Huck Finn Jubilee Finds Permanent Home in Ontario, California
(PRWEB) January 08, 2014 -- Strap on your banjo and stock up the tackle box. Huck Finn’s Jubilee is alive and well and making its permanent home in Ontario, California.
Following a successful event at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park in June 2013, organizers of the nationally known bluegrass festival asked the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau to assume ownership of the show to ensure that it endures and grows long into the future. The CVB, through its Route 66 Reunion 501(c) 3, acquired Huck Finn Jubilee with plans to expand on the event while preserving its popular, homespun traditions.
Huck Finn’s Jubilee is an annual three-day celebration of old Americana, featuring bluegrass and country music, old time-themed activities and contests, fishing, camping, frog-jumping, raft-building, living history displays and everything Huck Finn. Held every Father’s Day weekend, it is billed as one of the largest bluegrass festivals west of the Mississippi, drawing visitors from throughout the United States. Visit http://www.huckfinn.com for information.
“The Huck Finn Jubilee has been a family-owned and operated music festival for 37 years,” said Brian Tucker, son of event founder Don Tucker, who passed away in 2012. “My sister and I grew up with this unique festival our parents created. It’s a huge part of our family culture and we are happy to have found an organization that is sensitive to keeping the spirit and traditions of Huck Finn intact.”
Originally held at Mojave Narrows Regional Park, the Tucker family decided last year to make a fresh start by moving the festival to Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park in Ontario. “The emotional ties to Mojave Narrows were too great an obstacle for our family to overcome but we are happy the move brought us to a supportive city and lead us to an organization that can keep Huck Finn’s Jubilee – our father’s legacy – alive for generations to come. It was the right decision, but that doesn’t mean it was easy,” daughter Bree Tucker said.
Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park brought fresh levels of enthusiasm and excitement to the festival, with a show area lush with green grass, bountiful trees and two stocked lakes for fishing. As an added bonus to traditional camping, the park is surrounded by a variety of hotels; it offers quick and easy access from the I-10 freeway, Ontario International Airport and also includes pedal boating, a playground, a zero-depth water play park and swim lagoon with water slides.
In a recent interview, Barbara Tucker, wife of the late event creator said, “We want to thank all of you for being such an important part of our lives, as Don would say, it’s been a great ride. We encourage you to continue your involvement in Huck Finn’s Jubilee, and hope you will be a part of this wonderful celebration of old Americana each and every Father’s Day weekend.”
Michael Krouse, President and CEO of the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the region looks forward to being a permanent part of the Huck Finn celebration. “Our goal is to keep the same longstanding traditions intact, but to enhance the show year-to-year with new features and headliner entertainment that will heighten its popularity and expand its attraction to new audiences,” he said.
About the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau provides groups and meeting professionals with an unbiased, comprehensive resource when booking a tour, convention, meeting or event within the cities of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Ideal for both leisure and business travel, the region boasts scenic mountains, deserts, vineyards and metropolitan areas that are both historic and cosmopolitan in character. For meeting needs of all sizes – from a conference room to a citywide convention utilizing the Ontario Convention Center – or for a special exposition or sporting event, the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau will provide the necessary destination support tools to execute a successful experience. Visit http://www.discoverontariocalifornia.org.
About the Route 66 Reunion
Route 66 Reunion is a 501(c) 3 established by the Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau to promotes The Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion, a three-day celebration of America’s love affair with the automobile and its world-famous highway, Route 66, and other major events in the region.
Michael Krouse, Greater Ontario Convention & Vistors Bureau, http://www.discoverontariocalifornia.org, +1 909-937-3000, [email protected]
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