NEWPORT--Unity in the Community, a subcommittee of Downtown Newport Association, will sponsor Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cocke County Courthouse.
The event will kick off with a motorcycle ride, led by the Newport Police Department, honoring all veterans. The riders will leave Cocke County High School at 9:30 a.m. and proceed to the courthouse. All veterans and their families are welcome to participate.
Veterans and active service members will eat at the event for no charge. Guest meals will be available, ranging in cost from $3 for a hot dog plate to $5 for a barbecue plate. Tucker's Main Street CafŽ will be catering the event.
There will be music, speakers, and Wild West dancing. Due to legal constraints, there will not be any beauty pageants.
Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be sent to troops serving overseas, such as eye drops, baby wipes, toothpaste, paper, pens, energy bars, chewing gum, or hand sanitizer.
Cocke County High School's Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps will be participating in the event, as will members of the Tennessee Army National Guard. Veterans organizations are also expected to participate.