InTucker Magazine

Tucker Day Memories

Tucker’s Signature Event is on Hold Making it the Perfect Time to get Nostalgic

Honey Van De Kreke was one of the driving forces behind Tucker becoming a city. A longtime resident of Tucker’s Smoke Rise community, Van De Kreke helped raise money, organize meetings and convince her neighbors about the need for cityhood. Since the 2015 vote to incorporate, she has worn many hats in the City: business owner, City Council member, Downtown Development Authority member, Tucker Business Association chief. But the most important hat might also be the most fun: she heads up the volunteer group that runs Tucker Day.

“I love it. I do,” Van De Kreke says. “I look forward to it every year because we have a really good group on our committee. They’re fun people and they care about Tucker and they care about Tucker Day. We always have a good time coming up with new things for Tucker Day and It just gets your creative juices flowing.”

That creative team came up with a Roaring 20s motif for Tucker Day, and had been excited about seeing all of the nostalgic costumes such a theme would bring. But the event, which has become synonymous with springtime in Tucker, typically falling on the Saturday before Mothers’ Day, had to be postponed this year.

“We had planned to have it on May 9,” Van De Kreke says, explaining that the event, which is now scheduled for September 26, will still be special. “The format will be the same. We have not lost any of our arts and crafts people. Everyone’s favorites that were there last year will be there this year. We have new food vendors. The entertainment is already booked. We had so much interest from people who want to perform that that was booked right away.”

For the organizers, Tucker Day is a labor of love and a way to continue the traditions of Tucker from well before it was a city. Despite the unprecedented circumstances surrounding this year’s event, the Main Street Tucker Alliance volunteers are aiming to make this Tucker Day the best ever.

“I think that this year it may be the best Tucker Day ever because I think that people want to get out, be with their friends, their fellow citizens and they just want to celebrate,” Van De Kreke says. “I think that this year will be even more important than ever to celebrate who we are.”

The festival will start, as always, with an opening ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by a parade down Main Street at 10. Find a complete schedule at www.tuckerday.com.

We Asked and You Delivered Some of Your Favorite Memories from Tucker Days Past 

Honey Van De Kreke:
In 2010, the year before we started the construction on the Main Street Streetscape, that year our theme was “Breaking Ground in Our Hometown” and Bob the Builder was one of the characters in our parade. That happened to be my grandson’s favorite character and my grandson got to hold his hand as they walked down Main Street.

Christy Robnett Atkins:
From when I was little, I absolutely loved the parade. Especially seeing the high school kids and old cars. I hope that can come back someday.

Carey Crews Allison:
My favorite memories are from when I was coaching cheerleading at THS in the early 2000s and I LOVED watching my cheerleaders in the parade, riding in convertibles and throwing out little footballs and candy to all the kids.

Jason Atkins:
My favorite memories were when Tucker Day was in the fall, and the football team and cheerleaders would ride through in the parade with the band playing. I still laugh about almost running over my future wife and her friends when they darted across the street.

Charles K. Hunt Sr.:
Watching my son participate in the big wheel race, me running the road race, and watching daughters over the next years march with the Tucker High School band.

Matt Robbins:
My memory is of the Tucker Day Parade 2016 where the new City Council was honored to be the Marshals of the parade. Tucker Day was honoring the State’s newest city, voted overwhelmingly for in November 2015, and the new full Council who had been seated six weeks previously.