Bluegrass ending for festival

By SARAH LYNCH
The Independent

September 17, 2007 12:33 am

— With sunny skies and temperature highs in the low 70s, the weekend weather couldn’t have been better, Sue Dowdy said.
Dowdy, executive director of the Ashland Area Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, said she feels very blessed for the way the weather cooperated for the weekend’s events, including the Kentucky Senior Games and Poage Landing Days.
“Scheduling Poage Landing Days around the Senior Games was definitely intentional,” Dowdy said. “We wanted the seniors participating to have something to do while they were here. Poage Landing Days are a great time to invite people to visit our town. It’s such a wonderful fall festival.”
She said the most popular event, next to shuffleboard, was the Senior Games track and field events at Paul G. Blazer High School on Sunday.
“We could not have asked for better weather. It was so pleasant for the seniors to compete in,” Dowdy said. “The cool breeze we had was so refreshing and such a great change from the humidity and 90-degree weather.”
Great weather was also beneficial for the thousands who attended Poage Landing Days, which took place Friday through Sunday in the downtown streets of Ashland.
“I was just thinking today what a wonderful, fun event Poage Landing Days is and how I would miss it if I wasn’t there,” Dowdy said. “It’s like a big family reunion.”
Dowdy said Bucky Covington — a country music singer who headlined Poage Landing’s musical performances on Saturday and who came to fame during a stint on the fifth season of “American Idol” — was also impressed with the event.
“He said, ‘I’m from North Carolina. I’ve been all over. I’ve played for 10 people and for 10,000 people, and this is one of the best places I’ve been,” Dowdy said recalling a conversation she had with Covington on Saturday.
IIIrd Tyme Out, a well-known modern bluegrass band our of Georgia, closed out the festival with a performance at the main stage on 16th Street, which was jam packed with fans that brought their own chairs or took a seat on a provided bale of hay.
The show was sponsored by Ken Blanton of Boyd County Ford — a big IIIrd Tyme Out bluegrass fan himself.
“I think bluegrass music is making a comeback. There’s a lot of local talent around here,” he said. “We like sponsoring shows like this. The community responds well and it’s just good, clean family fun for everybody.”
SARAH LYNCH can be reached at (606) 326-2650 or slynch@dailyindependent.com.

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