What better way to spend a sunny, fall day than sitting listening to bluegrass and Southern gospel music on the river bank with the wind whistling through the trees.

Dwight Berry said there’s no better way unless the day is shared with a host of friends and neighbors.

That’s the idea behind the Little Sandridge Bluegrass Southern Gospel Jamboree 2011 on Saturday and everybody who enjoys traditional Southern music is invited.

“Kimble (Adamson) and I hosted a bluegrass/Southern gospel festival back in August and we had a big crowd and we all had a good time,” Berry said. “It was mighty hot though and folks asked us to have another one in the fall when the weather was a little cooler. I prayed about it and the Lord led me this way.”

Berry and Adamson have hosted small bluegrass and Southern gospel events at Little Sandridge over the years but the summer jamboree was the first big event. The fall jamboree will be the biggest yet with six of the area’s top bluegrass and Southern gospel groups on stage.

The Little Sandridge Bluegrass Southern Gospel Jamboree 2011 will feature the Old Southern Gospel, the Lighthouse String Ensemble, The Benton Brothers & Co., Monticello Bluegrass Gospel, Skeeter Hawk and Willing Vessels.

Admission to the Little Sandridge Bluegrass Southern Gospel Jamboree is free. A good- will offering will be taken to help with the bands expenses and travel.

“We just want everybody to come out and enjoy a day of music, food and fellowship,” Berry said.

A barbecue lunch will be served and those who come for “dinner” are invited to bring a covered dish to share.

“Whenever we have something here at Little Sandridge, folks want to bring food and we don’t try to stop them,” Berry said. “We’ll have some mighty good barbecue and the covered dishes will be the trimmings.”

There is no charge for the barbecue plates but donations are appreciated.

“We’ll have a jar up there if you want to donate to the dinner,” Berry said. “The jamboree is not about making money. It’s about a whole lot more than that. It’s about bringing people together and the Lord will be in this place.”

Old Southern Gospel will kickoff the Jamboree at 9:30 a.m. and the Willing Vessels will close it out at 3:30 p.m.

The Lighthouse String Ensemble will take that stage at 10:30 a.m. The lunch break will be from 11:30 until 12:30 and then the Benton Brothers will get the afternoon music underway. Monticello Bluegrass Gospel will take the stage at 1:30 p.m. followed by Skeeter Hawk at 2:30 p.m. and the Willing Vessels at 3:30 p.m.

Little Sandridge is located 19 miles south of Troy on U.S. Highway 231. Take a left at the Pea River Bridge on Highway 123 toward Ariton. The jamboree site is “just a short ways” on the left. Just follow the signs.