For a rural area comprised of small towns, there's certainly no shortage of artistic talent in Tipton County. 

Much of this talent was showcased this weekend, with two major events featuring gifted local actors, technicians, artists and musicians from around the community.

On Friday, the lights of the Historic Ruffin Theater brightened the Covington Square for the premiere performance of “The Hobbit,” which was directed by Cozset Jones of the Tipton Arts Council. This epic event highlights the talent of local actors and actresses of all ages, and features the artwork, set design, costume and prop assembly and technical effects of a host of gifted crew members who volunteered their skill sets from around the community.

The three performances throughout the weekend were received well by the community, and proved deserving of the many compliments and positive feedback that has been given thus far. The show will run again this coming weekend on Friday and Saturday evenings as well as Sunday afternoon, and it is well worth checking out.

However, the Ruffin stage wasn’t the only venue showcasing gifted performers this weekend.

The Covington Parks and Recreation department held “The Voice of Tipton” on Sunday afternoon, an event in which vocalists of varying ages and experience levels competed for the title of the Voice of Tipton. Preliminary auditions had been held prior to the event, and those who passed this stage were divided into Junior and Senior divisions, each with group and solo titles available.

All of the vocalists displayed an impressive amount of talent before the panel of local judges who ultimately determined the results of the competition. 

These events are just two of many in the area that showcase the abundance of local artistic talent of Tipton County. There are quite a few “hidden gems” in the area, and the venues and events that highlight various artistic skills and abilities of these gifted individuals are well-deserving of the community’s support.