One of the region’s most popular and respected bluegrass festivals tunes up today, May 4, for three days of pickin’ and fiddlin’ at Raccoon Mountain Campground.
The 27th annual Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival boasts 23 bands this year in addition to innumerable jam sessions that take place around the campgrounds.
The festival is named in memory of Thomas “Boxcar” Pinion, who played bluegrass music with the band Tom and Newell and the Grasscutters. The event is run by his family. Since Pinion succumbed to cancer, proceeds from sales of the program booklet are donated to the American Cancer Society, says Cindy Pinion, his daughter and show organizer.
If you go
› What: Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival› Where: Raccoon Mountain Campground & RV Park, 319 West Hills Drive› When: Noon-10 p.m. Thursday, May 4; noon-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, May 5-6› Admission: $25 Thursday, $35 Friday, $40 Saturday, $100 three-day pass› For more information: 706-820-2228
“We are excited about Balsam Range being here this year,” says Pinion. “They have all kinds of accolades and are one of bluegrass’ most award-winning artists. They have 10 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, six albums, have appeared in festivals coast-to-coast and performed at the Grand Ole Opry multiple times.”