Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Annual Event Among Biggest Music Events in Central Florida
One of central Florida's biggest annual music events happens this weekend when the annual Orange Blossom Revue opens in Lake Wailes Park. The festival will feature eight top touring bands who are expected to draw large crowds from across the nation to the annual lake-side performances.
The big stage at Orange Blossom Revue will be occupied by leading national touring bands this weekend during the two-day music festival in Lake Wailes Park.
Headlined by JJ Grey and Mofro, the charity fundraiser also offers performances by The War and Treaty, Robert Earl Keen, Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Grisman Project, Emily Nenni, Wyatt Ellis, and Van Plating. The bands offer a wide range of musical styles from bluegrass and rock to blues and country, with some jazzy riffs worked in.
The New York Times described JJ Grey as offering "impassioned singing, riff-based Southern rock, cold blooded swamp funk and sly Memphis soul. Rich, funky blues celebrate life's most fundamental joys. Grey is a singer-songwriter with unforced talent and deep feeling."
NPR added that Grey performs "a deeply-rooted blend of southern-fried rock and swamp funk...richly evocative lyrics...plainspoken, blue-collar American music."
The event grounds open at 1:00 this Friday, December 6, with the first performance by Wyatt Ellis scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. Saturday the grounds reopen at noon, with the music getting underway at 1:30 p.m. Performances will wrap up at about 9:30 each night, although encores may run a bit late, given the enthusiasm of fans.
Tickets for the two-day festival are still available at orangeblossomrevue.com. Friday's three-bands will cost attendees $65, while Saturday's line-up comes in at $85. The two-day admission is offered at $140.
JJ Grey will lead the headline act at the Orange Blossom Revue. Tickets for the two-day festival are still available at .
The festival grounds offer overnight camping, but fans have already snapped up almost all available spaces. The event partners with several area hotels to provide additional lodging.
Founded in 2014 by area natives Rusty Ingley and Reid Hardman, Orange Blossom Revue originated as a one-day barbecue fundraiser, hosted by the Lake Wales Rotary Club and featuring a modest lineup of local musical acts. In 2021, the festival took a significant step forward by partnering with event producer Micah Davidson of Midwood Entertainment.
"We've come a long way since our first event," Ingley told Lake Wales News.net. "The community's support has been the backbone of our success, and we're thrilled to celebrate our 10th anniversary with such an incredible lineup. We can't wait to see what 2024 has in store for us and our attendees."
A portion of ticket proceeds from the weekend-long event helps to support the festival's nonprofit beneficiary, Blossom Charitable Foundation. The local organization works closely with groups such as Lake Wales Arts Council, Lake Wales Charter Schools, Lake Wales Pram Fleet, Warner University, and others, to distribute essential resources throughout the Lake Wales community, according to organizers.
"Our commitment to giving back to our community has been a driving force behind Orange Blossom Revue since its inception," says co-founder Reid Hardman. "It's incredible to see how this fundraiser for Blossom Charitable Foundation has positively impacted so many lives in Lake Wales and beyond."
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