Bobby Osborne (Submitted photo)
Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press will headline the inaugural Rocky Top Bluegrass Festival.
The festival is scheduled for 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, April 24, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the George Templin Memorial Athletic Field located at 214 North Main Street in Rocky Top (formerly Lake City).
“Mr. Osborne contacted us because the Osborne Brothers were the first to perform and record ‘Rocky Top,’ and he wanted to be the first to perform the song in our newly named town of Rocky Top, Tennessee”, said Mike Lovely, Rocky Top mayor. “As a result of his interest, we decided to have a festival featuring some of the top groups in bluegrass.”
Bobby Osborne and his band Rocky Top X-Press will be joined by other well known groups including Lonesome River Band, Blue Highway, Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice, The Boxcars, and the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association Emerging Artist of the Year: Flatt Lonesome.
This two-day event will also feature arts and crafts as well as food vendors. Spaces for vendors are still available and may be reserved by calling the Anderson County Tourism Council at (800) 524- 3602. The fee for arts and crafts booths are $50 and $100 for food vendors. Vendors are required to be set up for both days.
Out of respect for food vendors, backpacks and coolers will not be allowed in the festival area, a press release said.
Free parking for the event will be in designated areas and shuttles will be provided to the festival area. Maps for parking areas are available online at www.rockytopbluegrassfestival.com. Gates will open at 4 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.rockytopbluegrassfestival.com or in person at the WYSH AM Studios in Clinton, Rocky Top City Hall, and Mark’s Pharmacy in Rocky Top.  Prices are $25 plus tax for Friday, $35 plus tax for Saturday, or $50 plus tax for a two-day pass. There is no charge for children under 10.
Lodging options include campgrounds, hotels, cabins, and condos, the press release said. Some lodging facilities are offering discount packages, and some will have shuttle service to the festival area. For a complete list of lodging options and their offers, visit www.rockytopbluegrassfestival.com and click on lodging or call (800) 524-3602. You can also visit the website for a complete list and schedule of entertainers as well as other information.
Proceeds from the Rocky Top Bluegrass Festival will benefit the Coal Creek Miners Museum building fund, the North Anderson County Boys and Girls Club, and the soon-to-be-renamed Rocky Top Elementary and Middle Schools.
The First Annual Rocky Top Bluegrass Festival is sponsored by Merle 96.7 FM, WDVX 89.9 FM, the City of Rocky Top, the Rocky Top Chamber of Commerce, and the Anderson County Tourism Council.
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