Embrace Knoxville’s summer heat by attending the Salty Dog Seafood Festival on July 19. This festival will be held at World’s Fair Park on the performance lawn. This is the Salty Dog’s first festival in Knoxville and is planned to be an annual event every summer. At this three-day event, admission tickets are only $5.
Robin Roberts, from Middlefield Ohio, is the owner of the festival. Roberts spoke more about the history of the festival promoted by Robin Roberts Promotions.
“Salty Dog festival came to life after we did several seafood festivals in the state of Georgia and we then moved to Chattanooga and are in year two there,” Roberts said. We had a great turnout — over 85,000 visitors in year two.”
Roberts decided to change the scenery to Knoxville after his admiration of Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. Local businesses from Knoxville, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge sent donations for this event to use as prize packages for the casino night.
The name of the festival is unique and personal to Roberts. The Salty Dog is in remembrance of his own dog, named Salty Dog, who loved to splash around in the mudholes of his Ohio farm. The title includes “seafood” because of the delicious coastal foods several vendors will serve.
As you enter the festival, you will be surrounded by local and fresh seafood of all kinds. This event is famously known for its lobster which is cooked in numerous ways. Marge Davenport, Vice-President of Robin Roberts Promotions LLC, spoke more about the food.
“The food vendors will be bringing fresh seafood to Knoxville from the coastal areas of New Orleans, Mobile, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Delmarva Peninsula,” Davenport said. There will be seafood and non-seafood cuisines with Asian, Latin, Greek, Mexican, and traditional American offerings as well.”
In addition to the coastal cuisine, there will be many tasty drinks like tangy lemonade refreshments. For those who are of age, vendors are selling craft beers, wine, and signature cocktails.
There is something for everyone at this festival. For the kids, there will be fun face painting, bouncy houses along with several arts and craft stations. There will also be a petting zoo featuring goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks and more.
The adults can participate in the casino nights and enjoy the live music.
One headliner you don’t want to miss is Louisiana singer Dwayne Dopsie. He is a Grammy award-winning vocalist with a band that plays a New Orleans style of music. Davenport spoke more on the several types of music coming to Knoxville.
“There will be live music all weekend including a Grammy-nominated zydeco band from New Orleans, an Atlanta band that will get you dancing to Motown, beach, and soul oldies, and a Georgia country band, just to name a few,” Davenport said.
Not only will you get to enjoy the food and the scenery of the festival, but you will also benefit two charities: Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville and the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue.
Located in Knoxville, Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville provides a place that is as comforting as one’s own home for children undergoing treatment at neighboring hospitals.The admission tickets will help support this character as well as the Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue.
The Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue strives to rehabilitate animals and works to release them back into the wildlife safely. Robins spoke about the heartwarming feeling he gets from hosting a meaningful community event.
“Such a great network in each day seeing the love for the town in donation and hospitality,” Robins said.
