Surprise performers to close out Septemberfest

BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LOUISA — Lawrence County Septemberfest is raising around $80,000 in preparation for the most over-the-top Septemberfest in recent memory, celebrating Louisa’s bicentennial. Along with the typical vendors, rides, parade and mullet sightings, this year’s Septemberfest, being held Sept. 9 and 10, will feature a stacked lineup of musicians on two stages.

The promotional materials for this year’s festival promise “a U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Homecoming.”

The Country Music Highway sign at the Lawrence County line features Larry Cordle, Ricky Skaggs, Don Rigsby, Keith Whitley and Tyler Childers. Senator Phillip Wheeler plans to nominate Noah Thompson to join the list at the next Kentucky state legislative session in 2023.

Both stages, the Main Stage and the Park Stage, will be located in downtown Louisa in the heart of the festivities.

The Park Stage will feature a midday Bluegrass concert Saturday featuring Lincoln Mash and Heather Alley at 1 p.m., Don Rigsby and the Fly by Knights at 3 p.m. and Authentic Unlimited at 5 p.m. 

On Friday, the Main Stage will feature Bobby and Teddi Cyrus at 4:30 p.m., Larry Cordle at 6 p.m., Noah Thompson at 7:30 p.m. and Ricky Skaggs at 9 p.m.

Bobby Cyrus, Cordle, Thompson, and Skaggs are all Lawrence County natives. Cordle and Skaggs are grammy-winning country and bluegrass artists. Thompson won the most recent season of American Idol.

Saturday’s Main Stage will feature Luke Trimble of Paintsville at 4:30 p.m., Adam Chaffins of Louisa at 6 p.m., and Luna and the Mountain Jets of Fallsburg at 7:30 p.m. The final two acts of the night, at 8:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., are currently unannounced due to contractual agreements.

When reached for comment, organizers claim they cannot give any hints as to the two anonymous performers. Revealing too much information could jeopardize the contracts with those artists.

Many artists are limited by an agreement with their label or other contractual obligations on the number of announced performances they are allowed to play in an area in a given amount of time but are often able to play unannounced shows with greater frequency.

The only artists listed on the Lawrence County Country Music Highway sign who are not part of the announced lineup are Keith Whitley, who died tragically in 1989, and Tyler Childers.

Regardless of who the unannounced final performers are, this Septemberfest promises to be one of the most entertaining and action-packed festivals of the year.