ELIZABETHTON — Warm and beautiful weather greeted the first day of Covered Bridge Days on Friday. The day began with the opening of Kids Island, the craft and food vendors and the touch a truck event on Elk Avenue Bridge at 11 a.m.
and closed with Daniel Grindstaff, along with some of his heroes and friends, performing on the Covered Bridge Stage late into Friday night. Master of Ceremonies David Miller introduced the headline act for Friday night by reminding the audience that Grindstaff is a local man who has made good in the music world. Miller emphasized the point by saying that next Thursday at the 35th annual Bluegrass Music Awards of the International Bluegrass Music Association, Grindstaff is up for two top awards for his version of “Forever Young” with Paul Brewster and Dolly Parton.
It is nominated for Song of the Year and for Collaborative Recording of the Year. Grindstaff was accompanied on Friday night by Kent Blanton, an upright bass player in Nashville; Derek Deakins, a fiddler and vocalist from Kingsport; Shawn Lane of Blue Highways on the mandolin and vocals; Kevin Richardson of North Carolina on the guitar and vocalist; and percussionist Landy Ewing. Prior to the performance by Grindstaff and his friends, the audience enjoyed performances by Hi-Test Bluegrass and by Stemwinder.
Kids Island was once again a popular place. Kelly Kitchens, Program and Special Events coordinator for the Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department, said schools were out on Friday and many of the students chose to spend their free time enjoying the free events at Kids Island, including the inflatable rides, the foam parties and the magic shows. Kitchens said the foam parties were especially popular.
She said the parks department has found it so popular that the parks and rec department has now purchased its own Foam Daddy machine for the foam parties. She said the parks department provides a tent where the children can change out of their wet clothing onto fresh and dry clothes they brought with them. She said the purchase of the foam daddy will mean the children will be able to enjoy more foam parties during the warm months of the year.
As usual, the food vendors were once again popular spots, with everything from nachos to barbecue, funnel cakes to kettle corn being offered. One of the most popular treats seemed to be one of the established year-round businesses right in the same neighborhood that the food vendors were parked. That business was Tweetsie Trailing Ice Cream, run by May Candelaria, her daughter Candice Candelaria, and her granddaughter, Pailey May Candelaria.
May Candelaria said the ice cream was homemade and she even made special batches just for Covered Bridge Days. The ice cream varieties included Covered Bridge, made up of black cocoa and vanilla; funnel cake, cotton candy, caramel apple, lavender lemon, grape sorbet and popcorn among other exotic flavors. The ice cream store has been in business for about a year.
The second day of the festival begins Saturday at 10 a.m., with opening of the craft venders, food vendors and Kids.
The Queen and King Pageant on the Elk Avenue Bridge Entertainment at 11 a.m. Main Stage Entertainment for Saturday starts at 1 p.
m. with the following schedule: 1-2 p.m.
: Power Shift; 3:15-4:30 p.m.: Bullseye Band; 5:30-7 p.
m.: Carson Peters & Iron Mountain; 8-9:30 p.m.
: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. The fireworks show begins at 9:45 p.m.
Sunday is the last day of Covered Bridge Days and things get started at 1 p.m. Highlight of the day include the Youth Business Fair from 1-4 p.
m. Sunday entertainment on the Main Stage starts at 1 p.m.
The schedule: 1-2 p.m. Joyful Hearts; 2:30-4 p.
m. Don & Ella Derby’ 4:30-6 p.m.
Jason Crabb..
