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Penn's Peak anniversary

Tomorrow, Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe will be holding its 10th anniversary celebration with a free concert event and a benefit for the local Dream Come True chapter.

The celebration includes concerts by two bands: 70s Rewind and Clyde Barrow of Clyde Barrow and the Legendary Barbusters.There also will be a prize raffle to benefit Dream Come True, as well as drink and food specials. The raffle has prizes valued up to $1,600.Roadies Restaurant will also be open.Penn's Peak is located along Maury Road in Penn Forest Township.In its 10 years of operating, it has featured about 750 concerts, bringing to the local scene some of the biggest names in entertainment.Among stars who appeared on the large, wooden stage have been Martina McBride, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Pat Benatar, the late George Carlin, the late George Jones, Donny Osmond, Ted Nugent, Olivia Newton-John and Gregg Allman, to name a few.When Penn's Peak opened in February 2003, the first performer was country singer Brad Paisley, who drew a capacity crowd of about 1,450 people.Three days later, the Lettermen performed on a snowy night, with well over 1,000 people attending the concert.Craig Stelling, general manager of Penn's Peak, said, "Join us as we celebrate Penn's Peak Rockin' the Mountain for 10 Years! This no cover, all ages event will celebrate The Best Place To See A Show with live music from The 70's Rewind and Clyde Barrow of Clyde Barrow and the Legendary Barbusters."No tickets are needed.The 70s Rewind is a six-piece band that is a Tribute Show with a twist! It covers some of the top bands and songs from the 1970s; from the well known, to the one-hit wonders and the great AM gold songs played just like the vinyl records.The multimedia event adds the visuals of commercials, sit-coms, movies, news, cartoons, and many more surprises designed to take you on a trip back in time through the 70s.Clyde Barrow and the Legendary Barbusters have a history that dates back to 1959. Starting out in Oswego, N.Y., the band eventually made its way to Philadelphia in 1990.Originally, the venue was built in 1998 as a showcase for country music by Tommy Schaeffer, who was a country performer himself.It closed about two years later.The Pencor Corporation bought the building, did extensive remodeling and renovations, and reopened it, bringing in all types of acts from rock to oldies to blues, and of course, country.There were famous comedians such as Carlin, the Smothers Brothers, Vicki Lawrence, Gallagher, and Howie Mandel.Oldies acts have attracted sell-out crowds including The Four Seasons, Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper, Tony Orlando, and David Cassidy.Top country artists included Willie Nelson, Martina McBride, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Merle Haggard, Randy Travis, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lorrie Morgan, The Statler Brothers, and The Oak Ridge Boys.In addition to concerts, the venue also hosts seasonal luncheon shows that feature a variety of sounds from big band to country to oldies.Virtually all the luncheon shows, planned by Lynn Stelling, are sellouts.In November 2003, the No Peaking gift shop opened featuring all sorts of items from tee shirts to novelties. This is operated by Joan Reinhard.Numerous telethons are held each year from Penn's Peak, including the American Cancer Society event. In 2002, the Lettermen performed on a telethon for the Palmerton Hospital Foundation.In 2007, a three-phase expansion project occurred, which included increasing the seating capacity in Roadie's Restaurant, enlarging Penn's Peak Gift Shop, adding Penn's Peak Radio to the complex, and creating additional parking.So successful was Penn's Peak initially that the venue had to utilize off-site parking areas and bus people to the venue.One other regular attraction at Penn's Peak in the summer months is weekly deck parties.ScheduleNovember• 27 - Dark Star Orchestra, 8 p.m. Tickets $24 advance, $29 day of show.December• 6 - Travis Tritt, Travis Tritt, 8 p.m. Tickets $37 and $42.• 14 - Christmas with the Celts, 8 p.m. Tickets $22 and $27.January• 11 - Phil Vassar, 8 p.m. Tickets $22 and $27.February• 1 - Fran Cosmo, former lead singer of BOSTON, 8 p.m. Tickets $20 advance, $25 day of show.• 21 - Vince Gill, 8 p.m. Tickets $49 and $54.• 22 - Bruce in the

U.S.A., 8 p.m. Tickets $17 advance, $22 day of show.March• 22 - Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, 8 p.m. Tickets $22 advance, $27 at the door.2014 Luncheon Shows• April 29 - The Artie Shaw Orchestra.• April 30 & May 1 - A tribute to Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee.• May 6-8 - Branson Fever.• May 20-21 - Danny & the Juniors.• Oct 7-9 - The Swing Dolls, a tribute to the USO.• Oct. 14-15 - The Four Freshmen.• Oct. 22-23 - Bill Haley's Comets.• Oct. 28-30 - Real Diamond.• Nov. 5-6 - The Glenn Miller Orchestra.

RON GOWER/TIMES NEWS Country singer Brad Paisley performed at Penn's Peak on Feb. 4, 2003. Paisley today is a mega star and headlines shows in major arenas. Tomorrow, Penn's Peak celebrates its 10th anniversary.