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{mosimage}The 24th annual Ham & Yam Festival will rock Downtown Smithfield and the Neuse River Amphitheater like never before on May 3-4, 2008. Legendary southern-rockers, the Marshall Tucker Band will headline an outstanding lineup of entertainment, leading the downtown festival down memory lane.

The free event, hosted by the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, will also feature an arts and crafts expo, food from local restaurants and nonprofits, and fun activities for the entire family.

"We have had rock acts before, such as Eddie Money, and we have had County acts perform, but the Marshall Tucker Band is great blend of the two styles of music," states Chris Johnson, Executive Director of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation and Ham & Yam coordinator. "We wanted to again make a step up with big-name entertainment. We are thrilled with the talent we've been able to have perform at this year's festival and anticipate a very large crowd at the free concert."

On Saturday, May 3, at 8:30pm, the Marshall Tucker Band will cap off the night with a free concert at the Neuse River Amphitheatre.  For more than 30 years, these good ol' boys from Spartanburg, South Carolina have entertained fans with their Southern rock music, playing everything from country to blues and all things in between.

Years of rigorous tour schedules have earned The Marshall Tucker Band the respect of critics and countless dedicated fans.  Played regularly on classic rock and country radio stations, the Marshall Tucker Band earned seven gold and three platinum albums with hits singles, such as "Heard It In a Love Song," "Fire On The Mountain," "Can't You See," and "Take The Highway."  During the 90s, The Marshall Tucker Band scored four hit singles on Billboard's country chart and one on Billboard's gospel chart.

{mosimage}"With all the new things added to the festival, the familiar staples of the event, and free the Marshall Tucker Band concert, the festival promises to be one of the largest attended events in Johnston County history," beams Johnson. 

The Ham & Yam Festival is organized and supervised by the nonprofit, Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation.  For more information about the Ham & Yam, call the Downtown Development office at (919) 934-0887 or visit www.downtownsmithfield.com on the web.