Papa Joe Smiddy Mountain Music Festival

On Sunday, September 1st, the 21st Annual Papa Joe Smiddy Mountain Music Festival will honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Joseph "Papa Joe" Smiddy. The event is presented by the Cove Ridge Center Foundation. It will be held in the amphitheater at Natural Tunnel State Park in Duffield, VA starting at 5 PM.

There will be no admission charge to this year's festival thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. Attendees may give a donation to the Cove Ridge Foundation to support its Scholarship Fund.

This annual gathering seeks to promote the musical heritage of the area's Appalachian mountain culture and also honors the tireless work of "Papa Joe", who promoted the music of our region for many decades. In addition to being an accomplished old-time banjo player, entertainer, and educator, Smiddy was Chancellor Emeritus at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. This year's performers will be Dr. Joe Smiddy and Reedy Creek, The Empty Bottle String Band, Twin Taters, a student band from ETSU, the DCB (dan Carty's Basement) Band and Fiddlin' Red and the Bluegrass Harvesters.

While there is fixed seating under roof, additional seating is available and used on the grass behind the fixed seating, so festival-goers are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket. A shuttle will be available for festival-goers with mobility issues, it will take them to the backstage level and bring them back up to the parking lot when they are ready to go home. Vendors and an on-site concessions stand will be available to provide food, merchandise and refreshments.

This year's festival is sponsored by UVA at Wise, American Electric Power, Axe Handle Distilling, Eastman Credit Union, Food City, Holston Medical Group and Wise Kiwanis. In addition ProArt is providing technical support for the event.

URLs:
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2500710-0?pid=176
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2500710-2?pid=176

Artists: Dr. Joe Smiddy and Reedy Creek, Empty Bottle String Band, DGB Band, Twin Taters String Band, Fiddlin' Red and the Bluegrass Harvesters

Time: 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm