Two acrobat performers entertain a crowd at 2023’s Freedom Festival. This year’s event will be June 28-29 and July 5-6 in Vienna. (Photo Provided)

VIENNA — Now in its third year, Freedom Festival organizers are promising food, fun and friendship during this year’s event.

Two locations will host the festival this year: June 28-29 at Grand Central Mall and July 5-6 at Spencer’s Landing.

Friends of Vienna, the organizers, decided to separate some activities.

“We wanted people to not have to choose between going to the concerts and the rodeo,” treasurer Amanda Mott said. “They can go to both weekends if they want or one or the other.”

The festival will kick off Friday at noon with carnival rides and 10 food vendors. The vendors include: Leslie’s Grub Shack, Butcher Bend Autumn Festival, SnoBiz, Hangry’s, Munchie’s Donut Hut, Two Sisters Lemonade, Rhododendron Ice Cream, Convicted Pigs, Fat Cat Kettle Corn and the Little Stirr.

Don McLean performs during a taping of Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Rise Telethon Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

An actor playing Barney Fife from the Andy Griffith Show will perform at 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. Friends President Jack Mathers said the Cheesy Challenge Cook Off is canceled but another event may be planned in the fall.

The first night will include music with nine piece horn band Track 9 performing from 6:30-8 p.m., then a Jimmy Buffet tribute band, Changes In Latitude will go from 8:30-10 p.m. The drone light show will conclude the night 15 minutes later.

Mathers said he had seen a video on Youtube for the drone show and decided to make phone calls about it.

“I called Rick Modesitt. He said, ‘guess what. I just got off the phone with the drone company,'” he said.

On Saturday, an antique car and motorcycle show will open at 10 a.m., with the food craft vendors following at 11 a.m. Barney Fife will return for three shows.

Another returnee from last year is the vaudeville aerial acrobat show, performing at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

“We weren’t sure what to expect last year, but Craig (Metz, public works director) told me to look over and we saw the kids were laughing,” he said.

Another kid friendly activity is a balloon animal maker/juggler who will be walking around the festival from 2-8 p.m.

Dave Bray USA will open the concert portion Saturday night from 6:30-8:30 p.m. then “American Pie” rocker Don McLean will take the stage from 8:30-10 p.m.

Mott said the festival will have a section of roped off VIP seats set up in front of the stage for McLean. Those can be purchased for $25 each.

“We’ve sold 98 of those so far,” Mott said. “The rest of the seating will be general admission, where people bring their own chairs.”

Fireworks will conclude the first weekend after McLean’s performance.

The Spencer’s Landing activities in July will be announced later.

Mathers said it takes almost a year’s worth of work to bring the festival to life. Mott added that there’s many aspects she didn’t think about prior to being on the Friends of Vienna board.

Another priority for the board was to keep costs down for the community to enjoy the event. However, food and craft vendors will be present, along with a silent auction.

“We’ll have four tickets for the WVU-Penn State game for bid, some gift baskets, and a painting by Don Whitlach,” Mathers said. “The winners will be announced Saturday night.”

Mott said credit and debit cards will be accepted for winners of the silent auction to pay for their item, which is new this year.

Kristen Hainkel can be reached at khainkel@newandsentinel.com