Alltech Fortnight Festival Wraps Until 2010
[Lexington, KY] – On Saturday evening, Oct. 10, the Alltech Fortnight Festival concluded its 16-day statewide celebration of the impending Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010. The 2009 Alltech Fortnight Festival, held Sept. 25 – Oct. 10, presented 46 acts, bringing nearly 20,000 people to 14 venues in nine cities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
“We are very pleased with the depth and variety of this year’s Alltech Fortnight Festival,” said Thomas Stephens, director of the Alltech Fortnight Festival. “We showcased and awarded rising local talent, yet we also brought in top artists such as The Decemberists and Mary Chapin Carpenter.”
The kickoff of the Alltech Fortnight Festival on Sept. 25 with Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert and special guest Love & Theft at Applebee’s Park in Lexington drew more than 10,000 fans, breaking the Park’s attendance record.
A total of $4,500 in prize money was awarded during the Alltech Fortnight Festival to the winners of the Poetry Slam hosted by Marc Smith and the Battle of the Bluegrass. County Line Bluegrass, with band members Zeke Walters, Ramsey Carpenter, J.B. Miller, and Joey Brown, made a three-hour journey to compete in the Battle of the Bluegrass but found their trek to be quite worthwhile after securing the top prize of $2,000.
The Alltech Fortnight Festival was created by Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, as a means of building excitement throughout the state for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The extravaganza will culminate in a fortnight of entertainment to run concurrently with the Alltech Games from Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, 2010. During the Alltech Games, the Alltech Fortnight Festival will provide visitors and Kentucky residents alike with featured entertainment to enjoy after the day’s competition events have ended.
For more information on the Alltech Fortnight Festival, visit www.AlltechFortnightFestival.com.