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Wlaf1450Tally Town Festival 2025, the third annual, is coming next month
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
LAFOLLETTE, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)- The Campbell County Historical Society is hosting the 3rd Annual Tally Town Festival on Sat. Oct. 11, from 10am-6pm, in Downtown La Follette.
Initiated in 2023 to help promote our downtown area, the festival celebrates the Italian heritage that accompanied the Industrial boom of La Follette’s Coal, Iron and Railway Co. in the 1890s.
“Tally Town,” historically, is the area north of town along Indiana Avenue where most of the Italians lived. It’s the name they gave to their section of La Follette that contained orchards, vineyards and Italian architecture.
This year the festival is back where it started on Depot Street, South 5th Street, centrally located around the old Southern Railway station that is today’s Golf Simulator Sports Complex. We missed being at this location last year because of plans, now canceled, of removing Depot Street, the old trestle, for the enlargement of the city’s parks. We hope to remain here – “The Festival on the Trestle” – for years to come!
The Historical Society launched the Tally Town Festival in 2023 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Piedmont building. This downtown landmark was built by immigrant Domenico Lobertini and named for the area in Italy where he and dozens of other Italian families came from. We’re thankful for Charlie Hutson’s WLAF story in 2023 that promoted the building’s centennial. It sparked the motivation for this ongoing celebration of our unique, ethnic roots.
Louie Bluie Connection
The Piedmont, in 1923, is where Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong met his friend Giuseppe Lobertini and began his lifelong interest in foreign languages. This multilingual education became an important part of his musical career. He often performed foreign songs in their authentic language to the delight of his culturally-diverse audiences.
This fall marks the 25th anniversary of Howard Armstrong’s La Follette Homecoming. We hope to have a State Historical Marker up soon at the Piedmont building to honor this legacy. The building, besides having a unique architectural history, served as a luxurious hotel for many years. Later, it was the headquarters for WLAF, the UMWA and Fleet Oil where Jim Haslam of Pilot Oil got his start in the gas business.
We’re also adding to the festival this year a tribute to the Welsh families who migrated to our coal fields in the late 19th century. Families such as: Wynn, Pryse, Francis, Thomas & Jones moved here to follow the American Dream. Many came from a mining tradition in Wales and developed their skills in Pennsylvania before moving down to our Cumberland Mountains. Their arrival, along with the Italians and others, fueled the Industrial Revolution that turned our rural farming communities into modern cities.
In nearby Rocky Top, the Welsh were among those miners leading the charge for better working conditions and worker’s rights in the Coal Creek War.
From the Italians, to the Welsh, to today’s mix of people and industry — we’re all better served when we work together! We invite everyone to join our vision for a more enlightened understanding of our proud past. We believe such awareness can inspire everyone to strive for greater success tomorrow.
Please consider: volunteering, exhibiting your crafts & talents, providing sponsorship, or simply attending this year to help revitalize the spirit of our downtown “Iron City” district.
Visit and “like” our Facebook Page.
The Campbell Co. Historical Society is located at 235 E. Central AV in La Follette.
Open: Wednesday-Friday 9-2p.
Phone: (423) 566-3581
Grazie !
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
For bookings, email Olivia Lobertini at ohlobertini03@gmail.com. Check on avails HERE. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-09/22/2025-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)