Hopkinsville’s Summer Salute festival drew the largest two-day crowd in local festival history with an estimated 31,000 people coming to downtown Hopkinsville for the 6th annual event.
Jan Oglesby with the department of parks and recreation said previous attendance records were set in 2017 when 33,000 came to what was then a 3-day event. That year, Diamond Rio was the headliner, and the Solar Eclipse attracted visitors.
The previous two-day record was in 2019 when Joe Diffie headlined the festival with an estimated crowd of 30,000. Last year’s event with country star Travis Tritt brought in approximately 24,000 people following 2020’s cancellation due to COVID.
This year, 70s music group KC and the Sunshine Band headlined on Saturday night. Canada native Cassandra, an independent artist in Nashville, opened for KC on the Main Stage.
Oglesby also said the festival exceeded its goal with over 100 merchants and food vendors, an expanded Kids Zone, and three free concerts.
Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tab Brockman said KC and the Sunshine Band on the main stage was the difference in 2022.
click to download audioBrockman said plans are already in the works for the 2023 Summer Salute Festival scheduled for August 25-26 of next year.
Formerly known as Little River Days and held in mid-May for 34 years, the parks and rec department rebranded the event to the Summer Salute in 2016 and moved it to the end of August.
