RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN (WGNS) - After kicking off a new round of teaching sessions in January, the Cripple Creek Cloggers are heading into a packed spring performance season — one that showcases both brand‑new dancers and longtime veterans who’ve carried the tradition for decades. The troupe begins April with an evening of dance and music at Cedar Glade Brews in Murfreesboro. From 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 3, they’ll teach and perform alongside The Slim Chance Band, whose old‑time Appalachian sound has become a favorite pairing with the group’s high‑energy style. Later in the month, the Cloggers will bring their trademark Middle Tennessee hospitality to two local assisted‑living communities. They’ll perform at Adams Place on April 19 at 4 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. show at Westbrooks Towers on April 26.

Their spring schedule stretches beyond Rutherford County as well. On May 30, the troupe will head to the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville for a special Statehood Day celebration. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  They’ll perform Tennessee’s official state dance in honor of both Statehood Day and the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, again joined by The Slim Chance Band.

June brings International Folkfest to Murfreesboro, where the Cloggers will host visiting dance troupes from Germany, France, and Croatia. The Slim Chance Band will be part of the festivities, continuing a partnership that has become a hallmark of the festival.

Then in July, the group takes its Appalachian roots overseas, representing the United States at the International CIOFF Festival in Zagreb, Croatia.

Teaching remains at the heart of their mission. Free Sunday sessions continue at 4 p.m. at the Smyrna Senior Activity Center on March 29, April 12, May 3, May 17, May 24, and May 31. Their fall season — and the start of their 59th year — begins August 2 at the same time and place. No experience is required, just a willingness to jump in.

The fall performance calendar already includes Roots Rendezvous Uncle Dave Macon Days on September 12 at Hop Springs and the Fall Handmade Market in Wartrace on October 9. The troupe has also received an invitation to perform at the International Folklore Festival in the Canary Islands in July 2027.

Local educator Steve Cates founded the Cripple Creek Cloggers in 1967 at Kittrell School in Readyville.  They were originally a 4-H project, but the cloggers continue to preserve Appalachian-style square dancing with a clogging step, complete with handmade 1840s‑era costumes. Cates and his group have become powerful Rutherford County, Tennessee, and American ambassadors throughout the world. In addition, that hand of friendship focuses on Rutherford County each summer with CCC's popular International Folkfest, June 7-14, 2026 here in Middle Tennessee. 

For more information, contact director Steve Cates at appdancer@aol.com or 615‑896‑3559, or visit www.cripplecreekcloggers.org or their Facebook page, Cripple Creek Cloggers/mboro.