Raising money with mountain music

Money from ticket sales at Saturday’s bluegrass show in Upton won’t go to musicians.

Instead, the money will benefit community events and charities supported by the Upton Masonic Lodge, sponsors of the show.

The lodge feeds families in need during the holidays, among other causes. Some proceeds from Saturday’s show are planned to help a family that recently lost two children and a home in a house fire, said C.J. Lewandowski of Elizabethtown, lodge member, musician and organizer of the event.

The organization hosted a similar show a year ago for tornado relief at Freeman Lake Park in Elizabethtown.

Lewandowski said members wanted to put on an indoor bluegrass show in Upton to bring some excitement to the community and raise money for good causes.

The Upton Community Center offered free use of the facility, and bluegrass artists are coming from as far as Ohio, Illinois and Virginia to perform as volunteers, he said.

“It’s been fairly good,” he said. “A lot of people are supporting it.”

The 5 p.m. concert is at the community center on College Street.

It features Firebox from Effingham, Ill., and Floyd’s Fork Ramblers from Shepherdsville. On the Level, a band that consists mostly of lodge members, also is scheduled to perform.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 11 to 17 and free for 10 years old and younger.

Sponsoring a bluegrass show is a great idea because Kentucky is the home of the style and the man considered to be its father, Lewandowski said.

That’s one reason Lewandowski moved to Kentucky from Missouri.

“Bluegrass is part of the culture around here,” he said.

Organizers hope to repeat the event if it’s successful.

Amber Coulter can be reached at (270) 505-1746 or acoulter@thenewsenterprise.com.