Annual Concert Series Begins in July 

    The beautiful surroundings of Greenbo Lake State Park will soon be filled with sounds as pleasing as the scenery itself. The Greenbo Second Saturday Summer Music Series kicks off in July. What began 12 years ago as a weekend of blues music has blossomed into three summer evenings of various musical genres.
     In 2007, Greenbo’s amphitheater opened and the park’s general manager at that time, Cary Lyle, wanted a signature event that could fill it. The idea became the Colonel Bill Williams Heritage Music Festival. Named after local blues legend Colonel Bill Williams, the festival featured three days of blues music.  That first event was organized by the Greenup Extension Arts Council, in partnership with the state park. Even as it’s transformed into the Greenbo Second Saturday Summer Music Series, the festival continues to be a partnership between the park and the arts council, which is part of the University of Kentucky Extension Service in Greenup County.
    It was 2012 when the festival became a summer-long event with a different genre of music being featured respectively in July, August and September. This year, July 13 will host the Greenup County Music Festival (traditional country and folk), Aug. 10 the Red Hot Rock ‘n Blues Festival (blues and rock music) and Sept. 14 GreenboGrass (bluegrass music). Each family-friendly event is free and runs from 5-10 p.m. The park provides the amphitheater and runs the concession stand, the arts council handles the booking and event logistics while the money required to keep the event free to the public comes from generous sponsors, donors and grants. “We have wonderful community partners,” said Fine Arts Extension Agent Anne Stephens.
    Stephens said the arts council looks to vary the talent featured each year with a few notable exceptions. Local bluegrass stalwart Bottomline performs at, as well as hosts, each season’s bluegrass evening. “We always make sure we shine a light on local talent because we have so much of it,” said Stephens.
    While this summer’s performers were still being booked at press time, past notable acts who have played the festival include Marty Raybon, Larry Whitt, Jeremy Short, Sasha Colette, Shane Runion, Kelly Ritchie, Keith Hubbard, Creek Don’t Rise, Chris Kitchen, Isaac Stephens, Jay Flippin and Brandon Coleman, among many others.
    Stephens noted that the bluegrass event is always the best attended, but it is not unusual for people to come to all three. “I’m amazed every year at the people who come from hundreds of miles away,” Stephens said, noting that many are “park-hoppers” who spend their summers visiting the state’s parks, often doing so around the parks’ various schedules of events.
    Stephens is appreciative of those who come from afar but is equally thrilled by those who take advantage of a night out close to home. “We want to attract tourism,” she explained. “We want people to come. We would like also to see local people make that beautiful short drive to Greenbo and to realize you don’t have to travel far to be entertained.”