River Stomp Bluegrass Festival coming this weekend
Oct. 6—WILLIAMSBURG — The River Stomp Bluegrass Festival will be returning for a third year this Friday and Saturday in Williamsburg.
"We have some of the best local bands and some of the best professional bands in the country," said River Stomp Bluegrass Festival President and Promoter Ben Parker.
Parker shared that the following bands will perform on Friday:
—Straight Creek: This local bluegrass gospel band has played for over 20 years. They have performed in nursing homes, fundraisers, and have been featured on the WLJC TV programs regularly for years.
—Bobby Hamblin and the Lawless: A local band with a large following in the area and in Dayton, Ohio.
—The Office Cats: A band comprised of college professors from the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music at Hyden, Kentucky. Scott Napier, who plays the mandolin, was nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Mentor of the Year. The other members are lifelong professional musicians and instructors.
—Dean Osborne Band: This band travels to many festivals and other states on this side of the U.S. and is a highly regarded band.
—The Moron Brothers: A comedy duo that have been featured on Kentucky Afield and Tim Farmer's Country Kitchen TV shows and are nationally known.
On Saturday, the following bands will perform:
—Sunset Canyon: A local band that has been reaching some large audiences and was recently featured on The Merlin Gene television show. The band is comprised of seasoned veteran musicians and their lead singer is also the MC of River Stomp, Chris Grigsby.
—Whiskey Bent Valley Boys: A nationally touring old-time string band that brings a lively show to any venue. "You will not want to miss them," said Parker.
—Junior Sisk Band: One of the top bands in Bluegrass music today. Parker shared that they've won so many awards that it would be hard to name all of them. Sisk has been a major name in Bluegrass for decades.
—Special Consensus: A nationally touring band that has been touring for decades. Their song "Blackbird" was nominated this year for song of the year. Their mandolin player is a Whitley County resident, Michael Prewitt, who was nominated for Momentum Mandolin Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Association.
—Tidalwave Road: The host band of the festival. They have played many local festivals and events in Whitley County and surrounding areas. They are comprised of BCDR (which stands for Ben, Carlie, Daniel, and Robert) members, the nonprofit group that puts on the River Stomp Bluegrass Festival.
There will be at least seven food vendors and around 12-14 craft vendors.
The festival begins on Friday at 4 p.m. and will start at noon on Saturday.
Admission into the festival is $15, and is good for both days. Rough camping is completely free and available. There will also be heated bathrooms and showers on the grounds so festival goers can take advantage of that facility as well. There will also be porta-potties on-site.
Parker suggested, "First time festival goers should be ready to have a wonderful time. Bring their children (because kids will) get in free. We have free horse-drawn wagon rides, inflatables, and several kid crafts. We'll have fires with s'mores, a firetruck, and wonderful music. We will have a tent for cover (with) several outdoor propane heaters as well as bonfires in case the weather turns cold. Be read for some of the best food of you ever ate (as well as) some great craft vendors. Please bring your folding chair. We will have a few chairs on hand in case you forget."
As this is an event with camping, blankets may also be an option to get comfortable to listen to the music.
"We are a non-profit organization. All the money goes back into the festival for the next year. Normally lineups like this cost $30-$50 a day per person. We rely on sponsorship for most of our income so we can offer something nice to the local people to enjoy at an affordable price," Parker added.
