By Taylor Boyd
Tune up those instruments and put on those dancing shoes, to prepare for Saturday Nite Opry on Oct. 16 at the Rotary Building in Stuart.
The headline event marks the first after an 18-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Denny Alley, president of the Patrick County Music Association (PCMA).
Alley said the PCMA will hold one event each month for the rest of the year, starting this Saturday.
Doors to the event open at 5 p.m. and music starts at 6 p.m. in the Rotary Building, located at 264 Woodland Drive, Stuart
The Country Boys will take the stage, and Alley said he is expecting Lynn Foddrell, Junior Cassidy, Roger Handy, Jason Harris, Preston Martin, and others to perform as well.
The music will end “when the band gets tired or people go home,” Alley said, and added the organization hopes that music lovers will flock to enjoy the show.
“We’ve had huge crowds there in the past, and we’re just hoping that in the future, Patrick County will be able to come back and enjoy the featured talent of our area,” he said.
It is unclear if the monthly shows continue into 2022, due to the pandemic, Alley said.
“We’re hoping to get back to the monthly routine. We’re kind of testing the waters to see how things are going to go due to the COVID,” he said, and added, a star-studded line up is set for this fall.
A super show, called Sammy Shelor’s Banjorama, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 11. Sponsored by Hopkins Lumber Contractors Inc., this show will include the top 10 to 12 banjo players in a 100-mile radius of Patrick County. The Lonesome River Band also is set to perform.
Admission to the events is free. Lawn chairs are encouraged, and masks are preferred.
Concessions will be available from the Patrick County Shooting Education Team, with proceeds going to teach children in the area firearm safety.
For more information or to watch past music performance, visit Facebook.com/PatrickCountyMusicAssociation.