by
Herald Staff
Hazard Herald (Ky)

Cris Ritchie | Herald file photo
Chad Warrix and David Tolliver, formerly of Halfway to Hazard, performed before thousands of people during the 2009 Crockettsville Charity Concert.
slideshow
CROCKETTSVILLE – It was 2008 when Chad Warrix and David Tolliver first set foot on the cedar stage on a family farm in Breathitt County, hosting what would become an annual charity concert which ultimately raised thousands of dollars for the nearby Buckhorn Children's Center.
Now, five years later, the Halfway to Hazard duo is back and set to rock the stage again this coming weekend, in what is being billed as “Crockettsville V” and will again raise money for a worthy cause.
The Crockettsville concert annually serves as one of the best attended events in the region, and that’s expected to continue this year with several celebrities slated to appear, including Montgomery Gentry, Halfway to Hazard, Keith Anderson and Christian Kane among several others.
The event pairs the concert on Saturday with a 42-mile trail ride the following day. Last year Warrix made note of the all-volunteer effort, and how organizers work to bring something a little different to add value for the fans who attend.
“We are just really proud of this whole event,” Warrix said. “It’s just homegrown and all volunteers and everyone is just giving back as much as they can, and I am just really proud to be a part of it. It’s just a lot of fun and we hope to do it for years to come.”
Crockettsville V will begin on Saturday, September 8 at the Abner Farm, just across the Perry/Breathitt line on Highway 315. The motorcross will begin at noon, with the first performer on the stage at 1:30 p.m.
Since the first concert in 2008, the event at Crockettsville has raised nearly $500,000 for the Buckhorn Children’s Center. Warrix, a Breathitt County native, commented that being able to donate to local causes like the children’s center is why he and Tolliver, a Knott County native, wanted to host the annual event.
“It’s always been extremely important to us to give back to our local community,” Warrix said in a statement. “And with Crockettsville V, we’re able to get all of our friends together and have a blast while doing it!”
Janet Smith helps organize the events at Crockettsville each year, and said the upcoming weekend will offer something for everyone, from a children’s area with inflatables to the motorcross stunt team and a mud bog. There will also be food vendors on-site, and the gates will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Sunday’s trail ride will also include several of the performers, Smith noted, and will depart from Crockettsville at 10 a.m. Registration for the ride will begin at 8 a.m. Sunday morning and end at 9:30. The ride will include a parade through the children’s center in Buckhorn before moving on to the trailhead.
Smith said organizers are expecting a large crowd this year, and have had response from several states including Pennsylvania and Michigan, and even internationally from Canada.
“We just want everybody to come out and have a good time,” Smith said. “We think it’s going to be a really great event.”
Entry fees for Saturday’s activities are $10 per person, and $25 per carload. To participate in the celebrity trail ride on Sunday, the cost is $20 per carload, or $5 per rider. The farm can also accommodate camping, and RVs are also welcome, according to the Crockettsville V website. There is a $50 overnight camping fee, which also includes four concert tickets.
For more information about Crockettsville V, log on to www.crockettsville.com, or call 1-866-618-1774.