Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
First Fall Forever Bluegrass Festival features 16 bands
Mountain Cove Farm is new home of three-day event
Growing up in Walker County, Ga., Cindy Pinion’s dad, Thomas “Boxcar” Pinion, had a standing gig playing in the house band at the Tennessee Valley Playhouse. The late Boxcar Pinion loved bluegrass music and played for many years with the band Tom and Newell and the Grasscutters.
“The Playhouse was located right down the road from Mountain Cove Farm,” says Cindy Pinion. “As a child I went to the Playhouse every weekend. I saw Porter Wagoner there before he was playing with Dolly Parton. Country stars came down every Saturday night from Nashville to play music there.”
Now Pinion is bringing bluegrass music back to Walker County.
She is expanding the spring Forever Bluegrass Festival, which she established in memory of her father at Raccoon Mountain Campground, and launching a new fall festival this weekend at Mountain Cove Farm. Concerts will be held in the historic Show Barn at the farm.
The first Fall Forever Bluegrass Festival will be held at Mountain Cove Farm today through Saturday, Nov. 2-4. She’s lined up 16 bluegrass bands for this inaugural weekend.
“There’s been a call for more bluegrass in this area” Pinion says. “It’s a gorgeous venue, especially at this time of year. The performers are excited to have a new venue in which to play music. In our particular area, we don’t have a lot of three-day bluegrass festivals. We try to make this affordable to the working man, so ages 15 and under are free if accompanied by a paying adult.”
In fact, Pinion has been so happy with the new venue and working with its staff that she’s moving the spring Forever Bluegrass to Chickamauga as well.
Camping is available at the music festival, but requires a three- day ticket and three- night camping. In addition to the stage acts, visitors will find dozens of shade-tree pickers and jam bands all around the campsite area.