Battle of the Bands to be Hosted at Balmoral Resort
by James Coulter
Ten bands will battle it out onstage at the inaugural Battle of the Bands, presented by Feltrim Sports, to be hosted at Florida Balmoral Resort on Apr. 17.
From 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., eleven bands will grace the new outdoor stage at the Feltrim Sports Village. Each will play for 30 minutes, and each will be voted on, both through popular vote from the audience and from a panel of three professional judges.
At 9 p.m., the votes will be tallied, and each band will have a chance to win people’s and judges’ choice. The people’s choice winner will receive the grand prize of $2,500.
Throughout the day, attendees can enjoy the live entertainment, along with food trucks, vendors, and other miscellaneous activities in the Sports Village. Overall, the outdoor event will allow local bands a time to shine in the limelight with a chance to win big and make a big name for themselves.
“We want to see the bands get better in the area,” said Garrett Kenny, owner of Feltrim Sports and Balmoral Resort. “We are trying to nurture new talent in the area, that was the idea behind it, and it has been well-received.”
Earlier in January, Balmoral Resort solicited countless local bands to scrounge up for their inaugural event. More than 24bands submitted applications. That number was whittled down to 10 participants.
Garrett and his team explored social media to check each band’s following. They watched the videos the bands submitted of themselves. Garrett wanted to highlight the best of the best that Central Florida, and especially Polk County, could offer.
“We wanted to attract new talent,” he said. “And we are conscious that we want up-and-coming bands, so we made a deliberate decision that any bands that currently play at Balmoral Resort were not included in the competition because otherwise, that would have been unfair.”
A new outdoor stage was purchased for this event. The Sports Village has more than ample room to seat two and a half thousand people. More than 500 people are expected to arrive throughout the day, Garrett explained.
A VIP seating area will also be provided at the event, along with a concession stand, several food trucks, and a diverse variety of vendors. More than three trucks have signed up to participate at the event, with several more expected, Garrett said.
Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, special precautions will be taken to ensure public health and safety. Despite these uncertain times, and especially despite the potential uncertainty of the weather, rain or shine, pandemic or not, the inaugural Battle of the Bands is expected to be a big hit.
“We hope to bring in more entertainment to Haines City and Polk County,” Garrett said. “As a company, we are very happy with social media response, and the response from local media like Today & Tonight and Daily Ridge has given us good coverage, and we are optimistic about the night.”
Feltrim Sports is currently planning other events soon, including a wrestling event and potentially even another Battle of the Bands aimed at the Hispanic market. Live entertainment is offered every weekend with local bands performing at the Balmoral Bar and Grill.
For more information, visit their website at: https://www.feltrimsports.com/battle
