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A Powdersville group was awarded $5,000 to help host a new music festival at Dolly Cooper Park.

Rhythm on the River is planned for May 2, said Johnny Harvin, president of the Powdersville Business Council.

The festival has booked two acts, Tugalo Holler and Rhythm City Band, and will include kids activities and food trucks, Harvin said.

Admission is free and he has no idea whether to expect dozens or hundreds or thousands of people.

“It’s our first time,” Harvin said.

The grant, from Ten at the Top, was awarded Wednesday and will help defer costs for the festival. Harvin said funds from the Powdersville Business Council, potential sponsorships and county recreation funds from Jimmy Davis, the area’s County Council member, will also help the event.

The $5,000 wasn’t necessary for the festival but it will make a big difference that visitors will notice, Harvin said.

Two projects were given the grants out of a field of 23 applicants from across the Upstate, said Sharon Purvis, director of outreach for Ten at the Top. The other winner was Main Street Laurens and its Piedmont Blues and Roots Music Festival.

Purvis said the Powdersville project was presented as a way to build a sense of place for the unincorporated community, a way to build an identity distinct from neighboring communities.

That’s important to Powdersville, Harvin said. The community is often defined by its neighbors and establishing an identity for Powdersville has long been a goal for the business group.

“We hope this is the first of many,” he said. “We want to make this an annual event.”

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