Jackson County officials, community leaders and supporters gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the “Charles R. Elders Event Center” at Whittier Heritage Grounds.
Elders was a long-serving Jackson County Commissioner who worked to make Jackson County a great place to live and work and died in June 2025 at the age of 82. Many of his family, including his wife, Shirley, and son, Charles Dewayne Elders, were present to cut the ribbon.
The event center, located at 271 Clearwood Drive in Whittier, is part of the newly named Whittier Heritage Grounds. The first phase was the 24,000 square-foot “Charles R. Elders Event Center,” and the second phase will be the 44,000 square-foot open pavilion set for completion in mid-2027.
Joining the Elders family at the ceremony were Jackson County Board of Commissioners, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, Chamber Ambassadors, Jackson County Economic Development, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and community and business leaders.
Future events could include agricultural events, 4-H shows, gun and knife shows, concerts and more.