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8th Greencastle Music Fest to rock downtown Saturday
One of the major local music events of the season will unfold Saturday, Aug. 26 when the eighth annual Greencastle Music Fest takes over the Putnam County Courthouse square.
Scheduled for 3-11 p.m., the event will feature live music beginning at 6 p.m., including a third straight appearance by the featured energetic Louisville Crashers, including a special visit from Greencastle native Don Von Tress, who wrote the mega country hit “Achy, Breaky Heart” that made Billy Ray Cyrus a star, and the Music Fest debut of Baby Crasher.
Von Tress, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his No. 1 country hit, is expected to take the stage with The Crashers sometime after their set begins about 8:30 p.m.
Baby Crasher, aka Crasher Brendon Michael Buttery, was born last Oct. 18 to Kaili Smith and Brent Buttery of Greencastle. Two months earlier, during the 2016 Music Fest, Crashers lead singer Mark Maxwell spotted the pregnant Smith near the stage and offered her $1,000 if she would name her baby “Crasher” in honor of the band. She said yes.
Also performing this Saturday will be Southern Country, a popular band from the Indianapolis area, playing approximately 6-8 p.m. while Terre Haute HI-99 DJ Eric Michaels will be spinning tunes and keeping the crowd energized throughout the event.
New this year is a $5 per person admission, to be charged at three entrances manned by representatives of the Convention and Visitor Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Greencastle. Gates open at 3 p.m.
“The time has come to charge,” Music Fest organizer and Almost Home owner Gail Smith said in noting that a portion of the funds will go to Main Street to help with the cost of the downtown events like First Friday. “Come downtown and help support downtown Greencastle.”
While the event has been free in the past, Smith said “it’s become difficult to bring such high-caliber entertainment without significant costs. In our commitment to Greencastle and all they have done for us, a portion of any proceeds will go to Main Street Greencastle to further their goals for the downtown area.”
The festival is drawing people to Greencastle, Smith said, noting that the Convention and Visitor Bureau last year kept track of email addresses accumulated at the festival with 15 different states represented, along with visitors from all over central Indiana.
“There was lots of Plainfield,” Smith said the addresses, noting that “lot of overnight stays” are being generated as the event gets bigger and bigger.
“It’s funny how all this falls into place,” Smith said, “with tourism and our First Fridays and this, our eighth year for the Music Fest.
“Greencastle has a become a destination for music,” she added. “It’s unreal.”
Other activities include a cornhole tournament to be sponsored by Coors Light along with other activities for the whole family, including a kids’ area open until 7 p.m.
Cornhole registration is set for 3-5 p.m. at $20 per team with the tourney beginning at 5:30.
Mary Ann Birt and Susan Price will be coordinating food for the festival through Almost Home, Smith said.
Meanwhile, presenting sponsor York Automotive will be celebrating its 30th anniversary, while additional support comes from the Inn and DePauw and Daves’ Heating and Cooling.
Greencastle Music Fest is a community music gathering that has been taking place in the downtown for seven years in an event that began as a 20th anniversary celebration for Almost Home, and is still hosted by the restaurant and supported by several local businesses.