Updated on March 17: Organizers have cancelled this year’s Daffodil Days scheduled for this Saturday due to COVID-19 public health concerns.

REGIONAL NEW | Bell Buckle — Each spring the rolling back roads leading into tiny Bell Buckle, Tennessee transform into a sea of bright yellow daffodils. Their history dates back to the 1800s, when Webb School founder Sawney Webb took a grim view of students absentmindedly snatching leaves off local plants. To teach them a lesson, Sawney assigned them to bulb planting duty all along the roads that converge into historic downtown Bell Buckle an up towards the school.

The daffodil trail as it’s called by the locals still exists today and many locals have added to it by planting thousands of their own bulbs. Each spring as the original bulbs and the newly planted ones, burst open in the warmer temperature, the town hosts one of the first spring events, Daffodil Day.

Here are three “must dos” the we picked for this year’s event:

1| Beekeeping Seminar – If you’re interested in apiculture or beekeeping as it’s commonly called, you won’t want to miss the Honey and Beekeeping Seminar with Dr. Ed Perryman. An avid local bee enthusiast and member of the Duck River Beekeeper’s Association, Perryman bursts with knowledge about all stages of beekeeping from hive construction to carrying your hive through its first winter. If you’ve ever considered starting your own hive, don’t miss this free seminar.

2| Local Author Book Signings – We’re a big supporter of the #buylocal movement and this includes local authors. The Bell Buckle Coffee Shop and Book Swap will feature three regional authors during Daffodil Day: John T. Wayne, Cabot Barton, and Lathan Hudson. Wayne is the grandson of the legendary John Wayne and a western fiction writer. Barton’s opened for artists like Emmylou Harris and the Georgia Satellites. He writes fiction based on his real world experiences. Lathan Hudson’s authored a memoir about his years in Nashville as a singer, songwriter called Once Upon a Time … There Was a Tavern, Volume 1.

3 | Free Tree Seedlings – Bell Buckle in officially the smallest town in Tennessee to earn the Tree City USA designation. Each spring the city celebrates Arbor Day during the festival and offers free tree seedlings to anyone in attendance. It’s just like taking a piece of Bell Buckle home with you.

Daffodil Day takes place in and around the historic downtown area on March 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information check out the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce website. Or for up-to-the-minute events updates, visit their Facebook page.•

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently owned and operated newspaper that publishes new stories every morning. Covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}