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Second Annual Open Jam Bluegrass Festival will feature free food and music 

 

COLUMBUS-The second annual Open Jam Bluegrass Festival will be held May 13 at Stearns Park. 

The event will be hosted by seven different Freemason lodges and all revenue raised will be split between the Shriners Hospital and the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford, N.C. The Shriners hospital treats children with severe burns, cleft palates, and orthopedic issues free of charge, and the Masonic Home for Children offers residential care services to children and families including financial assistance for higher education and child and family counseling.

Last year’s festival was held in Forest City in May. This year’s event is being held a week earlier to avoid conflicting with the Saluda Arts and Crafts Festival. The area’s Masonic lodges regularly hold blood drives, various fundraisers such as the Saluda Lodge Coon Dog Day Breakfast, fish fries and spaghetti dinners to raise money for multiple charities.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, soft drinks and water will be available free to attendees. The Oasis Shrine Pickers will also be performing, as well as guest musicians David Moore, Josh Gomez, Roger Tripleet, and Rick Adams.

Jim Steckel, Master of Masonic Lodge No. 482 located at 622 Ozone Dr. in Saluda, expressed his excitement for the event.

“It’s a pretty significant event that the Masons and Shriners put forth,” says Steckel.

The Open Jam Bluegrass Festival will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Stearns Park, located at 125 E Mills St. in Columbus.