- [Announcer] The following program is a West Tennessee PBS special presentation made possible through the generous financial support of viewers like you.

Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to make local programs like this possible.

Thank you.

- West Tennessee PBS's coverage of the 30th Annual Tennessee Soybean Festival is sponsored locally by the city of Martin, by the Tennessee Soybean Festival, and by the generous support of viewers like you.

Thank you.

(energetic music) (sirens blaring) Hello and good evening, good afternoon, whenever you're watching.

We're recording this and also on FaceTime live for the West Tennessee PBS local production of the Tennessee Soybean Festival Parade.

I'm Tyler Hawks, along with my co-host Christen Patterson, and we're proud to be here for West Tennessee PBS.

As you can hear the sirens and see, well, it's a lot of activity going on here in downtown Martin, and that's what it's all about.

It is a local, just heartland of America parade.

You can hear the sirens, and that signals it's the start of the parade.

Here we go.

- [Christen] Yes, and it is loud and proud.

- Yes, absolutely, absolutely.

These are the people who serve and protect us, and we're so thankful to have them in our communities.

They do so much and do such great work.

There's a pretty good crowd here.

We had a little bit, a few droplets of rain about an hour ago, and then we just hope and pray that it would not be raining through the parade, because no one wants a rainy parade, not that it's not been done before.

And so we are right here in downtown Martin, and I was telling Christen before.

I was here for the first Soybean Festival and the First Soybean Festival Parade back in 1994, and they had entertainment like Tim McGraw was here when he was first coming up with, I don't know if you remember the song, "Don't Take the Girl," but that was a big song.

Suzy Bogguss was here, and she did her big hit "Drive South," and it was a huge deal.

But now 30 years later, we're talking about a huge event, big for tourism for Weakley County and Martin, and great right here at the home of the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Actually, back in '94, there was a partnership between UT Martin.

Then the chancellor then was Margaret Perry, and the city of Martin came together and wanted to talk about this, or put focus on the tiny vegetable that does so much in agriculture.

- [Christen] The soybean.

- [Tyler] Big focus of everything here in West Tennessee and the Mid-South, and so I'm looking forward to seeing the sights and hearing the sounds.

As you can see, we have our first float there from the Grand Marshall.

- [Christen] And they are just happy and waving and throwing out some candy.

You know, 1994 was a really good year.

It's the year that I came into this world, so I'm as old as the soybean, to give away my age.

- [Tyler] (laughing) Yeah, and it's so much fun for children.

That's a big part of the parade.

I was on a couple of floats in the good old Humboldt Strawberry Festival, and it's a lot of fun.

It's like, hey, your mom says, "You're gonna be on a float."

Like, "Oh wow, I'm gonna be on a float.

This is gonna be great."

- [Christen] It is so exciting.

I've been in a few soybeans myself with a couple of local businesses, and I loved it each time I got to walk it.

Everyone's so friendly here in West Tennessee.

- [Tyler] Absolutely.

Queen Bean, Alicia Pinto and King Bean, looks like Christopher Pinto.

- [Christen] And they're just having a good time.

- We want to remind you that WLJT is streaming.

That's right.

You can watch the Tennessee Soybean Festival Parade on demand anytime you want.

Download the PBS app on your smart TV, Roku, phone or tablet.

All of Channel Eleven's local programs can be found there, and our live stream.

Just search for PBS on your smart device.

In other words, we're everywhere.

We are all over the place, and you Facebook Live people, I know you're looking forward to the concerts coming up this weekend.

It's gonna be Russell Dickerson, Brothers Osborne, also Cheap Trick.

You don't remember Cheap Trick.

- [Christen] I know, my age is speaking again.

- [Tyler] Huge 70s and 80s band, probably still get tickets for those.

For those people who are watching maybe a week after the parade, get that list.

Go to the website for Tennessee Soybean Festival and be here next year if you weren't here this year, and more sights and sounds from the festival.

As you can see, it's a pretty good crowd, and it just grows every year after 30 years.

- [Christen] This is probably the biggest almost I think I've seen it.

(sirens blaring) - [Tyler] Absolutely.

They're throwing out some candy.

That's part of it.

- [Christen] They're throwing Double Bubble.

(sirens blaring) - In the golf carts, you see the Aldermen.

In the red golf cart, there's David Belote, a huge friend of West Tennessee PBS, and another great friend of West Tennessee PBS is the Director of the Soybean Festival, Mr. Brad Thompson.

Thank you so much for being here with us.

You've had a very busy week, as has everyone who has to put this parade and this big Soybean Festival.

You started with 25 events back in 1994, and now it's probably doubled that.

I mean, it's a huge event.

- Oh wow, at least doubled that, if not more.

It's a lot to keep track of, I know that.

It's a busy week, a fun week, a real fun week.

- [Tyler] So how early after the Soybean Festival this year will you start planning for next year?

- [Brad] Oh, we've already started planning for next year.

What do you mean?

- [Tyler] Yeah, a lot of work.

- [Brad] That's the challenge of it, is that you're putting on a festival while you're planning next year's festival.

There are a lot of things that really take a lot of extra planning.

- [Tyler] A lot of festivals around West Tennessee have maybe 100 to 200 volunteers, volunteers who help and put it all together.

I guess you have a lot of volunteers who do work for them.

- [Brad] We do, we have a great team of volunteers, and they're really what make the festival happen.

We have to rely on so many people, and with that many events, there's no way that we can all do all those events on our own, so we rely on many people to make all of that happen.

- [Tyler] It's gotta be a big advantage to be right here at the University of Tennessee of Martin.

I mean, what a great resource, what great support you get from University of Tennessee of Martin.

That has to be nice.

- Yeah, sure.

The very first festival, it was actually started with folks from UT Martin, so when we plan each year, they're always very instrumental in our process.

We've integrated into more of a community festival where it was very university centric, but the university still plays a role in everything.

(sirens blaring) - [Tyler] I was gonna say about everything is downtown.

(sirens blaring) It's easy to catch all the action, just come downtown.

It's not spread all over town.

You come downtown, right here is the public library behind it, so it's very convenient, and this is a huge tourism spot and time for Weakley County and Martin, would you agree?

- [Brad] Yeah.

I'm sorry, I could not hear you over those sirens.

- [Christen] They are loud.

(sirens blaring) Beautiful machinery, absolutely beautiful.

(sirens blaring) - [Brad] Ooh, yeah.

- [Tyler] And Westview Marching Band is coming up I believe right after the firefighters.

- [Christen] And they are gonna play us something wonderful.

- It's fun to always play name that tune after the band goes.

(band playing) Wow, well we go up the road to Knoxville, Tennessee, the center of the University of Tennessee, well, over in East Tennessee.

The flagship station, I guess you could call it, the base of the University of Tennessee, loves that song, "Rocky Top."

If you've ever been to one of those football games, you hear that and the crowd goes wild.

We are having a great time.

Once again, if you're just joining us, we've got Brad Thompson here and we're having a great time.

Christen Patterson is here.

She's an employee of WLJT-TV and I'm kind of a part-time guy.

I'm the voice guy you hear tonight at 7:30.

That's pretty much my role, and of course doing some other voice work.

I've been working for West Tennessee PBS since about 1995, which started right here as a college student, so it's been great to have friends here at West Tennessee PBS.

I'm honored to come back and do this.

The Bubble Bus.

- [Christen] That is a lot of bubbles.

- [Tyler] That is a lot.

It's filling the atmosphere.

- [Christen] I think that's the most bubbles I've ever seen in my lifetime at once.

- [Tyler] Hey Brad, what's your favorite part of this Soybean Festival?

What are you like, "I gotta get to this event."

What is your favorite thing?

- [Brad] Well, the parade's always fabulous.

That's always a really fun event.

It's a very relaxing event for me, because I don't have a ton, there's not many things that can go wrong with the parade, besides rain.

- [Christen] Besides rain.

- [Brad] But we've had great weather tonight, and this is always a fun, relaxing event, and everybody's happy and the kids are smiling.

The other things throughout the festival though are the things that bring the community together, and that's something that's probably my favorite thing, is seeing everything that we've done from a planning perspective, from the very beginning, to see it come to fruition and to see the real diverse group of people come out of the community to work together to put it on and then it be a successful event.

- [Christen] Absolutely.

- [Tyler] Well, it takes a lot of work to put it together, for sure.

This is the Weakley County Republican Women there in the red truck.

Well, this festival has really just blossomed.

I mean, over the years, we're talking about 30 years of the Soybean Festival.

I don't know if y'all ever thought it would be this big and you'd have the crowds downtown this big, but here we are, and it's really evolved to something fantastic.

- [Christen] It's a lot of wonderful people looking around.

- [Brad] It really is.

- [Christen] It's a good turnout.

(upbeat music) - [Tyler] There's the Weakley County Democratic Party coming through.

There's all kinds of different groups and organizations that make their presence known.

- [Brad] Yeah, they're right beside each other in the parade and getting along all nicely.

They're setting a good example for the rest of the country to follow, right?

- [Tyler] That's true.

Weakly County School's Livestock Program is coming up next, such an important program for children here in the area.

Now Christen, you were in the Soybean Festival Parade, right, at one time?

- [Christen] Yes, a few times.

I've walked it quite a few times for different businesses, and I went to Dresden, so I'm a local.

- [Tyler] Yeah, okay, okay.

- [Christen] I was actually in the Dresden FFA, so I know that's livestock.

- [Tyler] Oh, okay, yeah.

Future Farmers of America.

Froggy 94.3 and 99.3, Forever Communications.

They're representing Dyersburg, Union City and Martin, and of course the legendary WENK Radio.

I just want to take a moment right now to pay tribute to these people who are coming through, because these are my people from Humboldt, Tennessee.

I'm from Humboldt.

The Strawberry Festival, it's another event.

We'll just talk about the Strawberry Festival just for a second, if you'll let me.

It's a wonderful event, and it takes a lot of volunteers.

These are representatives from Humboldt, and I'm proud to see them.

They're asking you to join them May 5th through the 11th, 2024.

One of the biggest events for the Strawberry Festival that goes really well every year is the Governor's Luncheon where they invite the governor to come.

Most of the time he's able to come and speak, and you're seeing royalty walk by.

Aren't they beautiful?

They've got that wave down.

They know the fashionable wave.

- [Christen] And beautiful colors, green and red.

- [Tyler] Yeah, absolutely.

And then Dyersburg State Community College, just up the road, educating people and getting them off to a great start in their college career.

- [Christen] Yes, and all ages welcome there.

- [Tyler] All ages welcome.

Now this is a really colorful, pretty big float here behind the red Jeep.

- [Christen] Yes, the poppy colors with the yellow and the red.

- [Brad] It's Diversicare, I believe.

Diversicare of Martin.

- [Tyler] Diversicare, okay.

- [Christen] You know, I've heard there's no place like Diversicare.

- [Tyler] That's what they say.

There's no place like Diversicare.

- [Christen] Very friendly.

- [Tyler] And the First Community Bank is being represented behind them, and the little young lady you see on the screen, she's loving it.

She is loving this parade.

- [Christen] She's living her best life.

- [Tyler] Yes, give me that lollipop.

I'm ready to go.

That's fantastic.

- [Christen] I know my daughter would be happy with just a lollipop and waving.

- Just so content.

(crowd chattering) We're talking about how we're live on Facebook, but also West Tennessee PBS Channel 11 is replaying the Tennessee Soybean Festival Parade multiple times on Channel 11.1.

Then on channel 11.2, our PBS Kids channel, and Channel 11.3 called Create.

If you want to watch the parade again, go to westtnpbs.org.

That's westtnpbs.org for all the air dates and times so you can watch it again, especially if you've got a child or a grandchild and you're like, "Oh, we've gotta go and watch that again."

So Brad Thompson, the Director of the Tennessee Soybean Festival, we know you've got a lot of people to meet and greet and a lot of things to enjoy tonight.

We really appreciate you coming by and sitting with us, and thank you so much for your help.

- It's been a pleasure.

- Thank you.

It was nice to sit down a few minutes today.

- Okay, good.

- [Christen] You get to rest before you start next year's events.

- [Tyler] Then you start planning.

Okay, Brad.

- [Brad] Thank you all so much for doing this, we appreciate it.

- [Tyler] And we appreciate your help here at West Tennessee PBS, for everything you've done for us for the production.

We really do appreciate it.

Thank you and have a great evening and a great time at the parade.

- [Christen] And then we've got Casey's going by with a huge slice of pizza, and those kids sure do look happy.

- And before that, I believe it was Greenbriar.

Let's see, here's West Tennessee PBS representative there, Jennifer Medford, yes, waving proud with the West Tennessee PBS logo right there.

You may see that all over West Tennessee, because we really reach out quite a bit.

Then West Tennessee Healthcare Rehabilitation Hospital located near the hospital there in Jackson, Tennessee, right down the road.

There's a lot of support and we appreciate them being here.

I'm not sure, I believe you pronounce that Aguilar Roofing.

- [Christen] Yeah, Aguilar Roofing.

- [Tyler] Licensed and insured, free estimates.

And hey, what a great way to get your word out to come through the parade.

- [Christen] And it's local, so if you need your roof fixed.

- [Tyler] That's right, and we've had so much rain.

There are a lot of people calling the roofing people.

- [Christen] There are indeed.

It's been some crazy weather.

- [Tyler] Let's listen to the Skyhawk Band here from the University of Tennessee Martin.

We'll be quiet so you can hear the wonderful sound of this band.

Here we go.

(band playing) - [Christen] We have the cheerleaders coming in with their pompoms and their cheer.

- [Tyler] That's the spirit of the teams and all the athletic guys and girls, or I should say men and women, because they're college aged now.

All the athletes are walking behind them.

What a great crew and what a great experience to be in college and be in sports or football or soccer, whatever course, a great equestrian program.

We are known at UTM, or they are known, I'm an alumni, so I could say we, but the rodeo program is nationally known.

I mean, wow.

Such an impressive program, and something you won't find anywhere else probably definitely around here.

So yeah, the Skyhawks, they're filling up the street here.

- [Christen] They are.

It's a very full crowd.

I'm surprised by how many student athletes are there.

- [Tyler] I mean, everybody showed up.

They must have gotten the memo or the email.

- [Christen] Yeah, you've got the cross country team and the basketball team, and they all look so friendly.

- [Tyler] This may be some of their, these people's first parade.

You never know.

- [Christen] Oh yeah, it might be, especially if they're freshmen.

- [Tyler] Yeah, that's true.

- [Christen] And they've got their dogs.

It's so precious.

(crowd chattering) - [Tyler] UT Martin Equestrian Team here.

There they are.

- [Crowd Member] Go Skyhawks!

- [Christen] And they've got some hay.

- [Tyler] They've got some hay.

Hey, they got hay.

You know, it's like the old cheer goes, we got spirit, how about you?

They've got a whole lot of spirit.

- [Christen] They definitely all are full of spirit.

- [Tyler] More people there from I believe the equestrian program, and then, there's the members of the rodeo team.

- [Christen] And the rodeo is a big turnout, even more so than the parade, I believe.

- [Tyler] It is huge.

It's a big event, and if you've never been, it's really worth the time.

- [Christen] It's quite an experience.

- [Tyler] ADC Medical is coming up.

- [Christen] They've got their employees and their family riding with them.

- [Tyler] Yeah.

- [Christen] And they want you to know that walk-ins are welcome.

- [Tyler] Come on in, all right.

- [Christen] Then we got Fifty Shades of Green over here with the white pickup truck.

They're a landscaping company, aren't they?

- [Tyler] Yeah, everybody needs that.

Coming up next, Lewis Institute Mid-South Tae Park, Tae Kwon Do Association.

It takes discipline, it takes patience, it takes strength, and these people are learning it at a very young age, as you can see.

- [Christen] And it takes dedication.

- [Tyler] A lot of dedication.

- [Christen] My uncle's a Tae Kwon Do instructor, and he's very dedicated.

Many, many years.

- [Tyler] Davis Automotive is behind them.

- [Christen] And they're a great local automobile shop.

- [Tyler] They say the pros who know.

- [Christen] They are.

(horn honking) We got some more fire trucks coming up.

It looks like the Sharon Fire Department Engine One.

(horn honking) - [Tyler] One thing about fire departments, one of the things they try to do for safety is keep everything clean.

You can see how they're just gleaming, these machines.

- [Christen] It's always so shiny.

- [Tyler] So shiny, yeah.

- [Christen] And they're hard workers, too.

- [Tyler] Yeah, they walk in when everybody else is running out.

- [Christen] Yeah, and it's very important to keep that equipment clean as well.

- [Tyler] Yeah, sure.

And then we have the Dresden Fire Department being represented here this evening.

If you just joined us on Facebook Live or the replay, I'm Tyler Hawks and this is Christen Patterson, and we're co-hosts of the local production here for West Tennessee PBS' coverage, as we say in television, wall-to-wall coverage here from the beginning to the end of the Tennessee Soybean Festival in its 30th year.

I was talking about how I was here as a student in 1994, and it was a nice event, but nothing like it is now.

This is just a huge event.

- [Christen] Oh, the way it's grown over the years.

It's blossomed.

- [Tyler] And a wonderful parade.

(siren blaring) This is UT Martin Veterinary Science Technology Club.

- [Christen] They just have all the cutest puppies with them.

(both laughing) And special thanks to Vicki's Designer Touch for helping with our production of the Soybean Parade, and Savant Learning Systems as well.

We couldn't do it without them.

She's got some TP for free (laughing).

- [Tyler] Tennessee's Choice is a slogan.

They're called TC Plumbing.

When you need a plumber, I mean, you gotta get them on the phone right then and you hope they show up very soon.

- [Christen] You just don't see that every day, toilet paper flying.

- [Tyler] I wouldn't say that everybody has that on their car.

It's not like a trend.

- [Christen] It's not.

Maybe they'll be some trendsetters.

- [Tyler] I don't know.

But you're right, that's the first time I've ever seen anything like that.

- [Christen] Throw your roll.

- [Tyler] Throw your roll.

- [Christen] That's a good slogan.

- [Tyler] The Weakly County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center is coming up next after them.

So forget throwing candy.

Just throw some toilet paper.

- [Christen] Just throw the toilet paper.

Maybe I'll catch a roll.

(both laughing) Oh, what fun.

- [Crowd Member] I want toilet paper.

- [Christen] Remember, West Tennessee PBS is commercial-free and a non-profit that relies on viewer donations to bring you these local community programs.

If you like seeing local programs from your community, go to westtennesseepbs.org and click on the donation tab to support the station.

- [Tyler] Van Ayer Manor is coming up, where life is sweet.

- [Christen] And it sure is sweet.

They've got the lollipops and the donuts.

- [Tyler] They do.

- [Christen] Followed by the Girl Scouts.

If you guys haven't ever had Girl Scout cookies, they are the best cookies around.

They sure do look cute.

- [Tyler] And this is, I'm sorry, I made a mistake before.

This is Van Ayer Healthcare and Rehab after the Girl Scouts.

Get well, live well is their slogan.

And here comes the candy.

- [Christen] That was a good shot.

- [Brad] That was a good shot.

- [Christen] Here comes some more.

- [Tyler] So now Christen, you know quite a bit about the Future Farmers of America.

- [Christen] I do.

- [Tyler] And here they come.

The Westview FFA strong.

Here they come down the road.

- [Christen] It is, and they're also throwing toilet paper.

I was the FFA Creed Speaker for the Dresden Chapter in 2010, and that's where my public speaking started, 2010.

What were you doing then?

- What were you doing then?

I don't have, I'm trying to remember.

Now you're on television and Facebook Live.

It's a wonderful thing because of West Tennessee PBS, and we're having a great time here.

Look at that beautiful John Deere tractor.

- [Christen] The opportunities are endless.

- [Tyler] Yes, they are.

(group cheering) - [Christen] It looks like they are followed by, is that the Dresden FFA?

I see a D. - [Tyler] Yeah, I believe that's who that is.

- [Christen] Yes, and they're just as excited as the Westview chapter.

- [Tyler] Yes, and they're learning a lot and doing a lot.

It's a very busy organization to be with.

- [Christen] Yes, FFA is very hands-on.

You get to deal with the livestock and you get to learn other things.

- [Tyler] Yeah, there's a lot of science involved, of course and farming.

- [Christen] I learned how to wire a board.

- [Tyler] Wire a.

- [Christen] Like a light bulb.

- [Tyler] Oh, a light bulb, like for electricians.

- [Christen] It was interesting.

- [Tyler] Wow, that's great.

And from the Tennessee FFA Association, that's what it says on their flag there.

There's a lot of Future Farmers of America.

The story goes that one of the reasons the UT Martin Branch is what they used to call it, the Martin Branch of UT, was for a lot of agriculture education.

You can still find that across the state at every University of Tennessee school.

- [Christen] And they're always dressed so sharply.

- [Tyler] Yes, they are.

Now do they still have the national conventions where you go?

- [Christen] Yes.

I only went to the state one.

I never made it to nationals, but they did.

- [Tyler] Wow.

And behind them, Servpro, they can come up and clean up whatever like it never even happened.

Servpro, they're throwing out candy, and they're excited to be here.

- [Christen] Fire and water clean up.

- [Tyler] I mean, when you're in the parade, you're right in the middle of everything.

- [Christen] That was a good throw.

- [Tyler] That was a good throw.

It was a good throw, thank you.

People are throwing candy at us.

- [Christen] Candy and toilet paper.

- [Tyler] Candy and toilet paper.

The Weakley County Office on Aging and Senior Center.

What a wonderful organization.

- [Christen] Looks like we've got the king and queen there, the royalty.

- [Tyler] Yeah, royalty here.

- [Christen] And they're just a darling couple.

- [Tyler] They are, they're having a lot of fun.

They'll talk about that all week long.

They'll sit around at lunch and say, "Well, I was in the parade, you know," - [Christen] The good old soybean.

- [Tyler] Good old soybean.

Now the Cub Scouts behind them.

- [Christen] And they are just too cute.

Those tiny hands waving.

That's Pack 37 in Martin, Tennessee.

- [Tyler] Okay, learning a lot of skills that they'll use for the rest of their lives.

- [Christen] Greenbrier Meadows.

It's a bunch of smiling faces.

Looks like we got a tractor coming up.

It's a big red one.

- [Tyler] Yeah, these are big machines that get the job done, and you know, they have lights on them over in the Jackson and Gibson County area where I live.

It's not uncommon, especially when it's time to get the cotton, you'll see them out there, eight or 9:00 p.m. - [Christen] Oh yeah, for sure.

Growing up, fields all the way around, and you would see them working at nine.

(horn honking) - [Tyler] So you have their H and R Agri-Power.

When you need the power, they've got it for you.

And it takes a lot of power to get these things going.

And wow, we were talking about the lights.

Okay, this one has.

- [Christen] They're blinding.

- [Tyler] They're very bright.

I mean, that lights up the whole field, you'll see here in a second.

Wow, what a big machine.

- [Christen] It's very heavy machinery, and it's beautiful.

- [Tyler] The tires on that, oh my goodness.

- [Christen] I'm pretty sure they're bigger than I am.

(both laughing) - [Tyler] I've never seen tires like that.

The front I've seen, but the back, it's more like a military.

- [Christen] It kind of looks like a tank.

- [Tyler] Yeah, I'm sure there's an official term for that, but I don't know.

But that's an awesome machine.

- [Christen] They're known as tracks, and they are huge.

- [Tyler] That's a big Case.

Magnum, everybody needs that in their garage, if you could fit it.

- [Christen] If you could fit it.

- [Tyler] Here's the McWherter Farms from Dresden, Tennessee.

- [Christen] And they look pumped.

We got some more smiling faces coming.

Feels like we're just getting the party started, right?

- [Tyler] Right.

- [Christen] All these Jeeps are part of 45 South Offroad.

- [Tyler] When you're ready to hit the dirt, man, these things are the tough machine, and they look great, too.

- [Christen] I love a Jeep.

I drive a Jeep and I own a Jeep, and I've wanted one since I was in the third grade.

I have that written down in paper and framed.

I love a Jeep.

- [Tyler] So now the thing is kind of the fancy lights around the wheels.

Then you got the fancy lights in front, wow, the red.

That's really cool.

- [Christen] And the Jeeps, they do little stickers around the sides of it, and they hide like little decals, and it's really interesting to find on your Jeep.

I'm still finding stuff four years later after purchasing one.

There goes James Stone driving a Jeep.

They've got quite a bit of them, don't they?

- [Tyler] I mean, it's a whole army of them.

Each one is individually designed to be.

- [Christen] The lights, they're decked out.

- [Tyler] Yeah, they are decked out.

- [Christen] It's different colors.

I didn't know you could customize your Jeep until recently.

It's really easy to do.

- [Tyler] And if you want to, I'm sure you can put a really nice audio system inside to have your MP3 player and whatever.

Now my car has a CD player.

- [Christen] What's that?

No, I'm just kidding.

- [Tyler] Compact disc, digital audio.

It's great.

Yeah, right.

- [Christen] Jeeps are definitely like Legos for adults.

- [Tyler] Oh yeah, it's like a toy, you know?

It's a big, big, big toy, but it does serve a purpose.

- [Christen] Well, you know that they duck them, right?

The duck on the front there.

If you have a Jeep and they like the way it's decked out, they'll leave a duck, and that's random.

That's all over the nation if you have a nice Jeep.

You can see them on all of the dashes.

People like to put them with a little note that say, "You've been ducked."

- [Tyler] Wow.

- [Christen] It's so cool.

- [Tyler] I mean, does Cadillac do that?

- [Christen] It's a Jeep thing for sure.

- [Tyler] It's a Jeep thing for sure.

These are like characters.

- [Christen] Well that one's got a spooky spider on it, so I don't know about.

That's news to me.

- [Tyler] That is.

- [Christen] They are getting ready for Halloween.

'Tis the season.

- [Tyler] That's right.

- [Christen] Do we have a candy gun?

- [Tyler] Is that what that is?

- [Christen] He has a duck head driving.

That is beautiful.

- [Tyler] As you can see, as the sun goes down here in Martin, Tennessee, the lights are on and it just adds another dimension to the look and feel of everything here.

- [Christen] And you can see the Ferris wheel as well.

The lights on it are starting to shine very brightly.

- [Tyler] Yeah, as they call kind of the midway, the carnival.

That's really nice, and that's where people will probably be after the parade and all week long.

- [Christen] Here we go.

Woo, what a throw.

And it's a duck!

They're shooting ducks out.

We got some more with the ducks and the Jeep.

- [Tyler] We were talking about the history of the Soybean Festival.

The first ever festival hosted a cheerleader competition as well as an antique tractor pull.

I don't know if they still do that, but wow, how exciting is that?

- [Christen] It's so crazy.

I don't know if I can recall the antique tractor pull or not.

It must have been before my time.

(both laughing) Then we got Servall Pest Control.

They're a very cool local business.

I know they've been serving my household for eight years now.

They're the nicest people.

- [Tyler] Serveall Gutter Company.

- [Christen] It's seamless gutters.

- [Tyler] These machines that you see on your screen or tablet or computer, whatever you're watching this broadcast on, these are some really hot machines.

They're getting really popular across the country.

Wow, how fun is that?

I mean, do you hit the sand dunes?

Do you hit the mud?

It's your choice.

- [Christen] You go mudding in them things, and they are street legal, did you know that?

Some are.

- [Tyler] Well no, I didn't.

Around the country, the Salvation Army is known as disaster services.

They make a huge difference in communities.

This one is from Jackson, Tennessee.

The site says helpsalvationarmy.org.

That's helpsalvationarmy.org.

Seems like you turn on the national news here and there.

Every couple of weeks we've got some type of flood or hurricane, and those are the people who really help out.

- [Christen] They're the shining stars for sure when it comes to a disaster.

- [Tyler] They are the shining stars.

Here comes from Thunderbolt Broadcasting in Martin, Tennessee.

WCMT Radio is being represented by that van there with their logo on it.

If you listen to WCMT or any of those stations, you probably hear the guy who's right there in the driver's seat, because he is the General Manager and Owner of Thunderbolt Broadcasting, Mr. Paul Tinkle.

You've got Star 95.1, Mix 101.3, all a part of Thunderbolt Broadcasting.

Instead of getting someone else to drive the van tonight, he says, "Hey, I'm gonna drive it myself."

- [Christen] He sure did, didn't he?

- [Tyler] Yeah.

He may be the only one who knows where the keys are.

I don't know.

- [Christen] (laughing) Maybe.

(siren blaring) - [Tyler] And then the Shriners are coming up, and they do so much, the Shriners Hospitals across the country.

They do so much.

- [Christen] I have so many memories of them just standing outside of Walmart with the bell.

- [Tyler] Raising money.

- [Christen] They do, and we got a clown car.

That's Jojo the Clown.

- [Tyler] Jojo the Clown is here, and here are all the hillbillies.

- [Christen] And they've got the best music.

- [Tyler] Is that some of my family?

Oh no, it's not, okay.

It looks like some of my hillbilly family, but maybe not.

- [Christen] They're having a wonderful time.

It says, "Beware of the possum."

- [Tyler] Hey, beware of the possum.

- [Christen] That's a true statement.

- [Tyler] That could be on the front of a lot of homes.

- [Christen] Oh, we should get that for our front.

We should get that for West Tennessee PBS.

- [Tyler] "Raccoon County, City of Possum Hollows," is what it says on the side.

These are vehicles that you may not have seen on car commercials, because they're probably not available, but talk about custom vehicles.

Those are custom vehicles right there.

- [Christen] There are some deer antlers on there as well.

- [Tyler] There's the Shriners Hospital van behind them.

- [Christen] I think they have a toilet bowl in theirs as well.

- [Tyler] It's all about the details.

These are the Shriners from Memphis, Tennessee down south, and it's great to have them here.

As we're talking about people from all over the Mid-South come here to see the parade and be a part of the parade, and it really has grown to be a great event.

- [Christen] That's a very appealing truck coming up, isn't it?

- [Tyler] Oh, that's a pretty good one.

That's a pretty good one.

You are clever.

- [Christen] City of Fulton, South Fulton.

- [Tyler] First Choice Farm and Lawn Ag Services from Union City.

You get your Kubota and you're ready to go.

- [Christen] And those things are sharp.

- [Tyler] Yeah.

- [Christen] You ever driven one?

- [Tyler] No, but I've heard it's much like a car.

- [Christen] Very similar.

Four wheels and a steering wheel.

- [Tyler] Four wheels and a steering wheel.

- [Christen] And a steering wheel is all you need, and a horn.

- [Tyler] You want a CB radio in there, you get a CB radio.

- [Christen] Whatever that thing is.

It is blinding.

Did you bring your shades?

- No, I didn't.

It's like the old song from Corey Hart.

"I Wear My Sunglasses at Night."

- I actually do know that one.

- You do know that one?

Well, all right.

We're coming up to your.

- [Christen] You're getting up there to my age gap.

- [Tyler] Your age gap.

I'm a little older than you.

I'm gonna talk about, well, okay.

I'm a lot older than you.

But anyway, that's good.

It gives the broadcast variety.

So there's the crowd, they came out, it's like, "Hey, let's all meet at the parade tonight."

I believe there are a lot of people, families, especially who are university students who make this their homecoming.

They say, "Let's all meet this Friday night or at this parade or whatever."

One of the things I'm planning to do now for Facebook Live, I'm gonna say this concert is coming up.

For the people watching on the recording, this concert has already probably been.

Russell Dickerson is coming.

Brothers Osborne is coming, or has been here, depending on what broadcast you're watching.

And of course, Cheap Trick.

Now people out there who are maybe your age or in their twenties say, "Cheap Trick?

Do they do magic?"

- [Christen] Yeah, is that a magical group?

- [Tyler] No, Cheap Trick is from the 70s and 80s.

- [Christen] Well, they could be magical.

- [Tyler] Well, they are probably magical.

- [Christen] It's probably a wonderful experience.

- [Tyler] It is a wonderful experience.

I don't have a ticket to that.

I do have a ticket for Russell Dickerson.

- [Christen] Well, maybe we need to get some tickets.

- [Tyler] Maybe we need to work on that.

Russell Dickerson's family's actually from Jackson, Tennessee, and he is just booming around Nashville and all across the country with a tour that is really getting a lot of attention, so I'm eager to see Russell Dickerson coming up.

Central Christian Academy.

- [Christen] And they are proud of it.

- [Tyler] They are proud of it.

A lot of Warriors.

We are Warriors.

And then behind them, Boy Scouts.

- [Christen] It's interesting, my dad and my brothers were all Boy Scouts and they loved it.

They did.

It's very big in our family.

- [Tyler] Well, you start young, and all the skills that they're able to learn, it's really fantastic.

- [Christen] It really is, being out in the wild.

- [Tyler] There's some more shining lights on this vehicle.

- [Christen] Not as blinding.

- [Tyler] Blackberry Pond Farm.

There's all kinds of people and organizations who are represented in this parade.

I don't know how long the parade was when it first began.

It may have been 20, 30 minutes.

Well not 20 minutes, I mean 30 minutes, I don't know.

But now it's more like, I think 45 minutes maybe to an hour.

- [Christen] Yes, it's an hour in some cases, and that's a lengthy parade.

- [Tyler] Yeah, that really is.

It's really an example of how big this has grown.

The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network is represented today.

- [Christen] They're saving lives in Tennessee.

- [Tyler] What a wonderful organization.

It says, "We are here for you," and that's great.

- [Christen] You just don't give up on me.

I love that.

- [Tyler] That's great.

- [Christen] They're doing some wonderful work there.

- [Tyler] Yeah, they are.

- [Christen] Quite literally saving lives.

- We're basically here paying respect to a tiny yet worthy vegetable that as farmers and people in agriculture and in science know is capable of feeding and fueling everyday lives across the country.

It's truly a cash crop, and soybean education is the base of what's going on here and agriculture, which is very well known in West Tennessee, in the Mid-South as we were talking about, the fields of cotton, the fields of beans.

I mean, this is what keeps things going.

It's, as they say, when the farmers are doing well, everybody is doing well.

There's more education these days about where your food comes from and how it's produced.

- [Christen] They're fueling the nation, for sure.

- [Tyler] They are fueling the nation.

Here's a Tennessee tractor being represented by, I mean this is like a monster.

- [Christen] This is one of the bigger ones we've seen.

It's bigger than the tank.

- [Tyler] It's huge.

John Deere, this is a S780.

You know how I know that?

Because it's written on the side of the John Deere.

That's how I know.

- [Christen] About to say, what's your farming history?

- [Tyler] Watching and eating the wonderful strawberries from Humboldt, Tennessee.

That's what I know.

Manpower Services is here for the Soybean Festival.

There's so many different people and organizations that are represented.

- [Christen] And they do good to help with people in our local community to get a job.

- [Tyler] Yes, absolutely.

Very important for us.

- [Christen] They're very important.

Oh, and they're riding some horses.

- [Tyler] Wow, beautiful horses.

I'm not an expert, but I have ridden a horse, and it's quite an experience, depending on what horse you get.

- [Christen] I rode a horse one time, and that was enough for me.

They're quite a bit taller than myself.

They're a little harder to get on.

- [Tyler] It's intimidating.

You think about someone in a rodeo who has a horse that is just, wow.

I mean, it's just incredible.

And that's one of the things about UT Martin, is the Equestrian Club and the Rodeo Team.

A lot of adventure, and as you said, the rodeo is really something to see.

(crowd chattering) - [Christen] West Tennessee PBS WLJT is streaming.

You can watch the Tennessee Soybean Festival Parade on demand anytime you want.

Download the PBS app on your smartphone, TV, Roku or tablet.

All of Channel Eleven's local programs can be found there in our live stream.

Just search for PBS on your smart device.

- It's absolutely that easy.

Christen Patterson, Tyler Hawks.

We make a pretty good team.

- I think we do, too, and thanks again for watching and supporting West Tennessee PBS WLJT, Channel 11.

You guys be safe out there.

- Goodnight.

(energetic music) West Tennessee PBS' coverage of the 30th Annual Tennessee Soybean Festival is sponsored locally by the city of Martin, by the Tennessee Soybean Festival, and by the generous support of viewers like you.

Thank you.

- [Announcer] The program you've been watching was made possible through the generous financial support of West Tennessee PBS viewers like you.

Please visit westtnpbs.org and make a donation today so that we can continue to make local programs like this possible.

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(dramatic music) - [Narrator] Once upon a time, there lived the boy from nowhere.

- Tom.

- Tom.

- Tom Jones.

- [Narrator] And a girl from the other side of the world.

- Sophie!

(horse neighing) - Mr. Jones.

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- Fearfully romantic.

- Hmm.

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- He's finished them, "Magpie Murders."

- Very Agatha Christie.

- Atticus Pund's the world's greatest detective.

- It's missing the last chapter.

- I'm gonna go to Suffolk and look for the missing pages.

Everyone he knew was in it.

That's why the last chapter was taken, because it reveals the secret.

The answer's in the book.

(dramatic music) - Oh, back on the horse, then?

- Looks to have been a time bomb.

Simple, but effective.

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(pleasant music) (energetic music) ♪ Something's in the air, I hold my breath ♪ - What you are doing is incredible.

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(thunder booming) - Communities everywhere are making the natural world stronger and healthier to rebalance the planet.

That must be the key to combating climate change that can save us all.

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(pleasant tones)