Sally Gap Bluegrass Festival to kick off Thursday

The Lonesome River Band will be playing at the Sally Gap Bluegrass Festival this Thursday through Saturday.

For the eighth year straight, Whitley County will host three days of some of the best local and nationally recognized bluegrass musicians around.

The Sally Gap Bluegrass Festival kicks off Thursday near Williamsburg, and organizers are expecting a bigger crowd than ever to attend the three-day event.

“We have really great music,” said Vicki Cooper, one of the principal organizers and founders of the event. “This is a good opportunity to see bands that are touring all over the world playing bluegrass music.”

Among those playing this year’s festival are: Lonesome River Band, Blue Highway, Dale Ann Bradley, Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time, Adkins and Loudermilk, Hammertown, Southern Son and the list goes on.

For a complete list of performers, and a schedule, go online to www.sallygapbgfestival.com.

The festival is being held for the second year straight in the Whitley County Industrial Park on Savoy road off Hwy 92.
For the first six years, the festival was held at a local farm until it moved to its new location last year.

Cooper, who lives in the in the old Whitley County coal mining community Packard, said she started the festival because her family has always had a fondness for bluegrass music and wanted something locally to showcase the talented individuals who play it.

“My family has been into bluegrass all my life,” she said. “We’ve always traveled around to festivals. We just love the music.”
“There really wasn’t anything like that in our area and we just wanted to bring something into our county so our local people would have something to go to without having to travel.”

She notes that a recent poll showed bluegrass is the fastest growing genre of music right now.

Cooper pointed out that some of the bands at this year’s festival are some of the most respected around.

Lonesome River Band has released 17 albums and has been together 30 years. It includes five-time International Bluegrass Association (IBMA) Banjo Player of the Year Sammy Shelor among other award-winning players.

Its current album, Turn on a Dime, is a Billboard Top 10 Bluegrass Album.

Blue Highway has been playing together for 20 years and has released 11 albums and received numerous Grammy Award nominations.

Dale Ann Bradley is a five-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year.

Cooper said aside from just the music, the festival is also popular for its most noted interactive element.

“Our children’s program is always a good draw,” she said. “We like to work with kids to try to get them interested in the music.”

Kids that attend get to build their own instrument, a two-string banjo that can really be played. They get the opportunity to get on stage Saturday evening and play and there is a drawing at the end where they can win real instruments.

Kids who participate are given free t-shirts.

The Sally Gap Bluegrass Festival begins Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Performances start on Friday and Saturday at noon. It usually lasts each day until about 11:00 p.m.

Adult passes for the entire three days are $60. Individual tickets are $20 for Thursday, and $25 for Friday and Saturday.

Kids ages 13 through 17 are $5 a day. Kids under 12 get in free with a paying adult.

Cooper said there are RV hookups and other amenities on site for those who wish to stay for the entire length of the festival.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.sallygapbgfestival.com or on site.