Churchill unveils new summer music festival

Churchill Downs Inc. and its new wholly owned subsidiary, Churchill Downs

Entertainment Group, Monday unveiled a significant three-day summer music

festival that will showcase more than 65 bands, including the Grammy

Award-winning Bon Jovi, country music phenomenon Kenny Chesney, and Grammy

Award-winning Dave Matthews Band, at the world-famous home of the Kentucky Derby

(G1) on July 23-25, 2010.

Designed to be an annual event, the "HullabaLOU Music Festival" will feature

a wide range of artists that blend the sounds of classic rock, country, adult

contemporary and bluegrass on five stages throughout the sprawling 147-acre

facility.

"CDE plans to introduce a variety of live entertainment concepts that provide

exciting and innovative entertainment options for our customers and that fit

with our management team's core competencies, including the operation and

monetization of large-scale, live events," CDE President Steve Sexton said. "Our

first major project is the HullabaLOU Music Festival, which will be a great

springboard for CDE-branded entertainment.

"With Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, and Dave Matthews Band as headliners, we have

an extraordinary lineup of musical artists who will be performing against the

backdrop of the iconic Twin Spires at Churchill Downs.

"We believe that fantastic combination will offer a one-of-a-kind experience

for music fans, and we anticipate that the HullabaLOU Music Festival will become

the premier music festival in this region, and an important summer destination

for music lovers for years to come."

Other musical acts scheduled to appear include Zac Brown Band, Steve Miller

Band, Gladys Knight, Jason Aldean, The Doobie Brothers, Al Green, Dwight Yoakam,

Michael McDonald, Loretta Lynn, Colbie Caillat, Steppenwolf, The Black Crowes,

Kansas, B52s, Gloriana, 38 Special, The O'Jays, War, Richard Marx, Gov't Mule,

Joan Osborne, Musiq Soulchild, Taj Mahal, Sam Bush, Chrisette Michele and many

more. A complete list of confirmed performers is available online at the event

website, www.hullabaloufest.com. 

"The performers scheduled to appear at HullabaLOU will instantly put the

event on the map of major music festivals in the country, and be one of the top

festival entertainment options in 2010," said Quint Davis, producer/director of

the world-famous Jazz Fest in New Orleans and consulting producer of HullabaLOU. 

Ticket packages, which range from $60 for a one-day general admission pass to

$975 for a three-day VIP package, will go on sale Friday at noon (EST) and can

be purchased online at www.hullabaloufest.com and www.ticketmaster.com and at

all Ticketmaster outlets, including select Kroger locations, or by calling (800)

745-3000.

HullabaLOU, which could have an estimated economic impact of $38 million to

the Greater Louisville, Kentucky, area, is positioned almost three months after

the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 1, and some three weeks after the

conclusion of Churchill Downs' 42-day Spring Meet on July 4.

Out of town HullabaLOU guests can secure hotel accommodations by visiting

www.hullabaloufest.com and clicking the "Travel Information" icon.

High-profile concerts are nothing new to Churchill Downs. In 2006, the

Rolling Stones played under the Twin Spires followed by The Police in 2007.