Oak Ridge Today

Reminder: Secret City Festival under way this week

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Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Pictured above are World War II re-enactor Ben Arnold, right, a board member of the Celebrate Oak Ridge task force, and Judi Gray, who helped announce the musical entertainment scheduled for Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:15 a.m. June 5.

A reminder: The new weeklong Secret City Festival is under way, and it started Friday, June 2. The festival is free, and it includes two weekends and two weekdays. Most of the events are at Alvin K. Bissell Park.

The first weekend (June 2-4) celebrated Oak Ridge and World War II history. A free family movie will be shown on Tuesday, June 6, and the arts will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 7. Music and art are the focus of the second weekend, June 9-10.

The festival has been organized by Celebrate Oak Ridge. A schedule of events is below, and a schedule for this weekend is also included.

Saturday, June 3, was a big day, organizers said. There were World War II re-enactments at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., speakers throughout the day, the Freedom Belles, USO show, and more at Bissell Park. Historic exhibitions continued at Midtown Community Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Photos: Charlie Daniels Band, Grand Funk Railroad; changes possible at Secret City Festival

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Charlie Daniels Band at Secret City Festival June 10 2016

The Charlie Daniels Band played at the 14th annual Secret City Festival at Alvin K. Bissell Park on Friday, June 10, 2016. Pictured above is Charlie Daniels. (Photo by Angela Richardson-Newman)

 

The Charlie Daniels Band and Grand Funk Railroad both played at the Secret City Festival last weekend. Here are two photos from the concerts by Angela Richardson-Newman.

The Charlie Daniels Band played Friday, June 10, and Grand Funk Railroad performed Saturday, June 11. Both concerts were well-attended, and both received good reviews.

It was the 14th annual Secret City Festival. Besides concerts, the festival included music, food, vendors, a car show, a World War II re-enactment, U.S. Department of Energy bus tours, history and science exhibits, arts and crafts, and children’s entertainment and activities.

It’s not entirely clear if the festival will continue next year in the same form or at the same time of year as this year’s festival and previous festivals. This year had been considered a transition year as a new inaugural board of directors was appointed for a new nonprofit celebration. That board is expected to be responsible for the time, location, and length of the festival, as well as sponsorships and funding. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival offers weekend of fun, entertainment

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2015 Secret City Festival photo by Rob Welton

2015 Secret City Festival photo by Rob Welton

 

By Explore Oak Ridge

The 14th annual Secret City Festival is Friday and Saturday, and the excitement is building! Kick off your festival fun by bringing your chairs and your family, and stake out a spot in front of the Pavilion Stage. You don’t want to miss the great artists that will be performing all day on Friday and Saturday.

Arrive early to take in the opening ceremonies, then get your Friday festival started with entertainment from ACRODUNK. Showcasing their highflying, gravity defying acrobatics with “slam,” ACRODUNK performs three times on Friday and Saturday.

Jubal hits the Pavilion Stage twice Friday afternoon with their alternative folk music. Combining two voices and a guitar, Jubal creates an intricate and emotional sound.

Get your fill of Scottish bagpipes and drums from the Knoxville Pipes and Drums, who open Saturday morning’s pavilion entertainment.

The Secret City Winds and the Oak Ridge Community Band will be showcasing their talents with an array of musical selections twice on Saturday. [Read more…]

Secret City Festival to feature World War II re-enactment

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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)

 

The Secret City Festival next week will feature a World War II re-enactment.

The re-enactment of the Battle of Bloody Gulch will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Alvin K. Bissell Park in central Oak Ridge. It’s presented by NSPS, or National Strategic Protective Services.

Here is some of the equipment scheduled to be involved, according to a press release:

  • Returning from the 2015 reenactment, the only fully live firing German Flak 88 in the United States, which will perform firing demonstrations.
  • Authentic Allied vehicles including jeeps, armored halftracks, scout cars, and anti-tank artillery.
  • Authentic Axis vehicles including a German Stug III Ausf G assault tank, Panzer III command tank, a Sd. Kfz 251 halftrack, and a M3 Antitank Gun just to name a few.
  • Static display pieces include a 1940 Ford 20mm gun truck with gun, a Russian 1944 T34 main battle tank, a 1943 British 25 pound field howitzer with limber, and more.
  • Re-enactors representing American infantry, German Wehrmacht, assault troops, Fallschirmjagers, and more.

[Read more…]

Charlie Daniels Band, Grand Funk Railroad to headline Secret City Festival

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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 Charlie Daniels Band and Grand Funk Railroad with Atlanta Rhythm Section will be the headliners in the Friday and Saturday night concerts at the Secret City Festival in June.

“After a record-breaking concert turnout in 2015, the 14th annual Secret City Festival on June 10th-11th aims to keep the good times rolling,” a press release said.

The concert headliners were announced Friday by radio sponsors 96.7 MerleFM and 93.1 WNOX.

Daniels continues to “bring down the house” at age 78 with his genre-defining Southern rock anthems and his CMA Award-winning country hits, the press release said. The legendary musician was recently announced as a 2016 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the press release said. He is best known for such hits as “Uneasy Rider,” “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” “Trudy,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” “Midnight Wind,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” [Read more…]

World War II re-enactments provide glimpse into history

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World War II Re-enactment

American military forces attack the Germans in a re-enactment of a World War II battle during the Secret City Festival on Saturday.

For some spectators, the annual World War II re-enactments in Oak Ridge are more than just entertainment.

Some fought in the war or had relatives who did.

Jonathan Tackett said the re-enactments during the Secret City Festival give him an idea of what his grandfather experienced when he fought in the U.S. Army in Europe.

[Read more…]

Secret City Festival begins today

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The Secret City Festival begins today at 11:30 a.m. and goes through 7 p.m. Saturday at the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

It features children’s activities, a youth area, music, food, history exhibits, bus tours, arts and crafts, and a World War II re-enactment.

[Read more…]