Slim Fest has local connect
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Steve “Slim” Stilts, right, founder of Slim Fest in Maryville and an outdoor salesman at Patterson’s Home Appliances just outside of Farragut, with family members and performers at the 2024 Slim Fest. From left are Andy Stilts (son), Natalia Taylar (singer), Ame Stilts (grandson) and Joe Enich (singer).
Steve “Slim” Stilts, an outside salesman at Pattersons Home Appliances just beyond Farragut town limits, has done quite a sales job spanning 19 years in giving birth to the now highly popular Slim Fest annual fundraiser in Maryville.
This year’s concert/block party, Slim Fest 2025, is being held about 2 miles east of Blount Memorial Hospital at 2805 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway starting at 4 p.m. (when gates open) to 11 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9. “It’s on the left side of the road (going toward Townsend); just follow the signs,” Slim said.
Beginnings
In 2006 “for my 50th birthday, I was wanting to have a party — but I wanted to not just make it about me, but make it about the community,” he said. “So I researched and found a charity with a (City of Maryville) cop. So we sold tickets for a reverse raffle — instead of the first one drawn out winning, it’s the last one in that wins — and did a parking lot party.
“And the gentleman that won the car ended up donating it back, so it made it a $40,000 win for the charity,” Slim added, “After that, I ended up having quite a few other charities reaching out and wanting to partner up. So I’ve worked with ‘Shop with the Cops’ for 15 years — it’s where the officers, at Christmas time, they take the underprivileged kids shopping.
“So the Saturday morning before Christmas, some 200 officers will take 200 kids. And behind that — what I liked about it and what I think works — is they’re bonding for a couple of hours, a police officer with a kid shopping. And so I’m hoping that when those kids become young adults or teenagers, when they see a police officer, they’ll have a positive thought about them.”
A key point: “They wouldn’t have had a Christmas if it hadn’t been for that officer taking them shopping,” Slim said. “The Maryville Chief of Police (Tony Crisp) started Shop with the Cops.”
Slim Fest also has benefited Children’s Advocacy Center for six years, and t Maryville and Alcoa Booster Clubs (high school) for six years.
Entertainment
Providing local entertainment, “This year, we have two local entertainers: Coveralls, who specialize in ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits. “They will play from 8 to 11 (p.m.),” Slim said.
Starting things off from 6 to 8 p.m. is “a special guest, a young lady and her band, Ayca,” he added. “… She’s an amazing lady. She has sung with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. She sings in three different languages. … She sings cover songs for stars from Pat Benatar to Fleetwood Mac.”
Other details
“I get a 40-by-100(-foot) tent and 700 chairs, 70 60-inch tables so the VIP people, when they come, they’re sitting at a table,” Slim said. “They can reserve a table for their office or friends. Then there’s a general admission site where they just bring their pop-up chairs.”
Mortgage Investment Group will be hosting a $50,000 Hole-In-One contest from 6 to 8 p.m. on site.
For tickets, “You can get it online (VIP for $50 each and regular tickets $20 each) at slimfest.org or you can buy them on-site,” he said. “And the VIP area, some of the add-ons that they wouldn’t have in the general area is there are port-a-cools. They’re big 5-foot fans, like with a radiator in it. So it’s blowing up a mist of cool air instead of just a fan.
“We also have the air-conditioned porta-Johns that the ladies enjoy,” Slim added. “I don’t know if you’ve seen those at ball games. ... It’s more like a trailer, but it’s air-conditioned instead of going into a construction-type porta-John.”
Parking, which will be directed by event officials, is free.
Though alcohol will be sold on site along with food, “Don’t bring any food or drinks,” Slim said.
Maryville Police Department “will have officers out there directing traffic in, and they’ll have illuminated signs to slow down (traffic) in congested areas,” he said.
The event’s founder said this year’s fundraising goal is “about $20,000 after expenses.”
The event also raises money for Legends of Tennessee, “where previous University of Tennessee football players go to schools and they work with the kids on their life skills, reading, mental skills, illness skills — not just teach them football, but also teach them how to be a young adult,” Slim said. “This is our second year working with them.”
In its first 18 years, “I’d say a million dollars have been generated in revenue for the charities,” the founder said.
Looking back — and ahead
Looking back to that first year in 2006, “There was probably a couple of hundred people that attended,” he said. “It was a concert. Every year, it’s always been a concert.”
Also part of Slim Fest, “we had a block party out in a parking lot in Alcoa,” Slim said. “Later, I moved it over to Midland Shopping Center (in Maryville) for a larger footprint and had it there for about 14 years.”
However, “We just had outgrown that venue, so I found this 10-acre venue just outside of Maryville that we’ll be hosting the party this year,” he said.
