HARROGATE, Tenn. - The tri-state area will soon be treated to a summer community concert that planners hope will become an annual event.

The Harrogate Parks and Recreation department is planning its first music festival to be held Saturday, August 12. The festival will be a fun filled day of music by regional bands and will take place at the Harrogate City Park.

“We wanted to provide a free community event to give back to our community. The park is primarily used for walking, soccer and other sporting events and we wanted to make the park even more versatile and bring a little culture to our community,” states Linda Fultz, the festival's chairperson.

The festival will consist of nine regional bands from the tri-state area. The bands will bring a mixed bag of music including blues, jazz, bluegrass, rock, contemporary Christian, and southern rock.

“Each of the bands is performing for free this year,” states Fultz, adding “We are hoping that the festival will be a large success so that we can bring it back again next year and make it an annual event in the city of Harrogate.”

The community is being encouraged to participate in the festival in many ways. Non-profit organizations are invited to participate by setting up booths for concessions, and craft vendors are also invited to set up for the daylong festival. The fee for a concession or craft booth is $25. The department will use the fees to cover security and clean-up expenses.

Anyone interested in a booth at the festival should contact Rose Kiser at (423) 869-0211 by August 1, in order to reserve a booth space.

The recreation and parks department is also seeking volunteers to help work the gates, assist at the hospitality booth and other duties. Anyone interested in volunteering should also contact Rose Kiser by August 1.

Shuttle service will be provided for those who need assistance to the stage area. All visitors are welcome to bring lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the shows. Fultz adds that, “we want this to be a family friendly event that everyone can enjoy.” Alcoholic beverages are not permitted.

There will also be numerous door prizes presented throughout the day. The prizes include a washer, dryer, and television to mention a few. Participants must be present to win the prizes.

In the event of rain, the festival will be moved to the Tex Turner arena on the Lincoln Memorial University campus. The event is co-sponsored by Clayton Homes and Lincoln Memorial University.

Alison Manning is a Correspondent for the Daily News. She can be reached via e-mail at amanning@middlesborodailynews.com.