Live Bluegrass Music! Live Bands! Great Food!

Senator Jason Rapert & Family and the National Association of Christian Lawmakers invite you to come out for the 7th Annual “Bluegrass, Boots & Blue Jeans” Arkansas New Year’s Eve Celebration - being held this year at the Pentecostal Church of God Conference Center located on old highway 64 between Conway & Vilonia, Arkansas at 824 US 64 Business, Conway, AR 72032, Dec. 31st, 6:30 p.m. to Midnight. This year all proceeds net of expenses are being donated to local drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Central Arkansas. The National Association of Christian Lawmakers, Inc. is an official 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit and will be coordinating the event. Come out to celebrate with us and help with a good cause!!!

Please join us for a family friendly New Year's Eve celebration. Wear your boots & blue jeans, or even throw on your cowboy hat, and join us for a "laid back" night of bluegrass bands, bluegrass gospel, fiddle music, great food, and fun with family & friends! This would make a great event for civic groups and church groups as well!

ALL INCLUSIVE TICKETS FOR THE BUFFET MEAL & MUSIC ARE ONLY $40 donation each for adults, children 12 & under $20 donation. All for a good cause!

Your ticket includes a buffet style meal with catfish filets, chicken tenders, fried shrimp, fries, hushpuppies, baked beans, slaw, green tomatoes, pickles, onion, tea & lemonade, and all the entertainment! Catering provided again this year by Adams Catfish Express & Catering.

We will have some of the best bluegrass and bluegrass gospel groups ever assembled to play in Arkansas! Live music including an open mic session & jam session to close off the evening. If you play a bluegrass instrument, sing country or gospel music - come on out and join the fun!

6:30pm - Doors Open and Food is served. Food will be served from 6:30pm to 7:30pm

MUSIC - 5 Live Bands and Special Appearances!

6:30pm - The McCool Clan from Mountain View, Arkansas! You will enjoy some of the best bluegrass and old time music musicians in Arkansas kicking off our event this year.

7:00pm - THE CHARLA FREELAND BAND - Charla is a nineteen-year-old lead vocalist and rhythm guitar phenomenon from Greers Ferry, Arkansas. She has got a very talented bluegrass band backing her up and says musicians like Tony Rice, Tony Wray, Keith Whitley, Lost and Found, Kelly Freeland (Uncle) and Dad (J.R. Freeland) has greatly influenced her music.

7:45pm - FLATLAND GOSPEL BAND from Trumann, Arkansas, bluegrass gospel band led by Pastor John Dillinger. Back by popular demand!

8:30pm - CASEY PENN BAND - Casey Penn is an Arkansas Country Music Award-nominated songwriter, performing bluegrass and Americana artist, and a happy new member of the Mountain Fever Records family. Her first single for the label, "Chasing Rainbows," earned a spot on the Bluegrass Today’s Top 20 Song chart a few months ago!

9:15pm - THE BAKER FAMILY from Missouri featuring Trustin Baker Grandmaster Fiddle Champion! You will not want to miss this extremely talented family of musicians who travel the country professionally entertaining crowds near and far. They really put on a great show last year and folks demanded they come back!

10:30pm Senator Jason Rapert & Friends - Fiddle Fest!!!

11:00 pm Bluegrass Open Mic & Jam Session!

12:00am NEW YEAR 2023!!!

(YOU CAN LISTEN TO PERFORMANCES FROM OUR BANDS AND MUSICIANS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE INFORMATION PAGE!)

IMPORTANT: All guests must have a ticket for entry or pay at the door. Tickets are available for a $40 donation for Adults, Children 12 and under are $20 donation.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

**For out of town guests there are hotels located in Conway! Call or book your reservations online.

*NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS

*NO ALCHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED ON THE PREMISES

*ANYONE DISRUPTING THE EVENT WILL BE ESCORTED OFF THE PREMISES

*NO REFUNDS

*SECURITY PERSONNEL WILL BE ON PREMISES

YOU MAY MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THE EVENT

The National Association of Christian Lawmakers, Inc. is an official 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit and will be coordinating donations to drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Central Arkansas. General online donations made direct through www.christianlawmakers.com from 12/20/2022 through 12/31/2022 will be dedicated to this event.

If you prefer to send a check please make payable to the NACL and mail to NACL, ATTN: Drug & Alcohol Rehabs, P.O. Box 10388, Conway, AR 72034. If you have questions, please call our office at 501-336-0918.

A Little Sample from our Musicians & Bands!

• Trustin Baker, Grand Master Fiddle Champion playing one of his great competition fiddle tunes in Branson, MO.
• GRAND MASTER FIDDLE CHAMPION Nashville, TN Country Music Hall of Fame
• 2018 Great Lakes Fiddle Champion
• 2017 Tennessee State Grand Champion
• 2016 Arkansas State Champion
• 2016 Texas State gone to Texas Champion
• 2017, 2016, 2015 Runner-up Grand Master Fiddler Nashville, TN
• 2015 Tennessee State Grand Champion fiddler* 2015 Arkansas State Champion 2013 Jr, National Grand Master fiddler * 2011-2014 Missouri Jr. State Champion * 2012 Texas freshman State Champion *2014 Oklahoma Jr. State fiddle champion * 2011-2012 Arkansas Jr State fiddle champion

• The Baker Family television performance.
• Trustin 22(Fiddle)Carina 19 (Mandolin, Fiddle)Elijah 17 (guitar, upright bass)Carrie (Upright bass, Guitar)
• Season 12 AMERICA'S GOT TALENT
• RFD-TV's The Bluegrass Trail
• PBS Great American Bluegrass
• 2016 International Country Gospel Music Association Bluegrass band of the year
• 1st place KSMU SIlver Dollar City Youth in Bluegrass Band Champions
• 1st place 2017, 2016, 2015 & 2014 Oklahoma State Band championship
• 1st place 2013 Pickin in the Pines Flagstaff,AZ Band Championship
• ***SPBGMA Midwest Album of the Year- Walking a Straight Path
• ***SPBGMA Midwest Entertainers of the Year
• ***SPBGMA Midwest Mandolin Player of the Year- Carina Baker
• ***SPBGMA Midwest Female Vocalist of the Year- Carina Baker
• ***SPBGMA Midwest Fiddle Player of the Year-Trustin Baker

• Sen. Jason Rapert of Arkansas and bluegrass fiddle great Andy Leftwich playing a version of "Amanda Jewell" with other great pickers from Ricky Skaggs band Kentucky Thunder.
• Jason Rapert has played bluegrass, bluegrass gospel and old time fiddle music for over 35 years. For the past 20 years he has entertained crowds in churches, conventions, civic groups, and festivals with his band Living Grace.

• Flatland Gospel Band
• This great bluegrass gospel band is from Trumann, Arkansas led by Pastor John Dillinger.
• This is a great Arkansas band with strong talented pickers.

The Charla Freeland Band

Residing in Greers Ferry, Arkansas, Charla Freeland is a nineteen-year-old lead vocalist and rhythm guitar phenomenon. The mostly self-taught musician picked up a guitar at age fifteen and hasn’t looked back. Her distinct, soulful voice, accompanied by a desirable bluegrass right-hand rhythm, creates a groovy style for the genre. Charla ties her ways to influences like Tony Rice, Tony Wray, Keith Whitley, Lost and Found, Kelly Freeland (Uncle) and Dad (J.R. Freeland).

Accompanying Charla are her parents, J.R. and Stacy Freeland. Stacy grew up playing multiple instruments and at twenty-five learned to play the upright bass. She and J.R. have been married twenty-nine years and have raised three kids proudly around church, rodeo, and music. Stacy’s influences included her mother, father, J.R, and Barry Bales. Her very favorite kind of tune is a hard-driving, in-your-face bluegrass song.

J.R., a native of southern Missouri, started playing banjo at the age of seven. Like his wife and daughter, J.R. is versatile in playing many different instruments, but banjo has remained his favorite. Some of J.R.’s music influences have been Earl Scruggs, JD Crowe, David and Ronnie Medlock, his Nanie (Effie Medlock Keith) and his dad (Joe Freeland). With a jam-packed, fast-paced picking preference, you are guaranteed to be entertained by this banjo player.

Matthew Maydew calls Republic, Missouri, home. Part of the winning band in the SPGMA International Band Contest of 2001, this mandolin player is no stranger to success in his talent. Matt started playing at age nine and by thirteen stood alongside the Shepherd of the Hills Weekend Bluegrass band. Matt’s favorite musical influence is Dempsey Young. With his favorite style being jazz mandolin, Maydew always keeps spectators engaged with his performance.

The most recent addition to the Charla Freeland Band is dobro player, Darrell Hagood. A resident of Vilonia, Arkansas, Darrell has been playing the resophonic guitar since 1994 and was greatly influenced by the Bluegrass Album Band. In the year of ‘97, he was a member of the winning band in the SPBGMA International Band Contest. You will certainly enjoy hearing Darrell on stage, playing dobro and singing harmonies, too.

CASEY PENN

“There are a lot of great singers out there ... Casey Penn is not only a great singer/songwriter but someone who sings from the depths of her heart, and you feel it when you hear her sing. Wonderful talent!”

— Tim Raybon

Based in Central Arkansas, Casey Penn is an Arkansas Country Music Award-nominated songwriter and a performing bluegrass/Americana artist. A proud new member of the Mountain Fever Records roster, Casey’s first single, “Chasing Rainbows,” is available now!

Awards & Nominations

Arkansas Country Music Awards

• 2019 Nominee

Acoustic Act of the Year (Lee Street Lyrical)

• 2020 Nominee

Songwriter of the Year (Casey Penn)

• 2021 Nominee

Acoustic Act of the Year (Lee Street Lyrical)

Arkansas Songwriting Competition

Winner with Rodger King for “Passing Time”

Website: https://caseypennmusic.com/home