Lineup grows as tickets go on sale Saturday for the 2012 Foothills Fall Festival
By Steve Wildsmith | (stevew@thedailytimes.com)
Organizers for the 2012 Foothills Fall Festival rolled out the rest of the lineup for the Oct. 12-14 extravaganza in downtown Maryville, just in time for the start of ticket sales on Saturday.
In addition to the previously announced headliners of Gary Allan on Oct. 12, Train on Oct. 13 and Darius Rucker on Oct. 14, two up-and-coming music stars will perform during the festival weekend, and a number of local favorites complete the slate of entertainers who will be performing in Blount County.
“We’re excited to have Andy Grammer, whose hits ‘Fine by Me’ and ‘Keep Your Head Up’ are a great indication of the fun, upbeat show he will treat our guests to this fall,” said Jane Groff, community relations manager for the City of Maryville.
“As a new artist, he was named ‘Artist to Watch’ by Billboard magazine. Additionally, we are happy to announce that Jerrod Niemann will open for Gary Allan on Friday. Jerrod has a huge following with audiences of all ages and is also a talented songwriter.”
Added to the lineup since the initial announcement of artists:
• On Friday, Oct. 12, Steve Rutledge, a Nashville studio guitarist who recently moved to Friendsville, will open the festival at 6 p.m., followed by Niemann, who charted the No. 1 country single “Lover, Lover” in 2010. Allan will close out the first night with a performance starting at 8 p.m.
• On Saturday, Oct. 13, Blount County native and bluegrass artist Jesse Gregory will open the day’s music at 12:45 p.m., followed by local country-rockers the Jeff Jopling Band. In addition to previously announced performances by Bridgette Tatum and Lauren Alaina, Grammer will open for Train.
• On Sunday, Oct. 14, local favorites Pistol Creek Catch of the Day, long a performer on the Art Way’s slate of free shows, will open the day at 2:30 p.m. for previously announced artists The Farm Inc., Brad Blackwell, Thompson Square and Rucker.
“Our team works each year to put together a fun and exciting lineup every fall, and this year is no exception,” Groff said. “We know that the folks who come out to join us each year will have a great time, and we’re looking forward to seeing each of them again, along with some new friends from around the world.”
Ticket details
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday online and by phone. It’s the second year festival organizers have chosen to launch ticket sales on a Saturday, a move designed to give those with day jobs who might be unable to call in the middle of a workday the chance to get premium reserved seats before they’re gone.
Tickets will also be sold at Blount County branches of First Tennessee Bank and at the Maryville Municipal Center, but they won’t be available at those locations until Monday. In addition, reserved seating is available only through Tickets Unlimited outlets. Contact 865-656-4444 or toll free at 877-995-9961 or online at http://www.knoxvilletickets.com for more information. Service charges will be added for phone and online purchases.
Ticket prices are as follows:
• Friday Gold seating on the first 15 rows is $50
• Saturday Gold seating on the first 15 rows is $100
• Sunday Gold seating on the first 15 rows is $60
• Three-day Silver seating — rows 16-32, to the center and left of the front of the stage — is $95
• Three-day Bronze seating — rows 33-45 at stage left — is $100
• General admission seating, while supplies last, is $50 from Saturday through Aug. 19, and $60 from Aug. 20-Oct. 11. General admission seating at the gate is $65. No single-day general admission tickets are sold for the Foothills Fall Festival.
Clear your cache
“Reserved seats are very limited, and they do sell quickly,” Groff said. “It’s a good idea to go in and set up an account with Knoxville Tickets before Saturday; then, at 10 a.m. Saturday, make sure you’ve refreshed the page and cleared your computer’s cache.”
Children 10 and younger are admitted free to the general admission area (parents wanting to sit with their kids in reserved sections must purchase reserved seat tickets for them), and admission is, as always, free to the ArtWay and Adventure Land areas.
For more information, visit http://www.foothillsfallfestival.com or call 865-273-3445.
