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ROMP Fest To Bring Thousands To Owensboro This Week

ROMP, via Facebook

A four-day outdoor music festival that attracts thousands of visitors to west Kentucky is this week. 

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro hosts the annual ROMP Fest that begins on Wednesday and runs through Saturday. Headliners include Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless and Sam Bush. 

Hall of Fame and Museum Executive Director Chris Joslin says ROMP has a “tremendous” economic impact of an estimated $1.5 million or more to Owensboro. Advance ticket buyers come from 37 different states and six different countries, according to Joslin. “It’s definitely an opportunity for Owensboro to play host to people from all over the world,” he said.

Joslin said the ROMP Fest mission is unique compared to other festivals, “Romp Festival kind of separates from the pack. It's not just a musical festival, it’s music with a mission, because it is tied to the broader educational mission of The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Which is, you know, a music centric cultural center. So, it’s really tied unique to Kentucky in that way.”

Last year’s turnout was around 27,000 people and Joslin expects the same turnout this year. 

The Hall of Fame and Museum is holding free indoor activities, including showings of bluegrass music documentaries and artist meet and greets. 

Credit ROMP, via Facebook
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ROMP, via Facebook

Disclaimer: The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum is an underwriter on WKMS.

Hannah is a Murray State Journalism major. She found her place in radio during her second year in Murray. She is from Herndon, KY, a small farming community on the Kentucky/Tennessee stateline.
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