4/1/2008
Bluegrass music is Hawks Nest State Park's April 19 dinner theater offering, featuring Lost Cannon Bluegrass Band, based out of Fayetteville. The band takes its name from local legend of the confederate cannon of Cotton Hill. The band members have more than 40 years of musical experience and play traditional bluegrass, with a blend of old-time, new and some gospel thrown into the mix. Willa Grafton, program director at Hawks Nest State Park, says, "You will hear three part harmony backed up by the mandolin, guitar, banjo and electric bass. They have played at The Greenbrier, Tamarack, on the Mississippi River Boat Queen, and several of West Virginia's state parks."
Grafton is pleasantly surprised at the response the park is attracting for its winter dinner theater program, including "A Tribute to Elvis," scheduled the evening of April 4 and a matinee on April 5. "Franky Dee's performance shakes like nobody's business. Elvis is as popular today as he was when I was a kid." The decision to include a Sunday matinee has been popular.
Grafton's experimentation to take dinner theaters beyond the theater realm has met other successes this year. The Celtic music of Timothy Seaman and the jazz quartet from the WV Symphony in late winter pushed the boundaries of traditional dinner theaters. "We had good attendance for quality entertainment and a great dinner that met guest's interests. That's what state parks do best "“ offer programs to enjoy a particular interest in perhaps not so ordinary a setting."
An overnight package is $152, double occupancy, and includes dinner and entertainment, golf (weather permitting), breakfast and gift shop discounts. Bluegrass (theater only) is$41.26 per person and includes dinner and entertainment. Taxes and gratuities are included in package prices.
Hawks Nest State Park is located in Ansted in Fayette County on U.S. Route 60, minutes away from the New River Gorge Bridge. The aerial tram will be opening weekends in May as the park prepares for a summer season of visitors to one of the state's most memorable views.
The last two dinner theaters at West Virginia State Parks for spring are: North Bend State Park with A Groovy Kind of Murder at North Bend State Park, April 26 (dinner theater) and April 27 matinee and again at Tygart Lake on May 2. Dinner Trains begin at Cass Railroad in late May. For more information about events at West Virginia State Parks, go online to www.wvstateparks.com and click on Calendar of Events or Dinner Theaters.
Contact Information
Willa Grafton
(304) 658-5121
willagrafton@wvdnr.gov