Panama City Beach – Grand opening festivities of the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) are only days away, and officials announced Monday the diverse musical talents that will celebrate the event.
On Saturday, May 22, musicians will take the stage from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., including three local school bands, Stainless Steel, and Nashville greats LoCash Cowboys and Eric Heatherly.
At 9 a.m., the Merritt Brown Middle School Band will perform in the front terminal.
At 9:45 a.m., LoCash Cowboys (“Fresh Off The Farm,” “You Got Me,” “Here Comes Summer”) will take Stage 2 with upbeat country and Southern rock hits. Following their performance, the Arnold High School Jazz Band will perform.
At 11:30 a.m., a one-hour Grand Opening program will take place including speeches by Airport Authority Board Chairman Joe Tannehill, Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Bill Nelson, a ribbon cutting, and special flyover by Tyndall Air Force Base F-15s.
The music resumes at 12:30 p.m. as Eric Heatherly (“Flowers on the Wall,” “2 High 2 Cry”) performs a Southern rock set on Stage 2.
The first Southwest flight is scheduled to arrive around 1:45 p.m., with the Bay High School Band performing immediately afterward outside the terminal as the jet taxis into its gate.
At 3:10 p.m., local reggae favorite Stainless Steel will entertain the crowd in the terminal gate area at the same time as the first Southwest Airlines flight passengers disembark and Eric Heatherly simultaneously plays a second set, again on Stage 2.
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