Dickson County Is Home to Several Cultural Pearls
Dickson County is home to a variety of interesting and entertaining cultural offerings. Here are four of the standout attractions:
The Renaissance Center
This state-of-the-art performing arts and learning facility in Dickson has entertained and educated Middle Tennessee residents since 1999. The multimillion-dollar center was funded by The Jackson Foundation and is staffed by adjunct instructors and volunteers.
The center offers courses in visual arts, music, dance, theater and computer classes. The Renaissance Center also produces film documentaries, live concerts, instructional videos as well as the Tennessee’s Wild Side weekly television program that airs throughout the state on PBS.
Grand Old Hatchery
The Hatchery building in downtown Dickson was used for many years to hatch baby chicks, which were then shipped all over the world. Today, it hosts country music performances every Saturday night under the title of Vance Smith's Grand Old Hatchery Music Show.
Long-time resident and musician Vance Smith starts every Saturday night show at 7 p.m., and the music continues until 9:30 or a little later. Smith purchased the building in 1997, and weekly attendance for his entertaining show is 75-100 people.
The Grand Old Hatchery has a house band comprised of fiddle‚ banjo‚ bass and electric guitar players along with a drummer. Besides country music, performances can often include bluegrass‚ gospel and southern rock.
Drouillard House
The Drouillard House Retreat and Conference Center is an impressive place to hold a meeting or a corporate retreat. The estate features a Victorian-style, five-room mansion that is ideal for workshops, training sessions and seminars, then guests can remain in the house for overnight stays. There are also four modern cabins on the property that have a total of 12 additional bedrooms.
The spacious property on Old Highway 48 North is in the tiny community of Cumberland Furnace. Drouillard House can host up to 50 guests for meetings or seminars, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served each day. The mansion has been a Dickson County mainstay for nearly two centuries, and a guest retreat since 1997.
Broadway Drive-In
The one-screen, historic movie destination on Highway 70 East in Burns was constructed in 1949, but didn’t open for business until 1955. These days, it is open every April to November and has capacity for 240 cars. A wide variety of movies are aired at the Broadway, including several family films during the summer vacation months.
