HILHAM-The National Rolley Hole Championship Marbles and Music Festival rolls into Standing Stone State Park here this Saturday featuring world-class marbles players, down-home music, and high-class fun.

The event, now in its 41st year, is for all ages and runs 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Live bluegrass and old-time music can be enjoyed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

In addition to the high level of competition, the day includes a kids marbles festival, marble making demonstrations, and a marbles swap meet.  Youth tournaments will also be held and food will be available all day.

Admission is free, although some activities require a fee to benefit the Friends of Standing Stone State Park, a support group.

“We welcome everyone,” said Park Ranger Jonathan Williams.  “It’s a rare event and a unique setting. We want families to know they can enjoy it in many different ways.

“The tournament has a great tradition, and we’re proud to have it.”

Rolley Hole is a folk game, similar to croquet.  The strategy comes by determining the best way to keep opponents from making the hole, which often requires skillful hard shots against other marbles, sending them ricocheting across the yard.

The competition is played by the rules of the National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship on a dirt yard which measures 40 x 25 feet.

Standing Stone is the only state park in the nation with a marbles yard, mainly because some of the best players hail from Tennessee’s Clay County.

The event is widely regarded as one of the most effective public-sector folklife projects on record in Tennessee.  It has promoted a greater understanding and sustainability of cultural heritage, community heritage, and folklife across the region, state, and beyond.

This year’s sponsors include Tennessee State Parks, the Tennessee Arts Commission, King Auto Parts, Honest Abe Log Homes, N&L Business Systems, Southern Landscape Supply, and Diamond 9 Sports.

Standing Stone State Park is located 10 miles north of Livingston, just off Highway 52 near Celina and covers nearly 1,000 acres on the Highland Rim of north-central Tennessee.

For more information about the festival and Standing Stone State Park, call 931-823-6347 or visit Standing Stone State Park online at tnstateparks.com/parks/standing-stone.