PICKENS — The Papa John Foster Memorial Music Festival promises to be a day of great music that benefits a great local cause.

The festival is slated for Saturday, March 28 at the Willow Creek Ranch in Dacusville.

Preserving Our Southern Appalachian Music (POSAM) is sponsoring the concert, with all proceeds going to benefit the Young Appalachian Musicians program, which teaches young students to play bluegrass music.

Gates open at 10 a.m. and the music begins at 11 a.m. and will run until 6 p.m. or later.

“We’ve got a lot of folks jammed in there in that amount of time,” said Mickey Corbett with POSAM.

The festival line-up is a mixture of veterans and those just starting out in music, he said.

“We’re very excited about Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys,” Corbett said.

The Bluegrass Boys’ original line-up will reunite for the festival, as will local favorite Oolenoy Valley.

Dixie Bluegrass Boy Al Osteen is a YAM instructor, Corbett said.

“We’re very fortunate to have him,” Corbett said. “He’s one of the best banjo players in the country,” he said.

The line-up also features Heaven’s Echoes, Mountain View, City Limits, Northern Border and Osteen and Friends.

The YAM program began at Holly Springs Elementary School and rapidly grew to other local schools.

YAM students from Holly Springs and Pickens Middle School will take the stage and show off their talents throughout the day, Corbett said.

“It’d be very nice to add another school to the program,” he said. “We have several schools interested in being part of YAM.”

Organizers hope the festival will raise enough money to allow another school to become part of the program.

“We need about 1,000 people in attendance to be able to generate enough money to add another school,” Corbett said.

The festival is named in memory of Papa John Foster, a great supporter of bluegrass music.

“He was a very special guy,” Corbett said. “He was so supportive and encouraging to all the kids at Oolenoy.”

Foster, who until his wife’s death traveled with her to bluegrass festivals all over the country, began traveling once more when his granddaughter expressed an interest in bluegrass and mountain music.

Foster’s granddaughter keeps that tradition alive as a member of Oolenoy Valley, Corbett said.

“I think of Amanda Foster as probably the first YAM,” Corbett said. “What we’re trying to do with the YAMS is what he did with Amanda, we’re trying to show them the same kind of support and give them the same kind of atmosphere he gave her. That’s why we honored his memory by naming the festival after him.”

Willow Creek Ranch is approximately 10 miles north of Easley. Take SC 135 from Easley and 2.9 miles north of the SC 186 crossroads turn right onto Dalton Road. The entrance to the festival is one-half mile on the right. In case of inclement weather the festival will be moved to the Barn at Table Rock State Park.

“We’re very hopeful that we don’t have to change the location,” Corbett said. “We’re watching the weather pretty closely.

Advance tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for children under 12, and may be purchased at Horizon Records in Greenville, Music Maker in Easley, Jimmy Rogers House of Music in Seneca and Phil's Music In Greer, SC, and at Dacusville Tire.

Tickets will also be available at the gate for $10 and $5.

Concessions will include BBQ, hot dogs, funnel cakes, cakes and cookies, soft drinks and coffee. Bring your own chairs. No alcohol, no coolers, no pets allowed.

For further information about the festival call 864.878.4257 or email posam_info@yahoo.com.