One of Carter County’s biggest music events of the summer is set to return later this year as the 2026 Orange Army Bluegrass Festival takes place Thursday, July 30th through Saturday, August 1st at the Carter County Shrine Park in Olive Hill.
The three-day festival will feature continuous live bluegrass music, along with camping, RV hookups, food and craft vendors, hot showers, and plenty of opportunities for musicians and fans to gather for informal jam sessions throughout the weekend.
The entertainment gets underway on Thursday, July 30th, with performances by Open Highway, Silverdollar Band, Throwdown Thursday, The Cleverlys, and Keith Prater and Lacy Creek.
Music continues Friday, July 31st, featuring 23 South, Billie Renee and Cumberland Gap, Blue Debut, Lonesome Express, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Caleb Daugherty, and Pitney Meyer.
The festival wraps up on Saturday, August 1st, with a full day of entertainment from Harley Kelly, Jason and Tina King, Ironwood Drive, Ashleigh Graham, the Chris Davis Band, New Found Road, Brandon Rickman Family and Friends, and Hammertowne. A supper break and auction are also planned Saturday afternoon.
Weekend admission passes are available for one hundred dollars, with Thursday and Friday day passes priced at fifty dollars each. Children ages 13 through 18 can attend with a twenty-five dollar day pass, while children under 13 are admitted free. Camping passes for the event are also available.
Organizers say the Orange Army Bluegrass Festival has become a summertime tradition for music fans across the region, bringing nationally recognized performers together with outstanding local and regional talent for three days of family-friendly entertainment.
For ticket information, camping details, or a complete performance schedule, visit orangearmyfestival.com or call (859) 585-2280.
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Grayson Rural Electric says its system outage has largely been resolved, and all payment options are once again available for members following the disruptions experienced over the past week.
The utility says prepay members should now see updated account balances and meter usage. If you have questions about your balance or need help understanding your account, Member Service representatives are available to assist.
If you experience a power outage, you can report it by calling 800-562-3532 or by texting your outage to 55050. Keep in mind that outage texting requires prior account enrollment. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so by calling that same number.
Grayson Rural Electric is also reminding members that no late fees will be applied to accounts until after Saturday, August 1st. However, prepay electric service disconnects are scheduled to resume on Monday, July 27th.
The cooperative says it recognizes the inconvenience the outage has caused and is extending its sincere apologies to members for the disruptions over the past week. If you have questions about your account or need assistance, you’re encouraged to contact Grayson Rural Electric’s Member Services team.
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Today marks the final opportunity this week for residents in Eastern Carter County to take advantage of the county-wide clean-up campaign, as dumpsters will be available at the Carter County Maintenance Garage on US 60 until 2:30 p.m. The Solid Waste Department reminds all participants that dumpster access has now returned to its regular three-day weekly schedule and urges the public to follow the updated disposal guidelines.
A number of items will not be accepted, including refrigerators, deep freezers, televisions, household garbage, paint, tires, and batteries. In addition, all items must be either bagged or boxed — loose trash will not be collected.
The Carter County Clean-Up campaign operates on a rotating schedule, providing disposal opportunities for both the eastern and western ends of the county. After today’s event, dumpsters will return to the maintenance garage in Grayson from July 29th through 31st.
This valuable community service is made possible by the Carter County Solid Waste Department, who continue to support these efforts to keep our neighborhoods clean, safe, and beautiful. Let’s all do our part to keep Carter County looking its best.