The Snowbirds and the locals were there Saturday night to hear the main two music categories—“country” and “western.”

Some 30 automobiles were parked at the music barn. There were tags from Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio, as well as. Baldwin County — and many of the Baldwin County vehicles are owned by Snowbirds permanently located near the Gulf. 

The music barn is located just off  I-10 Exit 53 (Wilcox Road), eight miles east of Loxley and 30 miles west of Pensacola. The Islander warned you locals in October that you’d better go up every Saturday night while there’s room to park and be seated, but you wouldn’t listen. But that’s OK. David Parker and band assure you that they’ll scrouge (that’s Southern for “squeeze and crowd”) you in and scrounge up some chairs. 

Parker plays (at last count) 14 instruments, and has a retinue of 10 or so pluckers and fiddlers (fiddles are violins carried in a tow sack) who play just for the sheer joy, and loyalty to country classics.

There’s not a dry eye in the crowd when they play “Red River Valley” or “Just Walk on By,” and a spirit of patriotism rises with “Okie from Muscogee.”

These pluckers and bow-draggers are from many vocations and avocations. Austin Husband is the youngest at six years. He’s the son of accomplished guitarist and vocalist Micah Husband, who’s earning a degree in computer science. Some of his music is on CDs. 

Don “Leonard” Peavy is a composer, vocalist and guitarist. You might be hearing his music on local radio in the near future. 

Attend once and someone will call you by name on your second visit. The families bring some good home cooking and baking to the event, so come on in and drop a donation in the big cracker jar at the entrance.

No one leaves hungry.