Dunlap Coke Ovens Coal mining museum and park

06/14/2026

These images of new Performance Center at the 40th Annual Dunlap Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival with the bluegrass fans in the new under roof location. Hot temperatures prevailed but no rain Sat. but the earlier rain on Friday on the Amphitheater hillside resulted in moving the shows to the new facility as the grass hillside was still wet from the day before. The Staff and members of the Sequatchie Valley Historical Association appreciate the volunteers and our sponsors who made this years festival a huge success. We thank the public who have supported this Forty Years of showcasing our Coke Ovens Park and the hundreds of Bluegrass Musicians who have performed here and retain the heritage and music of this the Sequatchie Valley.

06/11/2026

The passage door from the museum to the Bluegrass Center was hung today, the sliding barn door type takes up no space. When the door is closed the historic company store scene from 1916 is still on the wall. But the north coke ovens are visible in the background when it is open.

06/10/2026

Cannon Creek practice session at the Dunlap Coke Ovens

06/10/2026

Tonight the Cannon Creek Bluegrass Band & Friends did a Tuesday night practice session in the almost finished Coke Ovens Museum Bluegrass Performance Center. Master Carpenter and banjo picker Earl Eames who has headed up the building of the decks and new doorway into the museum was officially allowed to be the first band to perform a practice session at the new facility and will, perform live Sat. the 13th on this location during our yearly event along with many others for our 40th Anniversary. Sound equipment was checked and bluegrass instruments tuned as a small rain event occurred on site but all stayed dry in the new structure. "Check our line up on the Official Flyer"

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

The Bands Scheduled for Sat. Listed on this Flyer! All Music will be in the new Performance Center in the Museum if any possibility of Rain. First Band Begins at 11:00 AM CST

06/09/2026

Weather predicted this weekend most likely will dictate that we will use the newly constructed Bluegrass Performance Center at the museum instead of the Coke Ovens Amphitheater. The doorway from the museum was being constructed today by Earl Eames and our members. A terrific rainstorm hit so we got to experience the rain without the gutter or rollup window doors so some rain made into the concrete but the new facility will allow us to operate the music under the roof in this type situation. The back of the museum never looked so good! The entry from the inside the museum will be through the historic picture on the back wall as it will become a suspended sliding door and the wood trim will become the door facing trim. (Late Historical Member David Lockhart did all the detailed interior woodwork years ago and it will be preserved without damage as part of the trim on the new door.) We are happy to be able to have our 40th Annual Coke Oven Bluegrass Festival inside under a roof in the new area, with fans bringing their lawn chairs. We have lots of details to attend to so the next few days will be hectic but we will prevail. Volunteer members Dave Gunn and Bob Dalton have trimmed weeds on the coke oven frontage and the results were stunning.

06/07/2026

The Wooden Family had their Hugging Cousins Annual Reunion at the Dunlap Coke Ovens Park, Saturday June 6th with many in attendance. Good food was consumed and the kitchen staff preparations were much to be thankful for. Until next year

06/04/2026

The deck is finished. The angle top board added today finishing off the railing. The new under construction entrance from the museum will allow visitors to enter the Music Center Addition from the museum . The doorway being cut into the main lobby of the museum will be a sliding barn door style. We are pleased with the quality of the construction and if bad weather occurs the Bluegrass audience will be dry.

06/04/2026

Saturday June 13th 2026 Dunlap Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival. 40TH. Anniversary Since 1986 Dunlap, Tennessee.