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Pre-Festival tonight: Battle of the Bands at A.K. Bissell Park

Posted at 9:24 am June 7, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

There is a Battle of the Bands at the pavilion at Alvin K. Bissell Park tonight (Thursday, June 7).

The Battle of the Bands is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and it is presented by United Way of Anderson County, the Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board, and MERLE FM.

It’s a pre-festival event for the Secret City Festival this weekend.

The first pre-festival event was Monday, a live radio broadcast by WDVX 89.9 FM, featuring Ridge City Ramblers and Kukuly and Gypsy Fuego. Then, there was a Children’s Movie Night on Wednesday featuring “Despicable Me 3.”

There are many events scheduled for the Secret City Festival this weekend, on Friday, June 8, and Saturday, June 9.

A main stage concert on Friday night will feature Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx. The opening band is The Band Legacy. The show starts at 7 p.m.

The main stage concert on Saturday night will feature the Little River Band. The opening band is Janelle Arthur. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available online or at Citizens First Bank at 1298 Oak Ridge Turnpike for $25.

“As always, beer (and this year cider!) will be available at the concerts,” organizers said.

Organizers said there will be more crafters than ever at this year’s festival, more food trucks—with a focus on local vendors—and a kid’s area that will be double the size of previous years.

“There will be bounce houses, water slides, laser tag, and so much more!” organizers said.

Friday events include:

  • A.K. Bissell Park—opening ceremony, music, magic, a juggler, a K-9 search demonstration, and best of of Battle of the Bands;
  • festival grounds and various locations—FIRST Robotics Secret City Invitational, Y-12 National Security Complex public tours, Dream Big, Tennessee Creates Juried Arts and Crafts Show, Technology Village, children’s activities, Nine Lakes wine tasting (additional purchase required), food vendors, arts and crafts, and historic exhibits;
  • Oak Ridge Public Library Auditorium—historic talks that will include discussions of spies, nuclear medicine, the Secret City, Chapel on the Hill, and the Friendship Bell, and a lecture by the U.S. Department of Energy’s “gadget guru”; and
  • Main Stage—concert with The Band Legacy, and Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx.

Saturday events include:

  • A.K. Bissell Park—a tribute to veterans, music, magic, a juggler, martial arts, and a ventriloquist;
  • festival grounds and various locations—FIRST Robotics Secret City Invitational, veterans parade, golf tournament, Oak Ridge National Laboratory tours, Dream Big, Tolling of the Boats, Tennessee Creates Juried Arts and Crafts Show, Technology Village, children’s activities, Nine Lakes wine tasting (additional purchase required), food vendors, arts and crafts, historic exhibits, and a Guinness Book of World Records attempt at largest game of knockout basketball;
  • Oak Ridge Public Library Auditorium—historic talks that will include discussions of spies and assassins and Chapel on the Hill, a lecture by the U.S. Department of Energy’s “gadget guru,” and another by a preschool teacher who became a university president;
  • Main Stage—concert with Janelle Arthur and Little River Band.

“Come and join us for the best weekend of the year in Oak Ridge!” organizers said.

More information is available at www.secretcityfestival.com.

See the pre-festival events for the Secret City Festival here.

See the Friday events for the Secret City Festival here.

See the Saturday events for the Secret City Festival here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.


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Filed Under: Community, Entertainment, Music Tagged With: Alvin K. Bissell Park, Battle of the Bands, Secret City Festival

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