Revitalized Poconos Park to kick off concerts with Cowboy Luau this September

Poconos Park is set to kick off their first major festival with the sounds of a Cowboy Luau this coming September, featuring country music stars Brantley Gilbert and Brett Young.

The revitalized Pike County venue made the announcement for their initial multi-day music festival on Tuesday with a recommendation to "Get Your Good Times On" and "Party in the Poconos!" at the Cowboy Luau, scheduled for Sept. 16 and 17.

Oakes' From the Roots, a real estate development and venue management company, acquired the 200-plus acres of land, including the near-$40 million development once known as the Mountain Laurel Performing Arts Center and the Tom Ridge Pavilion, early in 2022. Recognizing the potential for the venue, which is located within an easy commute of New York City, Philadelphia, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Newark, and the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area, the company renovated and upgraded the property, reopening it as Poconos Park.

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“We are honored to announce the first major event at Poconos Park bringing country music stars Brantley Gilbert and Brett Young to the Poconos,” John M. Oakes, CEO and founder of From The Roots/Poconos Park, said. “We look forward to seeing the East Coast country music fans to show up and ‘Get Your Good Times On’ in their flannel and flip-flops, luau skirts or Daisy Dukes or cowboy boots and Hawaiian shirts and ‘Party in the Poconos!’”

Gilbert, famed for his back-to-back platinum albums and grassroots following — a group of "hard-working, fun-loving believers for whom electric guitar-shredding, rapping, and twang can go hand-in-hand-in-hand" — has hit the top of the charts with tracks like “Country Must be Country Wide,” “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,” “Dirt Road Anthem,” “My Kinda Party,” “Bottoms Up,” “One Hell of an Amen” and collaboration with Lindsay Ell, “What Happens In A Small Town.”

Young's West Coast-meets the South sound, described as "Caliville" style, has earned him the title of "one of country's most consistent radio stars" from Rolling Stone for albums like "Weekends Look a Little Different These Days," "Ticket to L.A.," and his platinum self-titled debut which sat in the top 20 Country Albums chart for 37 weeks and contributed to 5.5 billion streams across the world.

The full line-up, including Pennsylvania’s own Warren Zeiders, as well as Ryan Griffin, Dylan Schneider, Austin Meade, Kassi Ashton, Rick Monroe and the Hitmen, D.J. Aydamn, and Jake’s Rockin’ Country Band — along with other acts to be announced in the coming weeks — will run from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. across three stages: the Main Stage, also known as the Amphitheater at Poconos Park; an outdoor festival stage; and a Party Bar Dance Tent.

Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau CEO and President Chris Barrett said that he was thrilled that the grounds can be used to their full potential again, and that launching the operation with a full-on festival is a fantastic plan to bring those big-time shows — in addition to a variety of other acts and events — back to the Poconos.

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"I think that's going to probably be a good recipe for their success overall, the festivals," Barrett said. "They certainly have the physical facility to host them, and John has the experience of working with either one-day or one-time events and festivals. So I think it's a really good good combination, and you got some headline acts there, which is really positive."

Cowboy Luau will also include hula and line dancing, dance instruction every hour on the hour, a corn hole tournament — with the daily winner receiving a backstage photo with either of the two headliners — DJ dance parties, and an opportunity to win a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Once guests have worked up an appetite, they can enjoy a selection of "locally sourced artisan food options, chef driven cocktails, and, of course, cold beer curated by Event Hospitality Solutions." Food and beverages from local chefs and restaurants, including The Morning Brew, Juby’s Smoothies, and more, will also be featured.

Fans can pick up early bird tickets for the festival starting at $69.99, plus fees, for general admission. Those interested in elevating their experience can also purchase packages for front row, standing pit, dinner on the lake, private cabanas, and hotel packages for additional costs.

All tickets and packages will be available for purchase on Fever starting Friday, July 22. Fans can buy their tickets through the Fever app on the Apple Store and Google Play, by visiting the Fever website, or through the Cowboy Luau website.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Brantley Gilbert, Brett Young to headline Cowboy Luau at Poconos Park