If it’s traditional acoustic music played in the best bluegrass and gospel style that you enjoy, then you’ll certainly want to be on the Old Louisville Road in Guyton from April 18-22 for the 32nd Bluegrass Festival at the beautiful 34-acre Mossy Oak Music Park.
"We are again expecting and preparing for what looks like it will to be our largest crowd ever," said Rebecca Rose, who along with her husband, Russell, and her father, Allen Lanier and family, host the festivals on their family farm two miles out of historic Guyton.
The April festival is dedicated to and will honor the life and enormous contributions made by the great banjo master Earl Scruggs, who passed away recently.
The park encompasses 34 acres and provides camp sites for more than 500 motor homes, trailers and tents. Music fans who frequent the bluegrass festival circuit in 2011 voted Mossy Oak Music Park one of the "best outdoor music venues in the Southeast."
"Our April lineup of entertainers reads like a ‘who’s who’ among the best touring bluegrass bands," Rebecca Rose said. "They’re coming here to entertain us from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina."
On this year’s program are the special headliner group, The Daughters of Bluegrass Band, plus the Gary Waldrep Band, the Golden Valley Boys, the Tina Adair Band, the Larry Gillis Band, the Heather Berry Trio, Mindy Rakestraw, Gina Britt, Becky Buller, Frances Mooney and Fontana Sunset, and hosting is The Lonesome Whistle Band.
Members of each of the military branches will be recognized and special guest retired U.S. Marine Neal Corbin of Rincon again will present the colors during the ceremony.
The park has a covered theater/pavilion that seats more than 700, a large lighted parking area, an on-site daily flea market, a full kitchen, playground, museum, bath house, vendors, dump stations, and a number of other amenities.
"Everything our great staff does here is focused on making our guests welcome and well entertained. If it’s traditional bluegrass and gospel music in an alcohol-free environment that folks like, then we have the place for them. Just bring along a lawn chair, sit back and enjoy," Lanier said.
"We are particularly honored to have representatives of the Moss Creek Marine Group from Bluffton, S.C., with us and they are bringing a banjo signed by the late Earl Scruggs. They will sell chances as a fundraiser for support of the personal needs of our currently deployed military personnel," Lanier added.
The five-day festival program, now in its 11th year, begins with a covered dish supper Wednesday at 6 p.m. with an "open stage" beginning at 7 p.m. Music starts at noon each day and runs to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It concludes with a special gospel and worship service on Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
Tickets are $20 daily or $40 for the full five days; half-price for children 12-15; and those under 12 are free. Camping with hookups is $15/$20 per night. Tent camping is $5 per night.
For camping reservations and additional information, call 772-5142 or 772-3467 or visit the Park on the Web at www.mossyoakmusicpark.com.
