Paris, Tenn.–Grab your calendar to add more than a dozen upcoming events to your summer, starting with multiple yard sales in the Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood on Mother’s Day Saturday, May 13. Although sellers set their own times, most will begin around 7 am and run until early afternoon.
Maps indicating sales of participating neighbors are available at the east and west entrances to the neighborhood: 1006 E. Blythe Street and 501 Dunlap Street. At the Dunlap address (corner of Dunlap and Jackson) 100% of all purchases will be donated to the Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Association and matched 100% by a non-profit grant.
The tri-cornered footprint of the neighborhood is the big catfish on Tyson Avenue, the US Post Office on Wood Street, and the new Oaklawn Restaurant at the intersection of East Wood Street and Tyson Avenue.
Now in its seventh year, this popular event features a number of sales on the Saturday of Mother’s Day Weekend with buyers from several counties. But this event is only one of the many spring/summer activities that HAPNA presents annually.
Upcoming events
The organization welcomes visitors throughout the summer to the neighborhood’s picturesque homes, shady lawns, and blooming Atkins-Porter Botanical Garden. Activities at the garden include “Children’s Story Hour” with W.G. Rhea Library Youth Librarian Kayla Nation and “Watchable Wildlife for Kids” with Ranger Joan Howe from the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. Additionally, “Second Saturday Kayaking” begins in June. All activities are open for the entire community.
“An active organization like this doesn’t happen by accident,” says HAPNA President Rachel Terrell. “As we rolled into our seventh, summer season, we knew we needed to update our brochure and website and develop a rock-solid logo that told our story. Thankfully, we live in a neighborhood that has lots of talented individuals, and others who appreciate our little corner of Paris,” she explained. “That’s how professional designer, Jay Odom, came to be the group’s social media guru and the creator of our new logo.”
New Logo, updated brochure, website
“HAPNA is grateful to Jay Odom Design for this stand-out insignia. His work began with a methodical process that included several meetings where he picked our brains to discover exactly what images we felt symbolized the neighborhood,” Terrell said.
“It’s such a thrill to do what I love and help my neighborhood at the same time,” Odom said. “We hope to have the logo on all sorts of promotional items soon, including hats, t-shirts, stickers and water bottles that will be sold online and at our events.”
“We’re so impressed with this new piece,” Terrell said. “It combines what folks love about this neighborhood, such as the former Atkins-Porter School, our tree-lined streets and interesting, older homes.”
The logo not only graces the brochure, but also is the focal point of the group’s website, HAPNA.org, created by Susan Jones Public Relations. Jones also lives in the neighborhood and is an original HAPNA board member.
“The cool part is that all of these folks own homes here or enjoy visiting here and want to do their part for their historic neighborhood,” Terrell said. “There are lots of people who volunteer to help, including some who don’t live in the footprint but are attached to the botanical garden or the city’s dog park. Designer Karen Geary is one of those,” explained Terrell. “She created our brochure and has updated it for us twice.” The brochure is available at HAPNA’s Little Free Library at the dog park or at the pavilion in the botanical garden at 311 Jackson Street.
Photo: Brenda Shankle of Paris eyes a sweet bunny during the Historic Atkins-Porter Neighborhood Association’s Annual Yard Sales held at multiple neighboring residences the Saturday before Mother’s Day. This year, the event falls on Saturday, May 13.