CARYVILLE, TN. (WLAF)- The Armstrong Trio will be headlining this year’s Louie Bluie Music and Art Festival. The festival will take place on Sept. 30, from 10 am to 6 pm. The show will include a collaboration with Jeanine Fuller and her seven-piece band, paying tribute to the ‘Queen of Soul’ Aretha Franklin.

The Armstrong Trio will also visit two Campbell County mountain schools on Fri., Sept. 29, sharing the history and talent of Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong.

Food

The Doorway Gourmet will be serving up fried bologna sandwiches.

Don’t miss out on more food options from other fantastic vendors such as CJ’s Tacos; Floyd’s Snack Shack, Root Automotive and Clean Smoke BBQ; Mel-Dars Deluxe Pups; Chef Mo’s and  Hungry Hillbilly Plus, Weekly Wagon is also signed up.

Arts & Crafts Village

Festival organizers are actively seeking artisans for the  Arts and Crafts Village Crafters whose work shows originality, craftsmanship, quality of design, and appropriateness to the Appalachian tradition are highly encouraged to apply.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee and participation is subject to approval. This is to prevent too many vendors from offering the same items

Quilt competition

Quilt-making is not only an Appalachian tradition, it’s an art form.

This year’s quilt judge is Mary Dacres, the long-time judge for the Butler County Fair of Ohio. All entries will be judged at the Quilt Patch in LaFollette. Category K entries will be judged Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 27, beginning at 1 pm and continuing until judging has been completed. All other category entries will be judged Thurs., Sept. 28, beginning at 9:00 am and continuing until completed.

Submissions will be accepted at the Quilt Patch, 2221 Jacksboro Pike, LaFollette, the Wednesday before the festival, Sept. 21. Entry fees are modest but vary according to category, so be certain to read the guidelines. Entrants may register up to four quilted items, and each must have been made within the past five years.

Youth Art competition

One of the most popular venues at the festival is the  judged youth art exhibit where the extraordinary talents of young creative minds are on display!

The ArtSpace tent returns on the grounds to house an average 250 pieces of art created by middle school through high school ages, judged by Bryan Wilkerson, a Roane State College associate professor of art and design on the college’s Oak Ridge campus.

About the Louie Bluie Festival

The festival takes place at Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, a town in the heart of mountain music country. Historically, Campbell County is a place steeped in music, and today is no different. It’s the home of Armstrong, the festival’s namesake, who grew up in LaFollette in the 1920s and was an incredibly talented black string band virtuoso. He was an artist, a storyteller and a writer who mastered the fiddle, mandolin and guitar.

The festival begins at 10 am and runs until 6 pm. Since 2007, the Campbell Culture Coalition has curated this one-of-a-kind experience, bringing people of all ages together to revel in the joy and festivities. The festival is a celebration of the unique and vibrant culture that pulses through the region, a testament to the enduring legacy of Louie Bluie himself.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 7/12/2023- 6AM)

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