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Chilly, wet weather doesn’t dampen festival

  • Members of the American Legion Post 172 of Clinton serve up popcorn and snacks during last Saturday’s Clinch River Spring Antique Fair in downtown Clinton. - G. Chambers Williams III

  • Ed and Deanna Lowe of Rocky Top look over some of the woodcraft items in a vendor’s tent during last Saturday’s Spring Antique Fair in downtown Clinton. - G. Chambers Williams III

Cool and rainy weather put a bit of a damper on last weekend’s Clinch River Spring Antique Fair in Historic Downtown Clinton, but the event went on as planned.

Saturday’s weather was much better than Friday’s, since the rain mostly was limited to brief light showers on Saturday, with slightly higher temperatures.

There still were plenty of visitors, and the rain might actually have helped the established downtown merchants by driving some customers inside their stores and away from the street vendors.

Most of the action took place along Market Street, but also on Main Street between Cullom and Church streets, where many beautifully restored or preserved antique and collector cars were on display.

Presented by The Antique Merchants Guild of Clinton, the city of Clinton, and the Historic Downtown Clinton group, the event was held to help kick off the summer selling season for the downtown stores, and has long been a popular event.

Closing out the warm-weather shopping season downtown will be the Clinch River Fall Antique Fair, scheduled to be held Sept. 30-Oct. 1.

It will be followed by holiday season events such as the Clinton Christmas Stroll, Nov. 26, and the Clinton Christmas Parade, Dec. 3.