Coke Oven Slaves: The Story of a Bluegrass Festival

A world broadcast premiere for a local documentary at 8pm on WTCI. Coke Ovens Slaves: The Story of a Bluegrass Festival, is the work of Dunlap resident Charli Wyatt. This half-hour documentary celebrates the musicians and volunteers who are keeping history and heritage alive in the Sequatchie Valley.

The Coke Ovens Park in Dunlap, Tennessee was once the town's unofficial trash dump. Hidden under decades of rubbish were stone ruins - the remains of the coal and coke operation that dominated life in the area in the early 20th century. In the 1980s, a group of residents, with the support of the vibrant local bluegrass community, formed the Sequatchie Valley Historical Association to clean up the site and preserve the coke ovens. Today the 77-acre park is home to a museum and an annual bluegrass festival.

Don't miss Coke Ovens Slaves: The Story of a Bluegrass Festival, tonight at 8pm on WTCI.