Hogtown Goes Opry on May 20th

Press release from Hogtown Opry

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The inaugural event of Hogtown Opry kicks off on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the historic University Auditorium at 333 Newell Drive, located next to the bell tower on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. Gainesville actor Gregg Jones will be Master of Ceremonies.

What’s FIRST NIGHT at Hogtown Opry, Gainesville, on May 20, you ask? Imagine a Florida Opry if it were starting in 2023 – more than a concert, a musical experience, with three bands plus great guest players, both regional and national, and a focus on original songs – bluegrass, roots, Americana – and well-loved standards in a beautiful historic auditorium.

Opening the show will be the Hogtown Opry Band (otherwise known as Patchwork Plus). Leader Cathy DeWitt joins fellow crooners Jolene Jones, Annie McPherson, Janet Rucker, and invited guests including Brink Brinkman on guitar, Geof Perry on violin/fiddle, and Maggie Rucker on vocals to join in the fun. Special guests Nancy Luca and Anna Marie Kirkpatrick will join the band to close the set.

After intermission, it’s time to sit back and enjoy award-winning Wil Maring and Robert Bowlin. The duo combines their talents and blends elements to create their signature sound, which includes old-time, bluegrass, jazz, blues, Celtic, and country.

Completing the evening will be Grammy award winner Louisa Branscomb, backed by guitar master Allen Shadd, Josh Harris, bass favorite Barbara Johnson, with emerging artist Lucy Becker on vocals and fiddle, and special guests Valerie Smith and Joe Zauner stepping in, too! 

A brainchild of Gainesville music visionary Bill Killeen, the night promises elements of the raucous and the sublime in musical entertainment.

FIRST NIGHT of Hogtown Opry tickets range from $40 to $60. Tickets are available through the University of Florida Ticket Office at https://performingarts.ufl.edu/events/hogtown-opry-first-night/. VIP Orchestra seats are available by calling 352-392-2787.

The University Auditorium, originally known as the Memorial Auditorium and sometimes called the University of Florida Auditorium, is a historic building on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States.

For more information, visit hogtownopry.com.