Taking SlimFest by the horns
“I was going to be turning 50 years old, so I talked with some of my friends and told them I’d like to have a party to celebrate my birthday and make it a community event to raise money for a charity,” Stilts said. “I looked around and found Shop with the Cop, where officers take under-
privileged kids shopping at Christmas time, so we funded that.
“That first year, I just thought we’d have a party and raise some money, but it was so successful that we decided to do it a second year.”
The event has occurred every August since then, and it will mark its 20th anniversary with Stilts’ 70th birthday on Saturday, Aug. 8.
There will be a bit more twang this year, as the 2026 version will be held at the Cotton Eyed Joe in west Knoxville.
“I’m not going to say it’s the grand finale,” Stilts said with a smile. “My friend Chuck Ward, who owns the Cotton Eyed Joe, told me that if I wanted to make it a little easier, we could do it indoors and he’d donate the club to me for a private event.
“I love the idea because I already know the forecast will be 70 degrees with no rain. The other 19 years, it’s just depended on the weather.”
The money from SlimFest 2026 will be going toward the Legends of Tennessee football camp, which unites current and former Vols as they pass their knowledge of the game to the next generation.
“I always like it youth-based because the youth is our future,” Stilts said. “And not only do they do the football camp — they go to schools and work with kids on skills, like reading, things they can use even after their football days are over.”
This year’s event will welcome co-headliners with Ayca, a dynamic rock cover band that Stilts compared to Pat Benatar, and Joe the Show, who has played three of the previous 19 SlimFests.
“Very entertaining,” Stilts said of both, “and will get the crowd up and down.”
Tickets can be purchased at Slimfest.org, on the Cotton Eyed Joe website or by reaching Stilts at SteveStilts@gmail.com.
VIP tickets are available for $50 each, and tables can be reserved for groups of four, six or eight.
Stilts thanked event sponsors such as KenJo Markets, Patterson's Home Appliances, Mortgage Investors Group and Garage Beer.
