Ear to the ground
CHICKSTOCK, a family-friendly outdoor music event, will be held Oct. 10 at Greenway Farm. The event celebrates the resources of the North Chickamauga Creek watershed and benefits the conservation projects of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy.
“Chickstock is a fundraiser, but also an awareness event,” said Larry Cook, conservancy executive director. “We are raising money for our projects and the sustainability of our organization, but we are also using this event to communicate the value of the incredible resources of the North Chickamauga Creek watershed.”
The organization’s projects include extension of the greenway along North Chickamauga Creek, completion of the North Chickamauga Creek watershed segment of the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail, restoration of water quality throughout the watershed, promotion of responsible use and stewardship of the resources of the watershed, and creation of opportunities for citizen involvement, education and recreation, Cook said.
“Chickstock grew out of the conservancy’s fall donor appreciation event known as the North Chick Family Reunion, featuring bluegrass and barbecue to show thank our donors,” he said. “In 2008, (the conservancy) partnered with Outdoor Chattanooga on the North Chick Family Reunion and included canoeing and kayaking on the creek, biking and hiking the trails of the greenway, and the grand opening of the Greenway Farm Dog Park.”
The next year, the event’s name changed to Chickstock and moved from the structure at Greenway Farms to the field at Greenway to make it open to a larger audience, Cook said.
“Outdoor Chattanooga continued to offer the outdoor activities to attendees and 2009 Chickstock was also the grand opening of Outdoor Chattanooga’s OutVenture Barn.”
That year, conservancy board member and Chickstock music coordinator Louis Wamp assembled a lineup of seven local bluegrass and old-time bands to entertain. Also added were children’s activities including inflatables, face painting, a scavenger hunt and more, Cook said.
“(The) goal in producing Chickstock is creating an event that will further our mission of conserving and protecting the important natural, cultural and recreational resources of the North Chickamauga Creek watershed by showing off all these resources to the event’s attendees,” he said.
This year’s event will include 10 bands, Outdoor Chattanooga’s hiking and kayaking, and activities for youngsters.
“Our headliner this year is Ben Sollee, a favorite of mine, and a departure from our regular lineup of just bluegrass and old time. Ben Sollee uses elements of bluegrass in his music, but he cannot be described using just one genre. He is going to put on a great show and so is the rest of our lineup of local bands most of whom will be returning from previous years.”
Also entertaining will be Folk School of Chattanooga, Conquistadors of the Cumberland Trail, Lou Wamp and Bluetastic Fangrass, Gerle Haggard, Lone Mountain Band, New Binkley Brothers, Bluegrass Pharaohs, Blue John, Ogya, Slim Pickins, and Jim Pfitzer.
Tickets are available online now at www.chickstock.org. The cost is $8 for adults (if purchased by Sept. 30; $10 afterward), and ages 6-13, $5. Children 5 and under are admitted free. Chickstock will be held rain or shine.
“Refreshments will be sold,” Cook said, noting that coolers are not allowed. “We will have local arts and crafts vendors, kids activities, and other local non-profit organizations displaying at the event.”
Maps of the trail system will be available and Outdoor Chattanooga will offer canoes, kayaks, and bikes.
Cook said that protecting the North Chickamauga Creek area is important.
“The creek and watershed are full of incredibly beautiful and inspiring places and are so close to downtown Chattanooga,” he said. “This watershed is an incredible resource to the area. It holds the third largest area of intact forestland in the Southern Cumberland Plateau region.
“The watershed is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species including many rare plants and animals, and there is so much public benefit to protecting this great place,” he said.
“There are parks and open space for recreation; trails that, when completed, will provide viable alternative transportation corridors; water quality in the creek that supports fisheries, recreation and water supply; protected wildlife habitat and much more that, once protected, will be there for us and future generations to enjoy,” he said.
Greenlife Grocery is a presenting sponsor of Chickstock, and Outdoor Chattanooga and the Friends of the Cumberland Trail are event partners.
For more information, visit www.chickstock.org.
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.