Looking for current information on the Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival? Check out the official website:
This blog is no longer updated. Thanks, and enjoy the festival!
The line-up for the 2011 Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival is now available HERE! This is our 25th anniversary. Come celebrate with us by enjoying some of the best music the region has to offer.
A few reminders:
- Admission is by donation – all proceeds benefit the Sequatchie Valley Historial Association.
- No coolers at the amphitheater and no alcohol allowed in the park, please – thank you for your understanding.
- Free on-site parking.
- Refreshments available.
- Museum open and air-conditioned throughout the festival.
The prettiest, shadiest, friendliest, best little bluegrass festival in the region is back for its 25th year!
Don’t miss the fantastic line-up, featuring Lou Wamp & Bluetastic Fangrass, the Rigney Family, the Cumberland Band, Between the Lines, Clearview, Just Passing Through (Alabama), Valley Grass, The Fleming Family, Bac-TRAK’ers, Fredonia Bluegrass, Hilltoppers, the Coalition Band, and more! Schedule coming soon…
While you’re there, take time to enjoy our 70+ acres of… wooded walking trails and turn-of-the-century mining relics, as well as the Coke Ovens Museum, chock full of painstakingly gathered photos and memorabilia from the Sequatchie Valley, dating back to the Civil War!
Bring your family, lawn chairs, blankets, and, of course, instruments. This family-friendly event features onsite refreshments, RV parking, and free onsite day-parking. Absolutely no alcohol allowed – thank you for your understanding. Please, no coolers in the amphitheater area.
Admission is by donation. All proceeds benefit the all-volunteer, nonprofit Sequatchie Valley Historical Association, which maintains the park and hosts the festival.
For more information or to reserve your RV spot, call 949-3483.
Save the dates: Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 4, the Sequatchie Valley Historial Society and all our bluegrass-loving friends will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival!!!! More details coming soon – stay tuned!
We’ve got a stellar forecast for this weekend’s festival. We expect sunshine both days, and on Saturday the highs are only in the 70s! That’s right – the 70s! Perfect bluegrass weather. Bring your chair, bring your family, and come enjoy the heavenly weather, great music, and good people under our beautiful trees!
We had so much fun in June, we decided to do it again!
Join us Friday and Saturday, Sept. 3 & 4, for another installment of stellar music under the trees.
For a tentative line-up, click here.
Festival amenities include:
- Local history museum full to the brim (but well-organized!) with artifacts from the Civil War and coal mining days, including mind-blowing old photographs that will change the way you see the valley. Admission to the museum is free!
- Walking trails lined with the stone ruins of hundreds of beehive-shaped coke ovens, where “junk” coal was burned down into usable chunks of fuel for the nation’s steel foundries.
- Plenty of shelters and cozy spots perfect for jamming with friends old and new.
- On-site concessions and restrooms.
- RV parking/camping (call early to reserve your spot – 423-949-3483).
- Convenient location – 5 minutes from Hwy 111 and just 45 minutes from downtown Chattanooga.
Admission is by donation. No alcohol allowed in the park or at the festival. Please, no coolers at the amphitheater.
Another fantastic Coke Ovens Bluegrass weekend is on the books! It goes by too fast. We have some whopper thank-yous to hand out:
To the BANDS:
From the very beginning of this park and the historical association, bluegrass musicians have been our closest partners and friends. You light up our hillside and keep us smiling. You keep alive traditions we think are worth celebrating. We cherish you.
To the VOLUNTEERS:
This festival is run entirely by volunteers. This year dozens of unsung heroes sweated it out with mowing, raking, trimming, cleaning, building, assembling, staging, fetching, parking cars, (wo)manning the gate, hosting at the museum, flipping burgers, shuttling the elderly, selling raffle tickets, monitoring the sound system, and generally being helpful, friendly, and willing.
To our FRIENDS who come to listen and jam:
This festival attracts a superior class of human being, and always has. Y’all keep the park clean, treat each other and the musicians with respect, and honor the history of the place. You embody the spirit of bluegrass! We strive to make this festival something you wouldn’t dream of missing and look forward to seeing you and your families again next year.
To our SPONSOR:
Citizens Tri-County Bank has been our stalwart sponsor for years. We deeply appreciate being able to count on their support. (And they take care of us all year long as the SVHA’s banker!) CTCB does a lot of work in this community, and we’re proud to be associated with them.
We’d also like to thank Chattanooga’s own Everyday Eclectic for providing awesome door prizes!
Here are a few pictures from Saturday. We hope to have more pictures, as well some videos, up soon. Check back!
Photos by Charli Wyatt
Yeah, it was wet, but that didn’t stop us! Everyone huddled together at the mule barn and had a great time. Today’s forecast looks better – music starts at 10am central, don’t miss it!
Click the photos to see larger images. For more photos, find us on Facebook!
Photos by Charli Wyatt
Yes, folks, as of 3:30pm Friday it’s raining in Dunlap. But the music will play! We have an alternate stage set up under the big mule barn. If it’s still raining at kick-off time (6:00pm central), we’ll move the show over there. Plenty of room for all of you! But there’s a good chance the weather will clear before then. So come on down, bring your lawn chairs, and get ready for some toe-tappin’ tunes!
UPDATE: Today’s the day! The final schedule is here. Directions are here. Parking is free and onsite. Admission to the amphitheater performances is by donation – we suggest $3 for this evening and $5 for Saturday. Proceeds benefit the all-volunteer Sequatchie Valley Historical Society. Check out the article in today’s Chattanooga Times Free Press!
A few reminders:
DO bring your lawn chairs, blankets, bug spray, sunscreen, and the kids!
DO bring your strings for jamming!
DO plan to check out the Coke Ovens Museum, which will be open (and air-conditioned!) during the festival.
DON’T bring alcohol.
DON’T bring coolers or pets if you plan to enjoy the amphitheater performances. (Concessions will be available.)
Each year, we are proud of our guests for how well you treat the park. Y’all leave the place spotless, and the volunteers appreciate it!
The Dunlap Tribune featured the festival on its front page last week – check it out!
Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival 