LandFest moves to Hiawassee

In just four years, the Dailey & Vincent LandFest music festival outgrew its original location in Denton, N.C., and the folks at Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds were all too happy to step in and offer their facilities.

LandFest opens today at the Georgia Mouintain Fairgrounds, 1311 Music Hall Road, in Hiawassee, Ga., and continues through Saturday, Sept. 16.

Darrin Vincent said he and partner Jamie Dailey are thrilled to not only have a larger place, but one that is entirely indoors in a location that offers fans a little more to do besides music.

“Hiawassee is a bigger building, so it’s all inside with air and heating,” Vincent said. “It’s a better facility for the fans, and it is closer to more activities including more food options, hiking, rafting.

“It just has more options than Denton did, and we were full.”

He and Dailey were playing at the fairgrounds awhile back when it occurred to them how perfect the place would be for LandFest. They approached the facility’s general manager, Hilda Thomason, with the idea, and she was immediately on board, he said.

“The whole staff has been so great to work with.”

“We are very excited about bringing the Dailey & Vincent LandFest In The Mountains to the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds,” Thomason said in a release.

LandFest is scheduled to take place in Hiawassee at least for the next three years.

“There is a lot of excitement from the community about the new event coming to Hiawassee. We have a great venue and beautiful campground to accommodate all the guests. The event is going to bring new customers to Towns County that have no idea where we are located. Looking forward to working with Dailey & Vincent LandFest for many years,” said Thomason.

Dailey & Vincent will play each day of the festival that also will have both the current and the original Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver lineups, Jerry Douglas Presents the Earls of Leicester, Del McCoury Band and Sierra Hull, among others.

Vincent said that the duo, which was recently inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, look forward to the weekend because of the friendships that have been formed there and the new ones that will be formed.

“It’s not just a music show. It’s about friendships. It really is.”

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent of the five-time Grammy-winning bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent, will host Dailey & Vincent LandFest for the fifth year. The Del McCoury Band will close out the festival on Saturday night.

Monroe Crossing will be the opening band for LandFest on Saturday.