The 42nd annual Hillbilly Days festival will be from April 19-21, 2018. Be sure to secure lodging for the event!
Hillbilly Days was first founded in 1977 by a group of Shriners as a means to raise money for the Shriners Hospital. Two Shriners from the Hillbilly Clan Outhouse No. 2, Howard “Dirty Ear” Stratton and “Shady” Grady Kinney, decided to start the festival in 1976 after visiting a festival in Portsmouth, Ohio. They got a group of Shriners together and they began the festival in 1977. It has continued ever since. Participants wear overalls and other rural attire while roaming the streets of Pikeville to help raise money for a cause.
Carnival and Games
The Hillbilly Days carnival and games provide fun for the family and of course for the children! The carnival starts on Wed., April 18, from 6-11 p.m., Thurs.-Fri. from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m., and Sat. from 10 a.m. to midnight, located at the Riverfill!
Music and Dancing
Brantley Gilbert is performing at The East Kentucky Expo Center on Sat., April 21 at 7 p.m. featuring Aaron Lewis and Josh Phillips as the main show during Hillbilly Days. Other bands and musicians will be performing on the Billy Johnson Stage, the Courthouse Stage, and Pikeville’s City Park Stage throughout the festival. Get your tap dancing shoes out, put your overalls on, and get ready for some exquisite music and dancing!
Vendors and Visitors
Over 100,000 people come annually to Pikeville, Ky. to experience the event and culture of Appalachia! Over 300 vendors are set up in booths throughout the city as sellers showcase their products as well as homemade items. Have you ever had a deep-fried Twinkie? If not, then you need to try one alongside other delicious foods!
For more information about Hillbilly Days, please visit www.hillbillydays.com.
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