The Bluegrass & Fried Chicken festival is Aug. 26 & 27 at Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Ark. The Skillet Restaurant located onsite will serve its famous fried chicken buffet in between music shows at the park’s 1,000-seat indoor music venue, Ozark Highlands Theater. The music festival will feature an extended show on Friday night, a Saturday matinee and a Saturday evening extended show featuring the region’s biggest names in bluegrass and top touring bands.
Headliners include 10x International Bluegrass Music Award-winner Missy Raines and Bluegrass Hall of Fame members The Dillards. The Dillards, also known as the Darlings, became famous after introducing millions of Americans to bluegrass music by performing songs like “Dueling Banjos” and “Dooley” on T.V.’s Andy Griffith Show.
Also performing at Bluegrass & Fried Chicken is top talent from the Mountain View music scene including Ozark Strangers, Spillwater Drive (Arkansas CMA “Bluegrass Artists of the Year”), The Ozark Legacy and Sylamore Special (KSMU “Youth in Bluegrass” Champions and Arkansas CMA “Young Artists of the Year”) featuring 18-year-old National Banjo Champion Lillyanne McCool and 17-year-old Arkansas Grand Champion Fiddler Mary Parker.
Tickets to music shows are available online for $50 (both days), $25 (Friday only) and $35 (Saturday only). All-day admission to the park’s artisan Craft Village and gardens are included with festival tickets. Family passes are available for two adults and children under 18.
To reserve your tickets to the Bluegrass & Fried Chicken Festival or to learn more about the event, visit OzarkFolkCenter.Ticketleap.com.
The Skillet Restaurant at Ozark Folk Center, which is known for its Southern fare and scenic dining, will serve a dinner buffet from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, as well as a breakfast buffet on Saturday from 8 to 10:45 a.m. featuring chicken and waffles and a lunch buffet on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All you-can-eat buffets are $13 for breakfast, $14 for lunch and $15 for dinner.
The Ozark Folk Center State Park is home to dozens of demonstrating artists and 20 artisan shops in the park’s nationally renowned Craft Village, which will be open throughout the weekend. Stop by the upper level of the Village to enjoy a concert in the open air at the Blacksmith Stage featuring lively Southern Mountain music or set aside time to discover the Heritage Herb Garden where pass-along plants, flowers and herbs for healing are on full display. For families with children, be sure to visit the park’s animal-powered picnic swing for a ride with Whiskey (or Tango) the Donkey and experience the historic Shannon Cabin or one-room schoolhouse to imagine pioneer life in the Ozarks.
The state park offers modern cabin rooms at the Cabins at Dry Creek, located onsite at the Ozark Folk Center, in scenic Mountain View. To book a room during the Bluegrass & Fried Chicken Festival, August 26 and 27, visit OzarkFolkCenter.com.
Ozark Folk Center State Park
Ozark Folk Center State Park, located in Mountain View, Arkansas, is open seasonally from April to October. The park’s mission is “to perpetuate, present and promote the Ozark way of life in an educational and enjoyable manner.” To learn more visit OzarkFolkCenter.com.
Arkansas State Parks
Arkansas State Parks is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Arkansas state parks and museums cover 54,400 acres of forest, wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation facilities, and unique historic and cultural resources. Established in 1923, Arkansas State Parks preserve special places for future generations, provide quality recreation and education opportunities, enhance the state’s economy through tourism and provide leadership in resource conservation. Connect with ASP on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and visit ArkansasStateParks.com and ArkansasStateParks.com/media to learn more.
Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism
The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism protects and promotes our state’s natural, cultural and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. It is made up of three divisions: Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas Heritage and Arkansas Tourism. Stacy Hurst serves as the cabinet secretary for the department.
