Country music fans will gather Dec. 7 and 8 in Chumuckla for music, bull riding and calf roping at the annual BonfireJam.
Sponsored by companies including Mediacom and Budweiser, the two-day event will feature performances by country music superstars Clint Black, Gretchen Wilson and Jana Kramer as well as appearances by several Country Music Television reality stars.
According to Nicole Pope Gaia, a publicist for the festival, the weekend will be a celebration of the culture surrounding country music instead of a series of concert performances.
The festivities begins Friday with championship calf roping: tying a young cow’s legs together as quickly as possible. Gara said the BonfireJam competition offers the largest winner’s purse east of the Mississippi. This year’s purse is about $20,000.
After, professional risk-takers, like “Sweet Home Alabama” reality star Cody Harris, compete in the bull riding competition. Harris competed for love on the first season of “Sweet Home Alabama,” a Bachelorette-style show on CMT, but he ultimately walked away single.
Friday’s events will end with a 9 p.m. concert by country music sweetheart and “One Tree Hill” actress Jana Kramer.
Chumuckla’s famous Redneck Christmas Parade will kick off Saturday’s events. Although, according to the 2010 Census, Chumuckla has 850 citizens, thousands attend the parade every year. According to the event’s website, the parade will include cow patty bingo, a greased pig contest and a frying pan toss.
The festival will end with a performance by Clint Black at 6 p.m. and by Gretchen Wilson at 8 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at www.bonfirejam.com. A two-day pass costs $32.50, and camping tickets cost $100.
