mountains and rivers have helped develop another hippy culture. Spend anytime in around the whitewater rivers and hiking trails around here and you soon realize that you are not alone. The hiwassee, ocoee and nantahalla rivers are called home by numerous "river hippys" Stretching all the way to Bryson City and Asheville NC a certain progressive cross section has taken root. Ranking those cities as some of the best places to live in America.

Didnt mean for this to be so long winded, but dont assume the south is a bunch of toothless, moonshinin hillbillies or filled with W lovin bible thumpers cause its not. Yeah we have those, but whats the point of being a counter culture, if you dont have anything to be counter to.

"Hippy by Choice, Southern by the Grace of Goddess"

Peace Ya'll!

 

I'm in east TN too, just outside of Johnson City!

 

Cool! I have been there several times. I would love to know who else is around the state.

 

I live in Sparta....I haven't seen many hippies down here either

 

Hey Guys thanks for replying! Sorry I've been away for sooooo long. I have sence moved to Cookeville Tn and have been crazy busy tring to get on my feet. Its good to know Im not alone like I had thought and that you all cared enough to even respond. Although my luck has not been so good in meeting and hanging with other hippies as we seemed to be spread afar I enjoy the internet community and hope to keep intouch with you all. And if anyone does live close to Cookeville and ever wants to chill hit me up! *LOVE*

 

I am very familiar with the farm I have 2 books by Stephen Gaskin and although I have not visited I plan to in the future. Have you ever been to Summer Solstice festival in Red Boiling Springs Tn? Jeff Poppin owns a HUGE orgainc farm there and has been hosting the event for more than 30 years now. I go every year and would not miss it for anything! its the weekend after bonnaroo its more organic (way less expensive) and more true to what a hippy festival is. Bonnaroo has done wonders for coffee county but the prices are just stupid to me. Anyway if your interested you should check it out. *LOVE*

 

i promise there really are a lot more of us here, sometimes it just takes some coaxing to get folks to speak up i guess. but anyways, im melissa and i live in manchester, as with most towns nothing much really happens here, and if you are anything but mainstream you can sometimes run into a bit of ridicule (unless its roo weekend, then its "cool to be a hippy"). just figured id speak up and make myself known.

have a wonder-tastic-ful day!

 

Glad to see you guys speaking up. I have heard of that festival, but never been. We definitely need to get all the hipper sisters in the south in here to speak up. So who's going to Bonnaroo??

 

Well I really want to go to the roo fest but money with that is always the issue! but Im hoping to work there this year and maybe get int hat way but the Solstice fest is the weekend right after roo and I never miss that for anything! So we will have to see! *LOVE*

 

GLad to hear from you! your not far from me in cookeville if you ever wanna hang just let me know! and if you know of anyone willing to let a hippy chill for the roo weekend with them mainly to sleep! lol.... I would be very greatful! Holla *LOVE*

 

i spend about 1/4 of the year in the nashville/sewanee areas...
born and raised in east tn.
mostly it's a great place.

 

hey whats up im from tennessee and i hate it but i live here for now but hey wanted to give u a shout out and tell u there are more hippies that live in tennessee to.

[peace and love]

 

For all of those hippies within reasonable distance of Knoxville, there's an anti-war protest on the 17th. Be there and show your support for an end to the Iraq war.

The march will start at noon in West Hills Community Park, where we will march from the park to West Town Mall. There, a protest will be held from 2 until 4.

E-mail me at wastelandsw@hotmail.com if you want a flyer for the event. Below, I will put a map shoing where West Hills Park is located from I-40/Kingston Pike. Come alone, or bring a group. We're hoping to get 3200 (the number of war fatalities in Iraq).

 

what up fellow tennesseeans. From middle tn, but I've been many areas. Hitchhiked the most through my homestate. Not too many cool folk around here cept for the friends and good people I've met down by the river. Anywho, enjoy life fellow humans.

 

Anyone ever been to The Farm? I was thinking about visiting sometime.

 

Sorry I couldn't make it. How did it go?

 

Pretty good. Some military guys showed up and tried to start something, but the police, in a surprise move, handled it. Knoxville police won't hassle you if you're a hippie. Just if you're homeless. And even then the'll just tell you to move along. Way better than Sevierville police, who will pull you over if you have a drug reference on your car and search you.

 

Been one time for a workshop a few years ago, very neat place. I suggest anyone check it out.

 

i may be moving to nashville with my husband in a year or so. he wants to go to vanderbilt to get his masters degree. plus its only 4 hours from asheville where i have family. is it good there?