You will be redirected to the page you want to view in seconds.

BonfireJam burns brighter

Chumuckla country fest expands to two fun-filled days this year

8:19 PM, Dec. 6, 2012

Written by

Julio Diaz

Filed Under

Zoom

Tickets and information

• General admission, today only: $18.50.
• General admission, Saturday only: $20.
• General admission, weekend: $32.50.
• General admission plus two-day reserved: $45.
• Premium reserved seating: $35.
• Free admission for children ages 10 and younger.
• All tickets must be exchanged for wristbands at the event.
• Advanced tickets available at www.bonfirejam.com and at area Walgreens stores.
• Parking is free today. Saturday, parking is free for those who arrive before 1 p.m.; $5 per car after. No overnight parking will be permitted.

Schedule

Today

• 11 a.m.: Books open for calf roping.
• 1 p.m.: Calf roping begins.
• 3 p.m.: Gates open for bull riding show.
• 7 p.m.: Bull riding show begins.
• 9 p.m.: Jana Kramer performs.
Saturday

• 11 a.m.: Box office opens.
• 1 p.m.: Chumuckla Redneck Christmas Parade.
• 3 p.m.: Gates open.
• 6 p.m.: Clay Walker performs.
• 8 p.m.: Gretchen Wilson performs.

Clay Walker

BonfireJam attendees may have been expecting Clint Black this year, but the news that Clay Walker will be pinch-hitting in his place can in no way be seen as a disappointment. A steady presence on country radio and the charts for nearly two decades, Walker has topped the charts with hits such as “What’s It To You,” “Live Until I Die,” “Rumor Has It” and “Dreaming With My Eyes Open.” He’s even crossed over to success on the mainstrean Hot 100 chart with hits like “You’re Beginning to Get Me” and “The Chain of Love.”

Gretchen Wilson

Who better to perform at BonfireJam, given its connection to Chumuckla’s Redneck Christmas Parade, than the “Redneck Woman” herself? Gretchen Wilson’s debut single, “Redneck Woman,” won a Grammy and topped the country charts, and remains her signature song. Wilson’s other hits include “Here For the Party,” “When I Think About Cheatin’.” “Homewrecker” and “All Jacked Up.”

The bonfire in Chumucka is roaring higher and burning longer this year.

BonfireJam, the country music festival created by Joe Lewis to coincide with Chumuckla’s legendary Redneck Christmas Parade, has expanded to two days in its third year. And it’s expanded to more than just music, too. Today’s events include calf roping and professional bull riding. The day also will feature freestyle bull fighting, cowboy poker, rodeo clowns, a fireworks show and appearances by CMT reality show stars from “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Southern Nights,” including Cody Harris, Bubba Thompson, Courtney Wilkerson, Tristan Smith and Kristina Kraus.

Still, the main focus is the music, and this year features an exceptional lineup, with rising country star Jana Kramer performing tonight, and two proven hitmakers, Clay Walker and Gretchen Wilson, taking the stage Saturday. Walker was an eleventh-hour replacement for Clint Black, who dropped out of the show after the death of his father earlier this week.

For more information, visit www.bonfirejam.com.