Offering fun and entertainment for all ages, Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival is partnering with the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC) to host a Battle of the Bands for high school acts during its upcoming pep rally. Pilgrimage Festival is scheduled for September 24 and 25 at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, TN, and the winning band will get the chance to perform during this year's event on Sunday, September 25 at 12:15pm CT.

To qualify for the contest, the majority of each aspiring band must be enrolled in Williamson County Schools. Participating acts can submit their entries now through 12pm CT on Friday, September 9. The two finalists will be announced on Monday, September 12 and will both win a Gibson swag bag. They will then have a live showdown at the Pilgrimage Festival pep rally on Saturday, September 17 for the ultimate prize -- a performance slot at Pilgrimage Festival. The pep rally will take place at the EIC from 5pm-8pm complete with games, food and drinks, and of course, entertainment will be provided by the Battle of the Bands.

"Students at Williamson County School’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC) have been tasked with providing creative content for this year’s Pilgrimage Festival," shares EIC Executive Director Jeremy Qualls. "One might question the benefit of asking high school students what they can contribute to a music festival that already brings 25,000 people to Franklin, TN. The 200+ EIC students have proven that their unconventional and inventive ideas have been nothing short of amazing. The power of the program and this partnership was evident when students came in during the summer months to begin working on this project. This project will provide students with real life experiences in logistics, marketing, content creation, and problem solving."

The Battle of the Bands contest is conducted through Williamson County Schools. For more information, contact [email protected]. The EIC is located at 104 Claude Yates Dr. Franklin, TN 37064.  

The winning band will join this year's stacked Pilgrimage Festival lineup, featuring headliners Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jon Batiste and The Avett Brothers plus additional performers like Lake Street Dive, Elle King, Lennon Stella, Trampled by Turtles, Dawes, Better Than Ezra, Marty Stuart, Celisse, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Butch Walker, Brittney Spencer, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Adia Victoria, Bones Owens, Jensen McRae and many more. 

Last week, Pilgrimage Festival announced its list of food and beverage vendors for this year's event including over two dozen food options as well as premier beverage partners, and on Tuesday, the event revealed its list of Makers Village vendors and local retailers, with even more exciting announcements to come ahead of the festival.

Two-day GA passes, two-day VIP passes and single-day tickets for Pilgrimage Festival are on sale now, and you can purchase tickets here. 

 

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ABOUT THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION CENTER:
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC) offers a unique opportunity for students in ninth through twelfth grades to gain hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and innovation by starting a business, launching a product, or offering a service. Accepted students attend the EIC part-time each day with the opportunity to gain high school credit through four unique entrepreneurship courses guided by mentors from Williamson County and middle Tennessee businesses. The EIC allows students with every interest, from every grade level to develop entrepreneurship skills in real-life scenarios. At the end of the school year, students compete in a live Shark Tank-style competition for seed money to further their business. To learn more about the EIC, click here.

ABOUT PILGRIMAGE MUSIC & CULTURAL FESTIVAL:
Founded by Better Than Ezra singer and Franklin resident Kevin Griffin, W. Brandt Wood and Michael Whelan, Pilgrimage Festival is dedicated to supporting local creators of all kinds including chefs, artisans, jewelers, brewers and more. Beyond music, Pilgrimage Festival features historic music cities sharing their stories at the Americana Music Triangle Experience, local craftsmen selling their wares in Makers Village, a food truck park with some of the area's best culinary offerings on wheels, beers on tap at the Craft Beer Hall and Pilgrimage Festival's Culinary Program, which boasts local and regional restaurants and cafes.