Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Bluegrass, country artists booked for Forest Festival

The Gurdon Forest Festival is just over two weeks away, and three musical acts are planned to keep the crowds in downtown Gurdon all day, according to Gurdon Recorder Treasurer Tambra Childres.

The first act, The Hartley Family, will play on the Main Street stage from 10:30 a.m. until noon during the festival on Satuday, Oct. 27. The Hartley Family is a bluegrass group from Arkadelphia that truly is a family consisting of parents and six children age three to 16.

The Hartleys have played numerous events in and around southwest Arkansas, Childres said, including the Hope Bluegrass Festival. She said the coordinator of that festival raved of the Hartleys work.

I think this will be a group that everyone will want to bring their lawn chairs down and hear, Childres said.

Other local acts are expected to play on the Main Street stage throughout the day.

Two other acts have been booked that will play at night, Childres said. Ronnie Bear, an up-and-coming country music artist who was born in Prescott and raised at Amity will perform on a stage set up behind the Sonic from 6-8 p.m.

Exit 123, a band from Bryant, will play from 8:30-10:30 p.m.

This will be music people will want to come out and dance to, Childres said of the two evening groups. An area will be reserved for dancing at the concert.

All of the musical events are free and open to the public.

Many other events will go on throughout the day, including several returning activities. Childres said festival attendees can expect to participate in the Gurdon Rotary Clubs annual pancake breakfast, the Clark County Cattlemens Associations chili cook-off, a pie baking contest sponsored by the Gurdon Senior Adult Center, a jack-o-lantern contest sponsored by the Clark County Farm Bureau women, and a cutest kids photo contest.

Entries for the cutest kids photo contest may be placed at Gurdon City Hall or Alliance Insurance in Arkadelphia by 1 p.m. on Oct. 24, Childres said.

Only 8x10 photographs are accepted for the contest. Trophies and a $10 award will go to each entrant.

Contact city hall for more information.

Other events at the festival will include the free 4-H petting zoo, a log loader competition, antique car show, the annual Eric Griffin Memorial Run and a costume contest sponsored by the Gurdon Chamber of Commerce.