Department of Parks
Jesse Stuart Will Be Center Stage at Greenbo Lake Sept. 19-21

GREENUP, Ky. – The life and literary work of Kentucky Poet Laureate Jesse Stuart will be center stage at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park the weekend of Sept. 19-21, 2008.

Hosted by the park near Ashland, Ky., the weekend program is dedicated to the works and memory of the writer who hailed from nearby W-Hollow. The events begin Friday with a 1:30 pm hike through the Jesse Stuart Nature Preserve. The 714-acre preserve contains portions of Stuart’s original farm.

At 7:30 pm Friday, watch the one man drama, “Jesse Stuart,” written and portrayed by Lloyd Spears, an Elliot County attorney. The performance will be followed by a reception at 8:30 pm in the park’s main conference room.

Saturday’s program starts with a 9 am tour of W-Hollow, the land that inspired Stuart’s literary creations, and continues with a 1:15 pm tour of The Jesse Stuart Foundation in Ashland. Saturday’s events will be topped off with an evening performance of the world premiere of “A Penny’s Worth of Character” starting at 7 pm at the Greenbo Amphitheatre.

This play is a family musical freely adapted from “Kentucky Is My Land,” the famous junior book by Jesse Stuart. The script, lyrics, and concept were created by James William Rodgers. Original music was composed and arranged by Jay Flippin.

 “A Penny’s Worth of Character” also will be performed on Friday at 7 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm at the amphitheatre.  Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for Senior Citizens, and children 12 and under free.

Also throughout the weekend there will be performances of traditional mountain music, films available to watch, and expert evaluations of original editions of Stuart’s works.

Sponsors of Jesse Stuart Weekend include Greenup Growing through the Arts, the Jesse Stuart Foundation, the Tri State Foundation and the Woodlands Foundation. For all events at the Greenbo Amphitheatre, guests must bring their own seating. For more information contact Paul Verespy at 606-473-7324 or 800-325-0083.

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is on KY 1, 18 miles north of I-64 from the Grayson exit or 8 miles south of U.S. 23 (The Country Music Highway) on KY 1.  Greenbo Lake features the Jesse Stuart Lodge with 36 rooms, Gift Shop, and Anglers’ Cove Restaurant. The park has a 225 acre lake for boating and fishing, tennis courts, 25 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.  A newly renovated campground opened July 1.  Greenbo Amphitheatre features musical concerts and plays during the summer and fall.

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 53 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov.