For over four decades, bluegrass musicians and enthusiasts have helped a historic site in Dunlap grow and flourish. The 40th anniversary of the Dunlap Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival is set for Saturday, June 13, with bands providing live music all day long at the park located at 350 Mountain View Road, west of downtown Dunlap.
Bands scheduled to perform, with times to be announced, include Fast Track, Cumberland Band, Lakeside, Fredonia Bluegrass, Connection 27, Conspiracy to Kill a Possum, Valley Grass Express, and Cannon Creek.
Admission is $10, cash only, with children under 12 admitted free with an adult. Organizers said the festival takes place rain or shine, either at the amphitheater or the new indoor pavilion.
Kelle Perry is the festival emcee with Dale Perry providing sound. Earl Eames is the band coordinator.
All proceeds collected go to the Sequatchie Valley Historical Association, a non-profit group maintaining the site since it was cleaned from a garbage dump into a historical site everyone can enjoy in the mid-1980s.
Sponsors are Citizens Tri-County Bank, sponsoring for the 39 years, along with Dunlap Mercantile and BTC Fiber.
Organizers remind attendees the festival is a non-alcoholic event and pets are not allowed, and bringing chairs is encouraged.
For more information, call 423-949-2158 or visit the website cokeovens.com.
