Celebrate Deliverance in the Upcountry of South Carolina

No one can deny the foot-stomping sounds of Dueling Banjos from the 1972 film Deliverance. Can you believe that film is celebrating it's 40th Anniversary this year? And what better place to celebrate than at the Chattooga River Festival held in the Upcountry of South Carolina later this month.

The movie, starring a young Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox, is a thriller about four city men who come across trouble during a rafting trip in the Appalachian mountain wilderness. The movie was critically acclaimed but it's real significance was the national attention it brought to the area where it was filmed. Featuring the rugged beauty of the Chattooga River between the Upcounty of South Carolina and Rabun County, Georgia, the film's notoriety helped the river acquire the designation as a protected Wild and Scenic River. And the Chatooga River Festival was created to encourage environmental stewardship along with responsible recreational use of this invaluable resource.

With events in Long Creek, South Carolina and Clayton, Georgia, the festival runs June 22-24 and features events including:
*deliverance. redemption. salvation. artist's reception
*Ronny Cox Band Show
*Banjo Boogie Hills 'n Chills Fun Run
*Guided Whitewater Rafting with local outfitters including Nantahala Outdoor Center and Wildwater Ltd
*Chattooga Belle Farm Music Festival + Artisan Village
*Dueling Banjos Competition
*Warner Brothers 40th Anniversary Deliverance Premiere
*Guided historical hikes
*Chattooga River Environmental Clean-up

What a great way to celebrate an American theatrical institution and an American environmental institution at the same time. Grab your paddle, hiking boots, and banjo and meet us on the river!