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Oak Ridge Philharmonia resumes concerts

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Oak Ridge Philharmonia

The Oak Ridge Philharmonia is resuming concerts after more than a year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Great news!” the Philharmonia said on its website. “The orchestra will finally be in concert again!”

These are the first concerts since March 2020, and they are free.

The first concert is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, October 31, at Cokesbury United Methodist Church on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. The second is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, November 7, at First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge.

[Read more…]

Secret City Festival has free admission to concerts

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A previous Secret City Festival is pictured above. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

The Secret City Festival will offer free admission to concerts this weekend after daytime activities were canceled because of the resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

The concerts are Jimmie Allen on Friday, September 24, and All-4-One on Saturday, September 25. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the concerts start at 7. The concerts are in Alvin K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge.

The concerts will be first-come, first-served. Capacity is limited to 50 percent, a press release said.

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Summer Sessions concerts start Saturday with Sierra Hull

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The Summer Sessions concerts start this summer with a performance by Sierra Hull in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

Hull, a native of Byrdstown, Tennessee, is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist who made her first Opry appearance  at the age of 10, a press release said. Her vocal debut album, “Secrets,” was released in 2008 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart. Hull has received numerous International Bluegrass Music Association nominations and received the Bluegrass Star Award presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation in 2013, the press release said.

Opening for Hull will be The Po’ Ramblin Boys, a bluegrass band formed in the Great Smoky Mountains.

All Summer Sessions concerts are free and will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the pavilion in Alvin K. Bissell Park at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. The concerts are sponsored by ORNL Federal Credit Union.

[Read more…]

Secret City Festival outlines security procedures for concert attendees

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Visitors to the Secret City Festival can expect tighter security measures and maybe a few delays when entering the concerts this year, all in the name of safety, organizers said.

No backpacks or coolers will be allowed into the concert site, and all bags will be subject to search, organizers said in a press release. This includes bags used to store chairs. Visitors should expect delays if carrying in anything that needs to be searched.

Organizers suggest festival attendees only bring their concert tickets, money for food, an ID to buy or consume beer, and a chair for the concerts. Once inside the concert site, festival seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The concert site opens at 5:30 p.m.

[Read more…]

Spring Jamboree at Windrock to include ATVs, side-by-sides, music

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Windrock Spring Jam Mud Bog

The mud bog at a Spring Jamboree at Windrock Park. (Submitted photos)

 

This year’s Spring Jamboree at Windrock Park north of Oliver Springs will include rides and competitions for ATVs and side-by-sides, and concerts, including one featuring Janelle Arthur, a top five performer on American Idol’s Season 12.

The Spring Jamboree is scheduled from April 16 through 18.

“The Spring Jamboree is a weekend full of adrenaline-pumping fun for everyone,” said Kira Smith-Ludwig, marketing manager for Windrock Park. “The jamboree’s numerous competitive events and guided rides are geared toward ATV and side-by-side riders, but anyone can come and watch the competitions and check out the shooting range and the concert.”

The competitive events include the ATV Rodeo; Windrock Wide Open, which is a three-lap race; drag races; the Windrock Challenge, which is an obstacle course race; a mud drag; a poker run; and a dash for cash just for the ladies. The competitive event rules can be found at www.windrockpark.com under events. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival reminds concert attendees of security procedures

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Secret City Festival Logo

Visitors to the Secret City Festival next weekend can expect tighter security measures and maybe a few delays when entering the concerts this year, all in the name of safety.

“In light of recent events, we’re being extra vigilant in our protection of our attendees, staff, and the community during the festival concerts,” said Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi.

No backpacks or coolers will be allowed into the concert site and all bags will be subject to search.  This includes bags used to store chairs. Visitors should expect delays if carrying in anything that needs to be searched. Organizers suggest festival attendees only bring their concert tickets, money for food, an ID to buy or consume beer, and a chair for the concerts. Once inside the concert site, festival seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The concert site opens at 5:30 p.m. [Read more…]

Top 12 ways to have fun at the 12th Annual Secret City Festival

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Secret City Festival Logo

Submitted

  1. Start planning now for two days of activities to celebrate more than 70 years of Oak Ridge’s history. From 11:30 a.m. on Friday, June 13, until the concerts are over, there is something for everyone.
  2. Remember there is no parking onsite at the festival! Plan to park at the City Center and take a free shuttle over to the festival. For a map of available parking near the Secret City Festival, visit http://www.secretcityfestival.com/festival-411/parking/.
  3. Be sure to visit the Secret City Festival website (www.secretcityfestival.com) to plan your weekend. You will find all event information, tour schedules, and concert information here.
  4. Concerts are festival seating—don’t forget your lawn chairs for the best views and most comfortable seating. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. each evening to claim your seat. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival concert tickets on sale today

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Kix Brooks with Mic

Country artist Kix Brooks performs at the Great Eastern Exposition in West Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 27. (Submitted photos)

Eddie Money and Kix Brooks to headline 2014 concerts

It’s Secret City Festival time again in Oak Ridge! The bands have been selected, the schedule is filling up, and tickets to this year’s headliner concerts go on sale today (Tuesday, April 29). Tickets are priced at an early bird rate of $18. After May 30, ticket prices go up to $20. Children 10 and under are free with a paying adult.

Grammy-nominated ’80s rocker Eddie Money will bring his blue-collar brand of rock ‘n’ roll to the concert main stage on Friday, June 13, at 7 p.m. The Friday night concert also features local band Jada Blade.

Legendary country music artist Kix Brooks will bring his high energy, hit-filled show to the main stage Saturday, June 14, at 7 p.m. The Saturday night concert will feature opening band Phoenix Drive. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival features ‘something for everyone’

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Homemade Wine Band

The Homemade Wine Band played after the Friday morning opening ceremony at the Secret City Festival.

The annual Secret City Festival started today, and it features Manhattan Project bus tours and history displays, World War II living history activities and demonstrations, arts and crafts and antiques dealers, food vendors and exhibitors, a children’s festival area and youth events, and a car show and concerts.

“Join more than 20,000 visitors and residents to celebrate the end of World War II and the heritage of Oak Ridge from 1945 to the present,” a press release said.

Oak Ridge was built during World War II as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project, a federal program to build the world’s atomic bombs, and the festival celebrates the city’s heritage.

Festival organizers have provided an overview of some of the many activities and events taking place at this year’s festival:
 [Read more…]

Secret City Festival announces new concert security measures

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James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

The Secret City Festival will have tighter security at the Friday and Saturday night concerts this year, and visitors could experience a few delays as organizers try to make the shows safer, a press release said.

No backpacks or coolers will be allowed into the concert site, and all bags will be subject to search, the release said.

“In light of recent events, we’re being extra vigilant in our protection of our attendees, staff, and the community during the festival concerts,” Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said. [Read more…]

Rick Springfield, The Dirty Guv’nahs to headline Secret City Festival

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Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield, the pop rock singer-songwriter and musician who won a 1981 Grammy for “Jessie’s Girl,” will headline the Saturday night concert at this year’s Secret City Festival, organizers said Thursday.

Springfield has sold 25 million albums worldwide, including 17 Top 40 hits, such as “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “An Affair of the Heart,” “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Love Somebody,” and “Human Touch,” a press release said. “Jessie’s Girl” was a No. 1 hit, and the song earned Springfield a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal.

The Friday night concert at the June 21-22 Secret City Festival features Knoxville-native rock ‘n’ roll band The Dirty Guv’nahs. [Read more…]

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