BRISTOL, VA/TN – At a press conference on Friday, April 19, Believe in Bristol, alongside community partners Birthplace of Country Music and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, revealed plans for a summer packed with free live music and family fun on State Street and beyond.
Border Bash, the twice-monthly free concert series held annually May through August, celebrates its fourteenth anniversary as a roving mini-fest that has grown to include children's activities and vendors in addition to live music.
Border Bash will take place on the first and third Fridays, May through August, with the exception of July 4. Children's activities will begin at 6 p.m., live music at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
In May, Border Bash will be held on the 700 block of State Street . The event moves to the 600 block in June and July (with the exception of July 4), and to the 500 and 400 blocks in August.
The band line-up for Border Bash consists mainly of artists slated to play Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in September. A third group has been added to the June 21 line-up, courtesy of King University . A few of the Border Bash acts will also perform at Birthplace of Country Music's monthly free Concert Series at Big Glades in Wise, VA, May through August.
"We consider it a mini-tour of emerging artists," says Birthplace of Country Music® Executive Director Leah Ross. "Our Wise concerts were first held on the University of Virginia 's College at Wise campus. We moved the event to the new Big Glades Community Square facility with amazing results."
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion's Concert Series at Big Glades, located on East Main Street in Wise, VA, is the first Saturday of each month, May through August. Each concert begins at 6:00p.m. Admission is free.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion's Concert Series at Big Glades is sponsored by Town of Wise, Pro-Art, Cavalier Pharmacy, The Hangar Grill, Dr. William C. Horne, Jr. DDS, The University of Virginia's College at Wise, The Inn at Norton, and Edward Jones Financial Consultants.
Border Bash and BRRR's Concert Series at Big Glades are partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and Virginia is for Lovers.
The band schedules for Border Bash and the Concert Series at Big Glades are as follows:
Border Bash:
May 3 – This Mountain, Bryan Elijah Smith & The Wild Hearts
May 17 – River Whyless, Lizzy Ross Band
June 7 – Woody Pines , Paul Burch
June 21 – The Tillers, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Rosco Bandana
July 4 – L Shape Lot, Jon Stickley Trio
July 19 – Barlow Gin & The Hatchetmen, Field Report
August 2 – Erick Baker, Amber Rubarth Trio featuring Dave Eggar
August 16 – St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Blair Crimmins & The Hookers, Big Glades Concert Series, Wise, VA:
May 4 – This Mountain, Bryan Elijah Smith & The Wild Hearts
June 1 – St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Earth By Train
July 6 – L Shape Lot, John Stickley Trio
August 3 – Erick Baker, Amber Rubarth Trio featuring Dave Eggar
