In this June 13, 2008 file photo, Willie Nelson arrives on stage to perform at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2008 in Manchester, Tenn. Nelson will headline the final day of DeLuna Fest, which will be presented free of charge. / AP file
More
An American icon is going "On the Road Again," and that road is leading him to a free concert on Casino Beach.
Music legend Willie Nelson will headline the Sunday lineup at DeLuna Fest, the three-day music festival set for Oct. 15-17 on Pensacola Beach.
The final day of the three-day festival will be presented free of charge thanks to $300,000 organizers received last week from the Escambia County Tourist Development Council. That money came from $25 million given to the State of Florida by BP in light of the Gulf oil spill.
Known as the "Red-Headed Stranger," Willie Nelson's career spans more than 50 years as a singer, songwriter, performer and actor. The winner of 10 Grammy Awards, his many hits include "On the Road Again," "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," "Always on My Mind" and "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain."
Nelson is no stranger to the Gulf Coast, however. He has performed several times at the Amphitheatre at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Ala., most recently on a triple-bill with Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp in July 2009. He's also no stranger to helping Pensacola recover from disasters, having performed a 2005 benefit for Rebuild Northwest Florida at the Pensacola Civic Center in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.
Organizers also announced the addition of New Orleans jazz legend Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers and New Orleans funk band Big Sam's Funky Nation to the bill for Oct. 17, and said they would be announcing 10 or more additional acts for the festival's free day in the near future, as contracts are signed.
Nick Bodkins, a partner in DeLuna Fest organizers Five Flags Tourism Group, was thrilled to announce the addition of Nelson to his festival's bill.
"We're so excited about Willie Nelson, giving back to the community with such an amazing artist, and we're even more excited about how well the entire lineup for Sunday is coming together," he said.
"Kermit Ruffins and Big Sam are legendary New Orleans entertainers, and we still have so many acts to announce, but this is going to be one of my favorite days of the festival, for sure."
Nelson fan Lindsey Dinsmore said the opportunity to see the Red-Headed Stranger perform live fulfills a childhood dream.
"The DeLuna Fest Facebook page posted a clue (before the official announcement), and from that, I knew Willie was a definite possibility," Dinsmore said. "From that point, my heart started racing and I was refreshing the page at least 15 times a minute so I would catch the announcement. When I saw it, I squealed so loudly I woke up my 19-month-old daughter from her nap. It's still a little hard to breathe."
Those who already have purchased tickets for the festival are guaranteed entry on Oct. 17 as a free day added on. Any weekend passes purchased going forward include Oct. 17 admission, as well.
For those who do not wish to purchase weekend passes, free tickets for Oct. 19 will be made available starting early in September on a first-come, first-served basis. As many as 50,000 free tickets will be distributed, including the weekend passes.
Headliners for the two paid days of DeLuna Fest include Stone Temple Pilots, Daughtry, 311, Bush, Dierks Bentley, 30 Seconds to Mars and Michael Franti & Spearhead.
Advanced weekend passes, which include admission to all three days of the festival and guarantee admission to the free third day, are available for $80 at www.deluna fest.com through Aug. 31. On Sept. 1, that price goes up to $90. Also on Sept. 1, single-day passes for the first two days of the festival will be made available at $47.50 each. Purchase of single-day tickets will not guarantee admission for the free day. Festival organizers expect to announce the daily festival lineup when single-day tickets go on sale.
Aside from the free day, which is being paid for by public money, the festival is largely supported by more than a dozen private sponsors including Sam's Club, Tom Thumb, Kona Longboard Beer, Drifter Pale Ale beer, the Pensacola News Journal, GoPensacola.com, MediaCom, Cox Communications, the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front, Hampton Inn, Land Shark and Bud Light.
