Atwood Music Festival facts for kids

The Atwood Music Festival, the longest running festival of its kind in the state of Mississippi, is an annual festival held near the banks of the Pearl River in Monticello, Mississippi on Memorial Day weekend in May. Originally called the Atwood Bluegrass Music Festival, the event was rebranded to feature a variety of different music styles. The Festival began as a joint effort by the Pearl River Basin Development District and the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce in 1975 to promote the Atwood Water Park that had recently been completed by the Basin District.

The Festival has featured artists such as Stella Parton (sister of Dolly Parton), The Carter Family, Trace Adkins, John Anderson, Neal McCoy, Jeff Bates, Little Texas, Jamey Johnson, LoCash, Jake Owen, Chris Young, Craig Morgan, Travis Tritt, Emerson Drive, Kieth Anderson, and Charlie Daniels. Following Daniels's headlining performance in 2008, the Festival opted to contract several up-and-coming acts instead of 1 or 2 well-known headliners due to budget concerns.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Festival was moved from Memorial Day weekend in May to Labor Day weekend, September 4-5.

List of main performers

1975 - Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass, Doc Watson
1976 - Grandpa Jones, Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys
1977 - Minnie Pearl, Paul Ott
1978 - Dave and Sugar, Kurt Kilpatrick
1979 - The Hager Twins, Jimmy Martin
1980 - Stella Parton, The Carter Family
1981 - Dave and Sugar, Rattlesnake Annie McGowan
1982 - Helen Cornelius, Razzy Bailey, Paul Ott
1983 - David Frizell and Shelly West, Jimmy C. Newman, Elmer Fudpucker
1984 - Charly McClain, Vern Gosdin, Lorrie Morgan, Linda Nail, Kent Westberry
1985 - Justin Tubb and the Texas Troubadors, Jacky Ward, Helen Cornelius, Kathy Twitty
1986 - Dan Seals, Robin Killen
1987 - Tom T. Hall, Mark Gray
1988 - Jim Ed Brown, Shelley Mangrum
1989 - Billy Crash Craddock, Mike Snider, Vicki Bird
1990 - Baillie and the Boys, Irlene Mandrell, Jimmy C. Newman and Cajun Country
1991 - Connie Smith, Scott McQuaig
1992 - Gene Watson
1993 - Ronnie McDowell, Mac McAnally
1994 - Jimmy C. Newman, John Conlee, Pearl River
1995 - Terry McBride and the Ride, James Dixon, Dave and Sugar
1996 - Paul Overstreet, Lee Roy Parnell
1997 - Ronnie McDowell, Confederate Railroad
1998 - Wade Hayes, Doug Supernaw
1999 - Suzy Bogguss, Aaron Tippin
2000 - Ricky Van Shelton, Cletus T. Judd, Tracy Byrd
2001 - Tracy Lawrence, The Bellamy Brothers, The Kinleys
2002 - Highway 101, Trace Adkins, John Anderson
2003 - Neal McCoy, Doug Stone, Ricochet
2004 - Sammy Kershaw, Jeff Bates, Honky Tonk Tailgate Tour, Chad Brock, Rhett Akins, David Kersh, Daryle Singletary
2005 - Joe Diffie, Pam Tillis, Andy Griggs
2006 - Marty Stuart, Exile, Little Texas, Billy Dean, Kelsey
2007 - Emerson Drive, Keith Anderson, Shane Prather
2008 - Charlie Daniels
2009 - Jamey Johnson, LoCash Cowboys, Honky Tonk Tailgate Tour (Mark Wills, Trent Willmon, Jeff Bates), The Lost Trailers
2010 - LoCash Cowboys, Colt Ford, Chris Young
2011 - Easton Corbin, Jake Owen
2012 - Brett Eldredge, Craig Campbell, Randy Houser
2013 - Frank Foster, LoCash Cowboys, Earl Thomas Conley, Chris Cagle
2014 - Chris Janson, Craig Morgan
2015 - Chase Bryant, Travis Tritt
2016 - Jeff Bates, Brothers Osborne, The Bellamy Brothers, LOCASH
2017 - William Michael Morgan, Little Texas, Drake White and the Big Fire