Oak Ridge Today

Secret City Festival features something for everyone

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Charlie-Daniels-Band-Secret-City-Festival-2016

The Charlie Daniels Band will headline the Friday night, June 10, concert at the 2016 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

The 14th annual Secret City Festival on June 10 and 11 is fast approaching, and it promises great entertainment, music, a World War II battle re-enactment, family fun, arts and crafts, food, historical displays, and much more, a press release said.

The Secret City Festival kicks off at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, June 10, and 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, with full days of fun and exciting events happening on the pavilion stage and around the festival venue. The annual festival is at the Oak Ridge Civic Center and Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge.

The Charlie Daniels Band takes the stage Friday night, June 10, for an evening of great music and energy. A 2016 inductee in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Charlie Daniels has parlayed his passion for music into a multi-platinum career and a platform to support the military, a cause that is close to his heart. With songs like “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” The Charlie Daniels Band is a must-see concert. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival growing, evolving, but not ending, officials say

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Secret City Festival World War II Re-enactment 2015

A Flak 88 firing during a Battle of Normandy re-enactment at the 2015 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10 a.m.

A rumor that circulated widely this month said this was going to be the last year for the Secret City Festival.

But city officials said it’s premature to say that.

It is true that a Special Events Advisory Task Force has been studying changes to the annual festival, including moving it from June and making it into an expanded celebration in the fall, starting in October and continuing through Veterans Day (November 11). It could be renamed the Secret City Celebration, implemented by a new nonprofit expected to become self-sustaining within five years, and add events while continuing to include the Secret City Festival.

At a Wednesday evening meeting, Task Force members said many of the current festival activities could continue, including music, World War II re-enactments, historical displays, and children’s activities. But they also said there could be opportunities for new partnerships with other organizations, including Wounded Warriors and Oak Ridge Playhouse. And it’s not clear that the Secret City Festival would continue to be a two-day event.

Task Force members say they’re hoping to help create something bigger and better. [Read more…]