Back in 1983, a couple of families got together and argued over who had the best Spiedie recipe in Binghamton. And so was born Spiedie Fest.

If you don’t know what they are, Spiedies are small pieces of marinated meat (lamb, chicken, pork or beef) that can be skewered and then grilled. To put an end to their friendly rivalry, the families held the first Spiedie Fest Cooking Contests in 1983 and 1984. After a successful contest in 1984, a small committee formed and it was decided to create the first Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally at Otsiningo Park with about 5 hot air balloons, some local music and a small children’s area. The goal was simple, to host a safe, fun, affordable event that our community would be proud of. The first year 4,000 people showed up.

Fast forward to present day and Spiedie Fest has grown to over 100,000 in yearly attendance and although the fest has exploded, the philosophy remains the same as it was in 1984: to provide a safe, fun and affordable weekend for our community.

98.1 The Hawk is proud to be part of the 2014 Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally and extremely excited to welcome Cole Swindell and Kristian Bush of Sugarland on Sunday August 3rd at 2pm. Cassidy Lynn (who co-wrote "Ball Cap" by Glen Templeton) and Kaitlyn Jackson who appeared on this last season of American Idol will open the show. Cole and Kristian will co-headline.

Cole Swindell was working as a merchandise seller for Luke Bryan, but he didn’t want to stay behind the scenes forever. He wanted to break out and become a star in his own right. So, Cole carefully watched every move Luke made- and poured what he learned into the songs he was writing. Eventually the right people noticed Cole’s talents and gave him a chance and it’s only been up from there. The list of songs Cole has written includes Thomas Rhett's hit song "Get Me Some of That.” Cole also co-wrote Florida Georgia Line's "This Is How We Roll" with Luke Bryan.

I had the chance to see Cole open for Luke Bryan on Valentine’s Day in Wilkes-Barre and he puts on a great show. Take a peek:

Kristian Bush is best known for being half of the band Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles. As a member of Sugarland, Kristian picked up trophies from the Grammys, American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, CMT Awards and CMA Awards. Kristian has won six BMI Awards for his songwriting abilities and has written for artists such as Laura Bell Bundy, Matt Nathanson, Lucy Hale, Laren Alaina and many more. My bet is that Kristian will perform this song when he’s at Spiedie Fest. A song he and Jennifer Nettles wrote together before they made it big.

Tickets for the Hawk's Sunday concert with Cole Swindell and Kristian Bush of Sugarland go on sale Friday June 6th and will be $20 per person. Tickets can be purchased at MaineSource Food and Party Warehouse, Weis Markets and here.

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