Debra Dylan: It's not just a festival, it's Vestival!
Vestal. There was a time when the mention of this South Knoxville neighborhood conjured up images of pit bull fights and vicious armed robberies. Thanks to the creation seven years ago of the South Knoxville Arts & Heritage Foundation, Vestal has been reintroduced to Knoxville through a charming family-friendly festival promoting historic preservation and music.
This Mother’s Day weekend, The Vestival proudly celebrates its 7th year of showcasing the historic Candoro Marble Works Building, along with an eclectic mix of some of the area’s finest musicians and artisans.
Vestival begins on Friday, May 11, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., with a Black & White Art Exhibit opening in the front room of the Condoro Building. Works by local artists from Cradle Art group, historical photographs of the early Knoxville marble industry, and Charles Barber architectural drawings will be displayed. (At press time, it was uncertain if the Riders of the Silver Screen would be showing a film on the tree-lined Candoro drive-way.)
Saturday’s Vestival takes place from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The traditional Vestival Mother’s Day brunch of complimentary coffee and pastries will be offered to mothers from 11:00 until noon.
While food and beverage vendors will be available, patrons may pack their own picnics. Limited seating will be provided at the two music stages. Feel free to bring your own lawn chair.
Below is the complete music schedule:
Candoro Café:
12:30 Greg Horne - Acoustic/Roots Music by this talented multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter/music teacher. Horne plays in numerous bands and has a standing solo gig at the Corner Lounge on Wednesday nights.
1:30 Jim Myers – foot-stompin’ blues
2:30 Sweethearts of the Bitterroot with Cary Masters – Cowboy tunes and vintage country music.
3:30 Naughty Knots – Traditional & contemporary acoustic music with sweet mountain harmonies and a sassy attitude. They even perform a roots version of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
4:30 The Maid Rite String Band (www.myspace.com/themaidrightstringband) – Old Time String with a few modern twists. In February, this talented quartet opened for Ricky Skaggs at the Tennessee Theater.
5:30 The Bearded – Jug Band/Old Time String. These boys keep it real, keep it fun, and always keep it hairy.
Maryville Pike Stage:
11:00 Grupo Lavolta – Traditional & modern South American folk music primarily from the Andes Mountain region.
12:00 The South Knoxville Persian Music Ensemble – Meditative music with a Middle Eastern flair. This ensemble has performed at every Vestival since 2000.
1:00 Christabel and the Jons – Sultry Southern Swing. Fresh from their performance at Sundown in the City, these vintage virtuosos are Bonnaroo bound this summer. Their South Knoxville ode “Remember” appears on the new “Greetings from Knoxville” CD – a collection of some of Knoxville’s best contemporary original music.
2:00 The Lonetones - Neo-traditional timeless mountain pop music for lovers. With their deft songwriting skills and gorgeous harmonies, The Lonetones have been winning rave reviews for their work. Their song, “The Soil We Grew Up In” was also selected for the new local compilation CD “Greetings From Knoxville.”
3:00 Sara Schwabe and Her Yankee Jass Band - Jazz standards, sultry Latin grooves, Broadway show tunes, smoky cabaret numbers, and even some Tom Waits, hip-hop, and classical tunes can be heard by this playfully sophisticated quintet.
4:00 The Hector Qirko Band - While Chicago-style blues makes up the core of his music, don’t be surprised to also hear Latin, jazz, country, polka, and honky-tonk influences.
5:00 Breakfast Meats (Los Fabulosos) - Enigmatic rock that, according to the band, sounds “like no tomorrow.” These folks have been Vestival regulars since year 2000.
6:00 Exit 65 - An Americana folk/rock jam band. Get in touch with your inner-hippie.
Ananda Dance Company will be performing their beautiful belly dancing fusion throughout the day.
DIRECTIONS TO VESTIVAL
From Downtown Knoxville, cross the river on the Henley Street Bridge.
At the end of the bridge, turn right on Blount Ave.
Follow Blount as it curves around and crosses over the RR tracks.
By this point, the road will have turned into Maryville Pike.
The festival will be on your right on the corner of Maryville Pike and Candora Ave.
(Editor's note: Vestival the festival should not be confused with Vestival, the champion Arabian horse. hee hee!)
