Wild River Days in Charleston
In Charleston, Tennessee, folks are getting ready for a big celebration that's half history and half Hollywood!
Saturday the town will commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the movie classic, "Wild River" and its release. It's Charleston's first ever Wild River Days - a free festival that organizers hope will turn into an annual event to remember when Hollywood came to the banks of the Hiwassee River.
* 10 a.m. Charleston / Calhoun Community Choir with Connie Scotten
* 11 a.m. The Myles Howard Family
* noon 2X2 Quartet
* 1 p.m. Rightpath Bluegrass
* 2 p.m. Master's Messengers
* 3 p.m. Stronger For It
* 4:30 p.m Ron Winningham
* 6 p.m. Collins Brothers Band
The Collins Brothers Band (of Cleveland) will headline the festivities on Saturday, June 5th, and will take the stage at Charleston Park at 6 p.m.
The Collins Brothers have shared the stage with such legends as Ronnie Milsap, T. Graham Brown, Earl Thomas Conley, Gene Watson, John Anderson, John Conlee and Billy Joe Royal. They have also played with many of today's Nashville stars like Andy Griggs, Darryl Worley, Jessica Andrews, Montgomery-Gentry, Phil Stacey, Jimmy Wayne, Steve Aszar, Aaron Tippin, Trick Pony, The Clark Brothers, Confederate Railroad and Charlie Robison.
"Wild River" was the first major motion picture filmed entirely in Tennessee and was mostly filmed in Charleston, on the Hiwassee River, and at locations in Cleveland. The movie starred Montgomery Clift, Lee Remick, Jo Van Fleet and many local citizens of Bradley County.
Food vendors will be set up in the Charleston Park throughout the day offering a variety of food item, snacks and treats.
A vintage car show along Market Street will feature pre-WWII cars and especially cars from the 1930’s era depicted in the movie. The “stars” of the car show are two cars used in the movie that are still locally owned. Cars will be displayed from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Charleston’s Market Street will be closed to through traffic.
Also along Market Street, or Old Hwy 11, festival goers will find the old downtown of Charleston where many of the scenes in the movie were filmed. Local author and Wild River researcher David Swafford will have movie photos and facts displayed at the old gas station, barber shop and other set locations.
Market Street is also known as the “concrete highway” and this stretch in Charleston, also along Water Street, was completed in 1927 and recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places. A special dedication of the concrete highway will take place at 2 p.m. during the Wild River Days festival.
Wild River, will be shown continuously throughout the day at Watson’s Chapel AME Zion with the first showing beginning at 10:30 a.m. and featuring a question and answer session afterward with local residents who were in the movie. The movie will play continuously after the panel discussion.
Shuttles will run continuously from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. from the Charleston festival to Wild River Retreat on Upper River Road. Retreat owners John and Karen Heifner will offer free pole-operated ferry rides to Coon Denton Island featured in the movie. The Hiwassee Antique Tractor Club will run free hay rides around the island. Music will be presented all day on the front porch of one of the houses used in the movie, also located at the Wild River Retreat.
Catch remaining celebration activities including the "Wild River" exhibit at the Museum Center at 5ive Points, running now through July 3rd.
