BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LOUISA — Lawrence County’s annual fall festival Septemberfest brought a long line of big names out for a homecoming celebration this past weekend including Tyler Childers, Noah Thompson and Ricky Skaggs. 

This Septemberfest fell on the bicentennial anniversary year of the founding of Lawrence County and celebrated the musical accomplishments of Lawrence Countians in recent years. The festival was tagged as a “U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Homecoming” as the entertainment lineup featured all living artists listed on the Lawrence County Country Music Highway sign. 

Noah Thompson, Larry Cordle and Ricky Skaggs, all performed Friday of the two-day festival and are all from the same holler near Blaine called Brushy Creek. Cordle and Skaggs reminisced about playing music with Thompson’s grandfather. 

Countless festival attendees were seen wearing “Straight Outta Brushy” shirts in support of the “Million Dollar Holler” as they call it. 

Bobby and Teddi Cyrus also performed Friday. Bobby is a Lawrence County native who lives in Nashville and the duo is set to release a new record on Pinecastle Records. 

Despite rain Saturday, thousands came out to see Luke Trimble, Adam Chaffins and Brit Taylor, Luna and the Mountain Jets, Laid Back Country Picker and Tyler Childers on the main stage.

During Luna’s set, halfway through the band’s second song, the PA system suddenly went out due to apparent water damage. After some time, the sound team was able to get a new system online, but the remainder of the Luna and the Mountain Jets set and the entirety of Laid Back Country Picker’s performance were canceled to ensure the new system was up and running in time for Childers’ performance at the end of the night.

Though they had lost the PA system preventing the band from using microphones, before leaving the stage the Mountain Jets cranked their amps to 11 and played a powerful rendition of Lynard Skynard’s “Free Bird” with the audience singing the vocal part in unison.

Both days of the festival featured a series of acoustic performers. On Friday, the acoustic performances were held in Main Street Park. On Saturday, a Bluegrass series featuring Don Rigsby and the Fly By Knights and Authentic Unlimited was held in Main Street Park, while the acoustic series took place in the Masterpiece Cafe courtyard.

The end of both nights concluded with an artist being awarded the Gem of the Big Sandy, Louisa’s version of giving away keys to the city. On Friday night, Skaggs was added to the list. Saturday night, Childers was inducted.

Along with the world-class entertainment sourced almost exclusively from Lawrence County natives, Septemberfest featured its usual collection of classic festival vendors, games and rides.

Estimates for audience attendance ranged from 7,000 to 10,000 Friday and from 15,000 to 25,000 Saturday.

From the giant Ferris wheel in the middle of downtown to the streets filled to the brim with locals and out-of-towners, Louisa was transformed for what many are calling the biggest Septemberfest of all time.

Wes Kingsmore, Director of the Lawrence County Tourism Commission, said he wants to thank all those who came out for the festival, especially those visiting from far away.

Kingsmore emphasized how well-behaved the crowd was on both nights of festivities.

“We only had three incidents where individuals had to be taken out of the festival,” said Kingsmore. “And unfortunately, all 3 were locals.”

Septemberfest will be back next year. Follow the Lawrence County Tourism Commission and Musical Moonshine for video and photo content from this year’s festival.