‘Thank you for music.’ Wynonna Judd and The Big Noise rock Palmetto’s Fourth Fest

The 10th annual Fourth Fest welcomed crowds to Sutton Park for a day of patriotic celebration, live music and fireworks.

After last year’s festival was canceled because of COVID-19, organizers and festival goers alike were happy to be back in 2021.

“Being a true resident of Palmetto, it’s always been a part of our tradition,“ said Errol Bryant.

Though Tropical Storm Elsa grew closer to the Florida peninsula on Sunday, the weather was clear and sunny for the event.

His Country, a duo made up of Palmetto police Sgt. Duane Kauffman and wife Dee Kauffman, were the first act of the evening and got the crowd warmed up with sweet and simple renditions of country hits.

The Big Noise, Wynonna Judd’s backing band led by her husband, Cactus Moser, came next with an opening set of jam-laden blues rock.

James Broun, a local real estate agent and admitted blues lover who was among the crowd, pulled out a harmonica and played along with a song.

“I’m a big fan of this kind of music,” Broun said.

Elsewhere in the park, crowds lined up for ice cream, snow cones, hot dogs, barbecue and other goodies from local food vendors.

In a break between acts, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant took the stage with commissioners Sheldon Jones, Brian Williams and Tamara Cornwell to offer a salute to veterans. Leah Roddenberry, the newly-crowned Miss Florida and a Manatee County native, led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the performance of the national anthem by U.S. Army veteran Gary Masengale.

The moment many in the crowd had been waiting for happened soon after as country icon Wynonna Judd joined The Big Noise on stage.

Judd and the four-piece band delivered an eclectic set of blues, rock and country tunes, including some material from Wynonna’s days performing with her mother Naomi as The Judds. Songs like “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days)“ had the crowd singing along, while some of Judd’s newer, bluesier material had them up dancing.

Judd expressed gratitude for the fans who stuck with her over the years and for being able to perform once again after the hardship of COVID-19. The artist said that she was out of performance work for 15 months during the pandemic, but connecting with fans via live streams helped get her through. One gracious fan yelled out to Judd in thanks for the performances.

“Thank you Lord for Florida,” Judd said in between songs. “Thank you for a job. Thank you for music. It encourages us through the storm.”

Judd noted that playing again is a miracle of another kind for her husband Moser, who lost a leg after a motorcycle accident and has relearned to play drums with a prosthetic limb.

The crowd seemed to share the enthusiasm for Judd’s repeated advice to not give up in the face of hardship.

Locals continued to pile into the park as the band played on and the hour neared for the nearby fireworks show over the Manatee River.

The event, sponsored by the Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency, was held in a smaller format this year without as many vendors or activities due to uncertainty about COVID-19.

But it still managed to bring big smiles to many faces.

This story was originally published July 5, 2021 at 5:17 AM.