Rhonda Vincent, described by the Wall Street Journal as "the Queen of Bluegrass," and her band "The Rage" will be performing at the festival.
BRANSON, Mo., May 9, 2013 — The smell of Ozark style cooking and the sound of people having fun are a routine part of a day at Silver Dollar City (SDC), but when those smells take on a BBQ aroma and the music has a distinctly bluegrass sound it can only mean one thing, it’s time for Silver Dollar City’s Bluegrass & BBQ Festival which will run through Memorial Day, May 27 and has been recognized by the “International Bluegrass Music Association” having received its “Bluegrass Event of the Year” award.
“What a combination of fun, excitement, music and food,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center. She said that the festival activities are in addition to everything one expects from the 1880s styled award winning theme park such as 30 rides and attractions, including its new world breaking wooden coaster “Outlaw Run,” with its initial 162 foot 81 degree drop; dozens of demonstrating craftsmen; unique shopping and great live shows and entertainment. “When coupled with hundreds of performances by some of the best Bluegrass groups and artists in the country and the opportunity to taste just some of the finest BBQ and sauces around there’s simply no other experience like it anywhere,” she added.
The Bluegrass portion of the festival will include “more than 40 bands and hundreds of performances, from international award-winning musicians to the hottest new bands in bluegrass today.” These include Rhonda Vincent and her band “The Rage, ” as well as “the Grammy-nominated Grascals; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, 6-time IBMA Vocal Group of the Year winners; Blue Highway, the IBMA Vocal Group of the Year; the Boxcars, featuring 9-time IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year and 5-time Grammy winner Adam Steffey; and the Gibson Brothers, winner of the 2012 IBMA Entertainer of the Year and up-and-coming bands in bluegrass, such as The Bankesters, the Snyder Family Band, the Hillbenders, Monroeville and more.” In addition there will be two national Bluegrass competitions, The Youth In Bluegrass Band Competition on May 25 featuring “amateur bluegrass musicians 21 years of age or younger” and the 7th Annual National Single Mic Championship” on May 18 which “highlights the performance skills” of each band as they perform “around a single microphone and balances their sound by moving toward or away from the microphone.”
The “BBQ” part of the festival includes the cooking and serving of thousands of pounds of mouth watering BBQ prepared on “large outdoor charcoal grills and a custom-made 9-foot smoker.” In addition to Silver Dollar City’s famous flavor feast with “St. Louis ribs and smoked chicken to Texas brisket and sweet roasted corn on the cob” to the “all you-can-eat BBQ rib feast each afternoon” the flavors of two award winning BBQs, “Hawgwild BBQ” out of Aurora, Missouri and “Dickey’s Barbecue Pit” from Texas will also be featured. Guests will be able to sample over 100 different BBQ sauces including Silver Dollar City’s new Outlaw Run Zesty Honey sauce with a kick. The festivals BBQ offerings are in addition to the excellent food service normally available throughout the park.
Branson Tourism Center’s Johnson also points out that those purchasing their Silver Dollar City tickets through the Branson Tourism Center will receive a two day pass for the price of a one day pass. For additional information or tickets for Silver Dollar City, any of its festivals or any of Branson’s other shows and attractions or for lodging arrangements please contact the Branson Tourism Center by either calling their toll free number 1-800-785-1550 or through their website www.BransonTourismCenter.com.