Sneedville, Tennessee

Coming up in and around Sneedville

• Thu Oct 29 — Last day of early votingThe county page did not post early-voting hours or the site; call the Election Commission, (423) 733-4549. ⓘ source
• Fri Oct 30 — Haunted Halloween FloatNot in Sneedville — two ranger-led 1-mile kayak floats with Appalachian cryptid folklore, 5–6 PM ET and 6:30–7:30 PM ET, at Clinch River Valley State Park, Kyles Ford. Arrive by 4:45 PM ET or 6:15 PM ET at the overflow lot off Joe Alder Rd · ages 12 and up; registration required · (423) 259-4339. ⓘ source
• Sat Oct 31 — Trick or Treat in the parkThe Sneedville chamber lists its yearly Trick or Treat in the park for 5–8 PM ET on Halloween night; it had not posted a 2026 notice or named the park. ⓘ source
• Tue Nov 3 — Election DayThe state and federal general election. Polling hours were not posted on the county page, so check with the Election Commission and vote at your own precinct. Sneedville’s next town election is May 5, 2029 (MTAS). ⓘ source
• Thu Nov 5 — Rook Game NightNot in Sneedville — 5–7 PM ET at the state park visitor center, 2788 TN-70, Kyles Ford · free; rules explained for beginners. ⓘ source
• Sat Nov 7 — Kick Butts 5K: Hope Is Stronger Than Cancer9 AM ET from the Hancock County Health Department, 222 Public Health Dr (behind the hospital) · a 5K run and walk along the Clinch River for the Hope for Hancock Cancer Fund; $14.31 with fees. ⓘ source
• Tue Nov 10 — Sneedville Board of Mayor & Aldermen6 PM ET at Town Hall, 292 New Jail St. ⓘ source
• Sat Nov 14 — Volunteer Trail DayNot in Sneedville — 10 AM–2 PM ET (meet at 9:45 AM ET at the visitor center) · help build Clinch River Valley State Park’s first trail; the project aims to add a third to half a mile of trail. The rain date is Sat Nov 21. ⓘ source
• Sat Nov 21 — November Quilting BeeNot in Sneedville — 1–3:30 PM ET (meet at 12:45 PM ET) at the state park visitor center · Appalachian quilting history and a Maple Leaf block; ages 12 and up. ⓘ source
• Sat Nov 28 — Corn Husk Doll CraftNot in Sneedville — 2–3 PM ET at the state park visitor center · $5; ages 4 and up. ⓘ source
• Sat Dec 5 — OverHome Christmas ParadeThe chamber says Sneedville’s parade is always the first Saturday in December at 6 PM ET, with float judging from 4 PM ET in the Hancock County High School lot. The chamber’s parade page is older and had no 2026 notice. ⓘ source
• Tue Dec 8 — Sneedville Board of Mayor & Aldermen6 PM ET at Town Hall, 292 New Jail St. ⓘ source

More happenings are on the Clinch River Valley State Park page ↗ and the Sneedville/Hancock Chamber events page ↗. We’ll refresh this list after the Dec 8 town board meeting.

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · times Eastern (ET) · dates from Tennessee State Parks, the Hancock County Election Commission, the Hancock County Health Department’s race page, MTAS and the Sneedville/Hancock Chamber. More Hancock County events are on the county guide.

A short history

Hancock County is one of the earliest settlement areas in Tennessee: John Sevier wrote in 1784 of meeting settlers who had already been living here for some time. The county is known for its Melungeon heritage, which the Vardy Community Historical Society keeps today (Tennessee Encyclopedia).

The area was once part of Hawkins County, North Carolina, and of Spencer County under the State of Franklin. An 1844 act formed Hancock County from Hawkins and Claiborne counties, but a court fight suspended county business from 1846 to 1848, until the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled for Hancock. W. H. Sneed, a Knoxville attorney, argued the county’s case, and the new seat at Greasy Rock was named Sneedville for him. The county is named for John Hancock (Tennessee Encyclopedia).

Court first met in a house and then in the old Union Church until a small brick courthouse went up in 1850; the present courthouse dates from 1931. Sneedville was incorporated on Feb. 1, 1850 (MTAS). WSJK-TV, Channel 2, at Sneedville was Tennessee’s first state-owned public television station, and zinc was mined at Treadway from the 1950s until 1971 (Tennessee Encyclopedia).

In August 2026 the old River Place store at Kyles Ford became Clinch River Valley State Park, after Clinch-Powell RC&D had worked since 2005 to revive the site (Clinch-Powell; The Rogersville Review).

Today Sneedville is the county’s only incorporated town, under a general law mayor-aldermanic charter. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 PM ET at Town Hall, 292 New Jail St, and the town runs garbage and sewer service (MTAS). Source conflict: MTAS lists Town Hall hours as Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri 7:30 AM–4:30 PM ET, closed Wednesday, while the county’s Sneedville page says Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM ET. Call ahead. The 2020 Census counted 1,282 people inside the town limits, down from 1,387 in 2010; the state’s certified 2026 estimate is 1,349.

Read more: Hancock County (Tennessee Encyclopedia) ↗ · Hancock County Historical & Genealogical Society ↗ · Vardy Community Historical Society ↗

Hancock County’s history → · East Tennessee history hub →

Around Hancock County

← Hancock County guide — the Clinch and Powell rivers, Kyles Ford, Vardy, Elrod Falls and county resources.

Other Hancock County places: Kyles Ford · Treadway · Vardy · Mulberry Gap · Alanthus Hill · Xenophon · Evanston · Luther · Big Creek · Yount Town · Papaw · New Hope. Sneedville town (1,282) is the county’s only Census place. Next door: Claiborne · Grainger · Hawkins county guides.

Other county-seat guides: Wartburg (Morgan County) · Kingston (Roane County) · Huntsville (Scott County) · Jamestown (Fentress County) · Crossville (Cumberland County) · Clinton (Anderson County) · Dayton (Rhea County) · Decatur (Meigs County) · Athens (McMinn County) · Cleveland (Bradley County) · Madisonville (Monroe County) · Loudon (Loudon County) · Maryville (Blount County) · Sevierville (Sevier County) · Knoxville (Knox County) · Newport (Cocke County) · Tazewell (Claiborne County) · Benton (Polk County) · Greeneville (Greene County) · Morristown (Hamblen County) · Rogersville (Hawkins County) · Jacksboro (Campbell County) · Maynardville (Union County) · Rutledge (Grainger County) · Dandridge (Jefferson County). Nearest seats: Rogersville (Hawkins), Tazewell (Claiborne), Rutledge (Grainger) and Morristown (Hamblen).