Bluegrass musicians and festival promoters, Allen Dyer and Lorraine Jordan, have added two more festivals, the North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival and the McDowell County Country Round Up (both held in Marion) to their portfolio. The pair recently announced the acquisition of the Cherokee Bluegrass Festival, (held the first weekend in June) in Cherokee, NC, through their company, Classic Promotions. All three festivals were previously owned and managed by Evans Media Source who is leveraging the sales of these festivals to allow for more time with family, and to expand EMS in other areas.
Dyer and Jordan are grateful to EMS owners, Ernie and Debi Evans, for their hard work and dedication to bluegrass music, and for making both the Cherokee and Marion festivals long standing, successful events.
As new owners, Allen and Lorraine express excitement for becoming the promoters of both these great festivals. They want to assure fans that there won’t be major changes in the festivals’ operation.
Dyer, lead singer and guitarist in Jordan’s Carolina Road band, stressed, “We want to continue the momentum that is already there, and continue bringing good quality entertainment to the stage. We want it to be an event people can’t wait to come back to next year. We love bluegrass music ourselves, and love all the fans. We consider ourselves very blessed to be able to be a part of the industry in this capacity.”
Additionally, Jordan Entertainment manages two other festivals: Bluegrass in the Blueridge (held the second week of April in Kingsport, Tennessee) and Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies (held the third week of November in Gatlinburg, Tennessee) and collaborates with Edgar Lowdermilk on a third, Brown County Bluegrass Festival (held the fourth weekend in August in Georgetown, Ohio). Also, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road serve as host band for Willow Oak Bluegrass Festival (held the third week of June) at the Willow Oak Music Park in Roxboro, NC.
In 2025, the Cherokee Festival (held at the Happy Holidays Campground) is slated for June 5, 6, and 7 in Cherokee, NC. The North Carolina State Festival (held at the Camping World Campgrounds) will be August 14, 15, and 16 in Marion, NC. Plans are underway for the McDowell County Country Round Up 2025. An announcement will be forthcoming.
For tickets and information, visit Classic Promotions online, or call 919-526-0662.
