On October 8th and 9th, incredible music and breathtaking caves come together to create the first-ever CaveFest. The Caverns presents its own curated festival featuring headlining acts Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Infamous Stringdusters, and Yonder Mountain String Band and artist in residence Lindsay Lou plus many more. In addition, on-site camping, delicious food trucks, local vendors, and underground activities will be available on site.
“Fall is an absolutely gorgeous time to visit Tennessee, and that’s why we picked early October for our first CaveFest,” says The Caverns owner Todd Mayo. “With the addition of our new campground and full capacity outdoor amphitheater combined with our caves, we’re excited to welcome guests for a 2-day festival experience that only The Caverns can deliver.”
Scheduled for a holiday weekend, the inaugural festival will take full advantage of what The Caverns has to offer above and below ground. Headlining performances will take place on the base of the mountain at The Caverns Amphitheater with ample space for blankets, chairs and dancing surrounded by views of the majestic Cumberland Plateau. The Caverns world-famous underground concert hall will host daily jam sessions, cave yoga, old-time square dancing, and more soon-to-be-announced activities.
Of course CaveFest will also feature cave tours and underground adventures. Guests will have two days to get deep and explore beneath the Earth’s surface. The Caverns will offer 60-minute walking tours through the otherworldly Big Room Cave that entwine the unique history of the area, geology and mythology of cave lore. For thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies, Adventure Cave Tours will be available to take guests beyond “Tombstone Pass” to see an underground river, a chamber of soda straw formations, and more.
CaveFest line-up includes: Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, Rising Appalachia, Jim Lauderdale, Kitchen Dwellers, Lil Smokies, Sierra Hull, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Lindsay Lou Band, Larry Keel Experience, Volunteer String Band, Pressing Strings, Sicard Hollow, Kendall Street Company and Taylor Scott Band. Daily lineups to be announced at a later date.
In addition to Lindsay Lou’s performance slot with her full band, she will be staying at the festival and sitting in with other artists all weekend as the CaveFest “artist-in-residence.” The singer Roots Magazine describes as “the most affectingly expressive singer since Amy Winehouse” will be creating memorable collaborations by popping on stage for surprise collaborations to create magic CaveFest moments.
2-day tickets for CaveFest, which include camping, start at $99 and go on sale at 11a CT on Friday, April 22 at TheCaverns.com. Additionally, VIP 2-day tickets with camping and overnight packages will be offered. Pending availability, single day tickets will be released at a later date. $1 from every CaveFest ticket will go to the Sewanee Mountain Grotto to support their cave conversation efforts.
