1st Annual Veterans Bluegrass & Gospel Festival has been scheduled for October 20-21 in Sevierville, TN. Hosted by , proceeds from the two day event will go to assisting military veterans and their families in the region, especially those who suffered losses in the wildfires that raged through east Tennessee last November.

Seeing how well-attended the various bluegrass music benefit concerts held in the area were over recent months, the folks at Post #104 thought that an annual event of that sort might be a good way for them to raise money for the folks they support. A number of Legion members there lost everything in the fires, and the Post feels a responsibility to them.

Not knowing anything about putting on a festival, they reached out to Melanie Wilson at Wilson Pickens to see if she would be willing to help. She immediately made several of the bands on her roster of artists available for the show, and arranged for Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road to perform as well. The Post #104 board had requested her participation given how generous she had been during her Bluegrass Christmas In The Smokies festival last year.

So just like that, a new bluegrass festival is on the books. Also performing will be Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Kristi Stanley & Running Blind, The King James Boys, Nightflyer, Mike Bentley & Cumberland Gap Connection, and The Clay Hess Band.

Melanie will handle promotion and advertising for the Veterans Bluegrass & Gospel Festival, which will be held at the

There is not yet a website active for the festival, as these final details are only recently worked out, but it will soon be found online. Some information is listed on Facebook now.