farragutpress

Deeper than a dress

Farragut family shares full-circle Independence Day

July 8, 2026 by Jake Nichols

Craning her tiny neck for a better view, 5-year-old Casey Whitson leaned forward on Kingston Pike on July 4, 1998.

Her American flag dress marked the occasion, billowing in the wind during Farragut’s annual Independence Day parade.

Former farragutpress editor Dan Ping captured the moment in a sweet photo, which landed on the front page of the next week’s newspaper.

Fast-forward 29 years to the day that photo was taken, Whitson, now Casey Freed, stood near the same spot last Saturday.

Her parade attendance stood the test of time.

But so had the dress, which had been purchased by Freed’s mother, Kathy Barger.

Except now, that same material rested on the shoulders of Freed’s own 5-year-old daughter, Malia Freed — making this 250th anniversary of America’s independence even more memorable.

New Farragut Museum exhibit features churches

July 8, 2026 by Tammy Cheek

Farragut Museum presents its newest temporary exhibit, “Cornerstones of Community: Churches of Farragut,” which will run until early September in the museum, located in Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive.

“When we opened the museum, we did an exhibit on a tribute to veterans,” Town Historic Resources coordinator Kristi Vining said. “Then we did an exhibit about sports stars from Farragut, and then we did an exhibit on Farragut artists.

“Now, our exhibit is on the history of churches in Farragut,” she said. “We do these temporary exhibits every four months.”