Goats, Music and More Festival Named a Top 20 Event by Southeast Tourism Society

The Southeast Tourism Society first put the Goats, Music and More Festival in its list of top events back in 2006 and now it has been selected as one of the Top 20 Events in the entire Southeast again for 2009.
The Southeast Tourism Society – www.southeasttourism.org - is dedicated to the promotion of travel to and within the Southeastern United States. It recognizes the importance of festivals, events and attractions in the Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
To qualify as a top event in the Southeast, festivals, events and attractions must submit information on activities, attendance and media coverage to the Southeast Tourism Society. The organization then compiles all the information and determines which events, festivals and attractions are worthy of being named as a top event. After submission of materials from the 2008 Goats, Music and More Festival, the organization choose it as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast.
The Goats, Music and More Festival has grown from a few thousand its first year to over 17,000 from all 50 states, 4 countries and 68 counties in Tennessee last year. The seventh annual Goats, Music and More Festival will be held in downtown Lewisburg at Rock Creek Park on Friday, October 9, Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2009. The festival aims to honor goats, particularly Marshall’s County famous native “Fainting” goat and Boer goat.
The first recorded mention of “fainting” or “nervous” goats was from Marshall County during the 1880s, according to festival officials. A man named Tinsley moved into the northern part of the county bringing with him four “bulgy-eyed” goats and a “sacred” cow. The goats demonstrated a strange tendency to become temporarily rigid, even to the point of losing balance and falling over, when startled. Tinsley stayed long enough to marry and harvest a corn crop. He then left unexpectedly, leaving his wife but taking his cow. Before departing, he sold his goats to a local doctor; and the odd but otherwise healthy goats went on to reproduce and continue living in the area. Fainting goats were almost extinct by the 1980s, but today the quirky breed is thriving throughout the world thanks to its novelty appeal.
Fainting goat shows and Boer goat shows are the core of the festival; but visitors will also find a full slate of planned fun including arts & crafts, great food, children’s activities and acoustic, bluegrass, country and rock and roll music. Bring your best barbeque recipe and enter the Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned Lewisburg Rotary Club Barbecue Cook Off or simply bring those taste buds and enjoy a unique taste of the South.
Each day of the event features a slue of fun activities from a 5K Fun Run to children’s games, arts and crafts from mosaics to paintings and food from fried chicken to goat meat. Come see who is this year’s Old Billy and Nanny couple or take part in the Nannies and Kids Pageant sponsored by WAXO. And the Goatly Goblins costume competition is always a riot. The Goats, Music and More Festival has something the whole family can enjoy.
Goats – The Goats, Music and More Festival was founded in honor of the fainting goats of Marshall County. Each year, the shows have grown as goat lovers and curious onlookers take in the World Champion Fainting Goat Show, the Mini Silky Goat Show, the Myotonic Registry Goat Show, the John D. Taylor Memorial Boer Goat Show, the Southern Middle Tennessee ABGA Boer Goat Show and added this year the Nigerian Dwarf Goat Show. Each show brings goat breeders and exhibitors from across the country to compete for ribbons, titles and prizes.
Music –
Each night of the Goats, Music and More Festival brings to the center stage amazing musical acts to cap all of the day’s fun events and each show is free to the public. Last year featured musical legend Delbert McClinton who joined a growing list of stars that have performed on the Goats, Music and More Festival stage from T.G. Shepherd and B.J. Thomas to Percy Sledge, Ronnie Milsap and John Anderson. This year, country music sensation Shenandoah takes the main stage Friday night to cap the opening night of music. The band will perform following the Battle at Rock Creek finalists who will be vying for the best band in the southern middle Tennessee area. The Battle at Rock Creek competition features local bands from around Southern Middle Tennessee who will begin competing in Lewisburg in August. The final four bands standing will perform Thursday Night, October 8 on the Goats, Music and More stage and the final two will open Friday night’s show for Shenandoah.
Saturday night features “Elvis Meets Motown” as Elvis impersonator Shawn Klush brings the King to life with Motown Madness. Shawn Klush has been called the Closest Thing to the King and returns to the Goats, Music and More stage following last year’s incredible show in front of a record crowd. The Motown Madness band brings to the stage Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, the Blues Brothers, Little Richard and more. This group of impersonators has wowed crowds all across America and join returning standout Shawn Klush to close the Goats, Music and More night of entertainment.
More –
The Lewisburg Rotary Club State Championship Barbecue Cook Off returns for its third season at the festival bringing professional and backyard grill masters to dish up their best in pork, chicken, beef and goat. The festival begins with the return of the 5K Goat Gallop along the beautiful greenway at Rock Creek Park. Last year, over 80 competitors joined the run and even more runners are expected this year. Kids can enjoy a train ride through the park as well as a mechanical bull ride, video game tournaments and moon bounce rides. There will be over 100 vendors at this year’s festival serving great food and offering an incredible assortment of crafts.
Admission to the festival is free and open to the public. Just bring your lawn chairs to enjoy the both nights of musical entertainment and take advantage of the parking across the bridge over Rock Creek at this year’s festival. Do not miss this year’s Goats, Music and More Festival October 9, 10 and 11, 2009 in Lewisburg, TN at the beautiful Rock Creek Park.
For more specific directions and a complete schedule of events, please visit http://www.goatsmusicandmore.com. For information concerning lodging, contact the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce at 931.359.3863 or http://www.marshallchamber.org. For more information about Tennessee products, farms, farmers markets and crop festivals, visit the TDA Web site at http://www.picktnproducts.org. For more information on other Tennessee festivals visit www.TNvacation.com or call 1.800.GO.2.TENN
For more information about the Lewisburg Rotary Club Barbecue Cook Off, contact Lewisburg Rotary Club President Jeff Jordan at 931.703.8243, drjjordan@bellsouth.net.