Country Music Freedom Festival offers great tunes in support of the troops

The debut a new local festival will bring country music fans together in support of the nation’s military.

The Corpsmen Memorial Foundation and the USO will host the Country Music Freedom Festival, its first benefit concert on Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. at Deppe Music Pavilion in Jacksonville. The festival will include live music, food and beverages from commercial vendors. Children are also welcome and ages five and under are free.

This year’s performers include Joe Nichols, Brett Eldredge, Bryan Mayer, Aaron Kelly, Amy Tipton, Shannon Book and more. Event founder and coordinator Lauren Peterson said that felt the idea of having a benefit concert with country music performers would generate a great local response.

“I got the idea from back home in Florida where they do these once a year,” Peterson said. “Country was chosen because it seems to be the largest genre here.”

Not only is the festival bringing audiences together for music, but also for patriotism and honor of the military. Proceeds from the event will benefit the USO of North Carolina Jacksonville Center as well as the building of the Corpsmen Memorial Foundation in Jacksonville. The Corpsman Memorial Foundation is being designed to honor and reflect the lives of those who served in combat alongside the Marines as Fleet Marine Force Corpsmen.

“The goal for the proceeds is to raise enough money to build the Corpsmen Memorial in Memorial Gardens or at least make a dent,” Peterson said. “We need to raise $500,000 by 2014 and we aren’t even close.”

Peterson said that WRNS 95.1 helped in selected the entertainment for this year’s festival. The variety of talent ranges from national recording artists like Joe Nichols to former “American Idol” contestant Aaron Kelly to Eastern North Carolina natives and military service members like Shannon Book.

Singer and actress Amy Tipton will be leaving the stage of musical theatre to perform for the first time at Deppe Music Pavilion for the first time. The Wilmington resident’s single “Patiently” was written in honor of the military and she has also donated CDs to troops for past USO events.

“We’re really excited to be able to perform for the USO this year,” Tipton said. “We are in the south and I would say that there are a lot of country music fans here.”

New Bern native Bryan Mayer, who shared the stage with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Trace Adkins at Deppe Music Pavilion last year, said he looks forward to giving country music fans a new venue to hear a variety of performers all in one concert and for a good cause. Mayer will be performing songs from his first album “Long Story Short,” which was released in August.

“It great because it support the military and since we’re just coming off of the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 to give back to them,” Mayer said. “I’m the son of a Marine colonel so it’s exiting to do shows that support the military.”

Visit Facebook to get more information on each performer. For more information about the Country Music Freedom Festival, visit ncfreedomfest.com.

Contact Aniesa Holmes at 910-219-8473 or aholmes@freedomenc.com.

WANT TO GO? The first Country Music Freedom Festival will take place Sept. 24 beginning at Deppe Music Pavilion. Gates open at 9 a.m. at the shows starts at 11 a.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Gus’ Warehouse or etix.com. Deppe Music Pavilion is located at 244 Deppe Road in Jacksonville. For more information, visit ncfreedomfest.com.