The Shields Painting Difference: Perfection with Every Brush Stroke
Many painting companies in Florida rely on flashy marketing and big promises to try and attract new clients. But when it comes time to work, they fall short of their promises. This is often due to a lack of experience, qualified painters, and a drive to overachieve. At Shields Painting, we do things a little differently than other painting companies in Citrus County. We believe that a professional paint job should be as close to perfect as possible. Our goal is to leave you 100% satisfied, whether we're touching up an old residential paint job or performing a complex commercial project. It might sound simple, but we achieve that goal through honesty, hard work, beautiful results, and reasonable pricing.
As a family-owned and operated painting company in Nobleton, FL, we strive to provide personalized, professional, and friendly service. Shields Painting has been in business since 1968 for a good reason. Whenever possible, we go the extra mile to make sure our customers are happy. Unlike some of our competition, we want to know all about your house or business painting project: your vision, your preferences, your challenges, and your goals. When we understand your needs, we can present you with a fantastic final product - one that you're proud to show off to friends and neighbors.
At Shields Painting, we combine our extensive experience with time-tested, meticulous painting processes, resulting in the highest quality painting results around. As a painting contractor in Citrus County, we can take on a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial projects in Florida.
A few of our most popular painting services include:
- Interior Painting
- Exterior Painting
- Residential Painting
- Commercial Painting
- Cabinet Painting
- Ceiling Painting
- Fence Painting
- Sign Painting
- MUCH More!
Our commercial, industrial, and residential painting contractors take the proper steps to protect your property and belongings while we work. Our team will clean up after ourselves, so your property is left clean and free of debris when we're done. After all, we think there's only one way to do a job, and that's the right way.
Painting Services
Eco-friendly & clean work area.
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Your Go-To House Painting Company in Nobleton, FL
Your home is a haven of relaxation and solitude. It is uniquely you - a place where you can express who you are through style and design. Whether you need interior touch-ups for your crown molding or a new exterior coat of paint, hiring a reliable painting contractor is the best way to get quality results.
At Shields Painting, we know how important it is to have a home that highlights your tastes and personality. That's why we offer an extensive array of residential painting services in Citrus County. As tempting as it might be to try a DIY paint job, without the proper skills and experience, there is a good chance that the results will turn out less than satisfactory.
High-quality painting requires skill, experience, and patience. If you're a homeowner who needs residential painting services but doesn't have the time, patience, or skills to handle the job, look no further than Shields Painting. We offer accuracy, precision, and longevity with each paint job we perform. Our customers choose Shields Painting for their home because they receive:
- Free Quotes with Detailed Project Breakdowns
- Affordable Pricing
- Expert Painting Contractors
- High-Quality Paint Products
- Combo of Traditional and Modern Techniques
- Well-Maintained Tools
- Unmatched Craftsmanship
- Friendly, Personalized Service
- Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work!
The majority of our house painting services come in two forms: interior and exterior.
Interior Residential Painting
As an interior painting contractor with decades of experience, our expert technicians have developed an interior painting process that maximizes quality and emphasizes customer satisfaction. We understand that interior painting goes beyond aesthetics. It protects your ceilings and walls and helps you sustain a healthier place to live for your family. When only the finest craftsmanship will do inside your home, Shields Painting is here for you.
Our seasoned team of painting experts and craftsmen is dedicated to respecting your space and providing you with the look and feel you're craving inside your home. Whether you bought a new house and want to make it your own or need minor touch-ups but have no time, Shields Painting is ready to tackle the job, no matter how small or large.
Unlike some painting companies, our interior house painters take the time to get the details right, every time. For instance, color is only one aspect of your interior paint job. The paint sheen or finish is just as important. Certain finishes are better for living rooms and bedrooms than in kitchens and bathrooms. We'll help you find the right finish and paint colors for your home, so you don't have to worry about touch-ups or repainting.
Some of our most popular interior house painting services include:
- Ceiling Painting
- Popcorn Ceiling Removal
- Living Room Painting
- Bathroom Painting
- Basement Painting
- Color Consultations
- More
Cabinet Painting
Citrus County cabinet painting deserves its own section on this page because it requires more time, skill, and quality paint than most sections of your home. If your home's cabinets are built into its woodwork, replacing them can be obnoxiously expensive. Compared to the cost of installing new cabinets, painting your kitchen cabinets is much more affordable.
At Shields Painting, we specialize in transforming old cabinets into new, gorgeous features that are just as usable as they are beautiful. Each step of our cabinet painting process is meticulous and thorough. And we'll take care of the entire job, from cleaning, prep, and sanding to priming, painting, and reassembly. This unique service lets you enjoy a brand-new look in your kitchen without having to go into debt by replacing your cabinets.
Whether your cabinets are new, but you want to change their color or you'd like to transition wood cabinets to a painted finish, Shields Painting has the expertise and experience to give you a new look you'll love.
Exterior Residential Painting
Your home - it's a place that not only keeps your belongings safe. It protects your family and loved ones, too. It's one of your largest investments, and like anything else of value, it should be protected. However, Florida weather can take a toll on your home's structure and paint, lowering your home's value and even putting your family at risk.
While it's true that a beautiful exterior affects your house's value, it shouldn't take thousands of remodeling dollars to make a positive change to your home. There's a fine line between reasonable pricing and top-quality painting, and that sweet spot is what Shields Painting aims for. If you want to transform how your friends and neighbors see your home, never underestimate the power of a professional paint job.
Our exterior residential painting services are designed to boost curb appeal, give your home a fresh look, and help it stand up to Florida's unique weather. But we provide more than that. When you hire Shields Painting for your outdoor painting project, you will enjoy peace of mind in knowing that your home is in truly capable hands. Our goal is to exceed your expectations and help bring out the best in your property, whether you need to re-stain your deck or remove old, peeling paint from your siding.
If you're on the hunt for the very best exterior painting contractor in Nobleton, FL, look no further than Shields Painting.
Some of our most popular exterior house painting services include:
- Vinyl Siding Painting
- Deck Painting and Staining
- Stucco Exterior Painting
- Wood Exterior Painting
- Porch Painting and Staining
- Soffit Painting
- Fascia Painting
- Window Painting
- Front Door Painting
- Thorough Painting Prep
- More
The Premier Commercial Painting Company in Nobleton, FL
When it comes to first impressions, your businesses' appearance plays an important role. Your commercial property's paint job factors into its overall aesthetics. A great-looking, well-maintained paint job can mean the difference between a customer walking in your storefront and passing by. Conversely, an old, worn-out commercial paint job can send the wrong message to prospective customers. If you can't take the time to keep up your property's appearance, why would a customer spend their hard-earned money on your products?
The same goes for your businesses' interior paint. Would you want to do business with a company that has peeling paint or unsightly crown molding? At Shield's Painting, our goal is to create a beautiful environment that your customers and employees will love inside and out. When you work with our business painters, you can rest easy knowing we treat your business like it were our own. We always clean up after ourselves and know that operations cannot come to a halt just because we're painting. As such, we'll work with your busy schedule to ensure the job gets done right the first time without disrupting your day-to-day commitments.
With decades of commercial painting experience, we know the demands of a commercial painting project necessitate a disciplined and focused approach from the start. Our team of business painters is committed to delivering quality, on-time results on every project, every time - no excuses
We offer professional business painting services to a variety of building types, including:
01
Industrial Painting
A high level of care and finesse are required to effectively paint an industrial property. At Shields Painting, we know that industrial paint jobs involve much more than aesthetics. That's why our industrial services are customized to your specifications, using industrial-grade materials that stand up to heavy-duty operations.
02
Retail Store Painting
Our commercial painters apply effective, yet appealing interior and exterior paint that stand up to the daily rigors of busy retail environments.
03
Small Business Painting
Do you own a restaurant franchise? Have a small "mom and pop" location that needs a fresh coat of paint? Shields Painting has the resources and reliability to efficiently get the job done the first time. That way, you can focus on serving your customers, not having your business repainted.
04
Healthcare Location Painting
From walk-in clinics to long-term care facilities, Shields Painting is sensitive to your patients' needs. We know you must protect your patient's privacy while maintaining productivity. Our approach to healthcare location painting centers around your schedule to avoid disruptions in care.
05
Apartment Complex Painting
Erase signs of wear and make your apartment complex or multi-family building a more desirable place to live with a stunning, professional paint job.
Florida's Most Trusted Painting Contractor
Shields Painting has been in the business since 1968. In a world where so much has changed, we are proud to uphold the ideals that make us successful: hard, honest work, getting the job done right, and excellent customer service. Providing you with trustworthy, quality work will always take priority over rushing through a project to serve the next customer. That is just not the way we choose to do business.
As professionals dedicated to perfection, we strive to provide a unique painting experience for every customer - one that focuses on their needs and desires instead of our own. Whether you need residential painting for your home or commercial painting for your business, we encourage you to reach out today to speak with our customer service team. Whether you have big ideas about a new paint project or need our expertise and guidance, we look forward to hearing from you soon.
352-212-1533Free Consultation
Latest News in Nobleton, FL
Arrests from June 12 and 13
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Central West Florida Road Trips and Scenic Drives with Maps
Mike Millerhttps://www.florida-backroads-travel.com/central-west-florida-day-trips.html
The Central West Florida road trips and scenic drives recommended here are often staged on the back roads around Tampa.I-4 is the main east-west interstate highway in this region, and traverses the state from Daytona Beach through Orlando to ...
The Central West Florida road trips and scenic drives recommended here are often staged on the back roads around Tampa.
I-4 is the main east-west interstate highway in this region, and traverses the state from Daytona Beach through Orlando to Tampa.
This urbanized area is known as the I-4 Corridor.
I-75 is the north-south interstate, and enters Florida near Jasper and meanders down the center of the state until it starts veering west toward Tampa.
I-75 goes all the way to Miami.
The Suncoast Parkway is a north-south toll road that starts in Tampa near the airport and terminates on US-98 north of Brooksville.
The I-4 and I-75 exits are crowded with gas stations, restaurants and motels. You can travel the state quickly and easily on these highways (except during rush hours), but not see as much scenery or real towns as on our recommended Central West Florida day trips.
The town signs you do see are usually a few miles from the downtown section. The fun begins when you get off the interstate and hookup with the less traveled roads that go through our many smaller Florida towns.
There are many state and county highways off the interstate that offer better scenery and a look at real towns. In Florida, some backroads are even four-laned.
The maps below show the routes of a few Central West Florida day trips that I recommend.
If you are more interested in destinations than driving routes, see Tampa Florida Day Trips
SR-476 from Bushnell west to Nobleton. Then north on SR-39 to Floral City, through Istachatta and Juneau. Peaceful country, parallels the rails to trails project, the Withlacoochee Trail. About 24 miles.
Sr-44 from to through Lecanto. Pretty hills and lake views. About 18 miles.
SR-595 from SR-50 just west of Weeki Wachee Springs south to Hudson, through Hernando Beach and Aripeka. Low country, fishing villages, marshes, houses on stilts. About 18 miles.
SR-595 aka Alternate US-19 from Holiday south to Clearwater through Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Ozona and . These are old Florida towns with a lot of interesting houses and plenty of trees. About 18 miles.
Here is a way to come into Tarpon Springs from the north and avoid a few miles of that awful congested US-19. Just south of New Port Richey leave US-19 and go west on Trouble Creek Rd.
Follow it until it turns south and becomes Straub Memorial Drive. Stay on Straub until it comes to Bailles Bluff Road then follow it south to Anclote Rd (not Blvd) then stay on Anclote Rd until it comes back to Alternate US-19 just north of Tarpon Springs.
About 9 miles, some residential, a lot of mangroves and parks.
This is the Gospel Island Bypass around Inverness. A great scenic drive. From downtown Inverness go north on N. Apopka Ave until it turns right and becomes CR-470. Follow its meandering route among the lakes and oaks to SR-44.
The Gobbler's Drive Loop. From Aunt Martha's Produce Market in downtown Floral City on US-41, go north to E. Gobbler Drive and turn right (East) and follow it through the lakes and woods and peninsulas among Lake Tsala Apopka along South Withlapopka Drive and East Trails End Road back to CR-48 and on into downtown Floral City.
Boss Hogg hits the airwaves
Breanne Williamshttps://www.plantcityobserver.com/boss-hogg-hits-the-airwaves/
Local legend Boss Hogg recently launched a new radio station out of his famous Plant City Farm & Flea Market.Share This PostFerris Waller, known to many as Boss Hogg, has played a key role in establishing foundational enterprises throughout not only Plant City, but much of central Florida.He is the mastermind behind the Plant City Farm & Flea Market and his newest venture is bringing his eclectic taste into homes throughout the area. Thanks to Boss Hogg Plant City once again has a hometown radio station.&l...
Local legend Boss Hogg recently launched a new radio station out of his famous Plant City Farm & Flea Market.
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Ferris Waller, known to many as Boss Hogg, has played a key role in establishing foundational enterprises throughout not only Plant City, but much of central Florida.
He is the mastermind behind the Plant City Farm & Flea Market and his newest venture is bringing his eclectic taste into homes throughout the area. Thanks to Boss Hogg Plant City once again has a hometown radio station.
“Our saying is we don’t play opera, heavy metal, punk rock, rap or crap,” Waller said. “In the morning it’s heavy country, we call it ‘Heinz 57 music,’ which means its a wide variety of music. It’s what I enjoy and I think a lot of other people will enjoy it, too.”
“Boss Hogg Radio” can be listened to at WHNR 1360 AM or streamed online at plantcitymarket.com. Waller said
he listened to Al Berry and Ercell Smith at WPLA. When he found out a Winter Haven station was up for sale he decided he would purchase it and bring a station back to Plant City.
Waller is the epitome of an entrepreneur. When he realized the limitations in place at the Plant City Farmers Market he decided to create one where anyone could come and sell their wares.
He started off with one-half acre and seven vendors. Now he has approximately 40 acres and more than 100 vendors. The flea market on Wednesdays attracts more than 375 vendors with more than 2,500 customers every week. He said they’ve even had trucks come from as far as Canada to sell and buy produce.
An economic impact study by Allen W. Hodges, Ph.D., an extension scientist with the University of Florida’s Food and Resource Economics Department, in 2017 found that annual sales of the market are more than $177 million, which impact nearly 3,200 full and part-time jobs.
On top of the highly successful market, Waller owns several other businesses including a metal roofing shop, a sign shop, I-4 power equipment, an RV park, Kathleen’s Garden & Grandpa’s Event Barn and several restaurants throughout central Florida.
“I’m the only kid in my class that owns six businesses to make a living,” Waller said. “I think I would have to say that practically everything I’ve done has been an accident. I went to Orlando one time to go to a metal roofing show and ended up at the wrong place. They were having a sign show instead. Next thing I knew I was opening a sign shop.”
Waller attributes his non-stop lifestyle to simply “trying to stay busy.” He joked the hope is it will keep him out of trouble. When he isn’t working at one of his many businesses he can be found on his ranch off Knights Griffin Road tending to his 75 head of cattle.
When he began creating River Ratz Cafe in Nobleton he handpicked the unique playlist of classic tunes that serenade customers all day long. He realized the ambiance worked and chose to carry that on in his new station.
Unlike many formal stations, Boss Hogg Radio is an open pod themed setup. When you walk through the door the hosts are all sitting around a table, their equipment grouped all together in the same room. It creates a “reality radio” aesthetic, Waller said. When something happens in the studio, listeners go along for the ride.
He said they’ve been told it will fail, but that the feedback they’re beginning to receive from listeners is indicating he may have once again been onto something. Working in the new studio didn’t lessen the itch. Waller is now finalizing negotiations for the radio station in Bushnell to further his reach.
His lineup is diverse and impressive. Listeners will hear everything from classic country to jazz, reggae and even disco. If it’s good music, it’ll come across the air, Waller said. Word began to spread of the unique setup Waller was creating down in Plant City. Soon he had people reaching out asking to be a part of his team.
A name many might recognize comes on every day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for The Rocket Man Show with Johnny Rocket. The comedian has received national recognition and lives in Lakeland.
When he realized Plant City was about to get back into the broadcasting game Waller said he was right on board to join the movement. Many of the other broadcasters, like Charlie Brown from Polk County, are broadcast experts and have been on the radio for decades.
“I tell everyone this is the Boss Hogg Radio Station of has-beens and wanna-bes,” Waller said. “We are not as close to being professional as some of those other stations out there. When you tune in you’re going to have some fun because we are and listeners are a part of that.”
He’s poured his time, investments and heart into his community and said he is always looking for something that he is passionate about that can help the area continue to grow.
Waller’s 80th birthday was this week and he has no plans to slow down his pursuit of new ventures and uncharted territory.
“I’m just trying to get as much done in the few years I have left,” Waller said. “I would like to see Plant City have something of its own again, like it used to have.”
Residents keeping an eye on flooded Withlacoochee in eastern Hernando County
Tony Marrerohttps://www.tampabay.com/news/weather/residents-keeping-an-eye-on-flooded-withlacoochee-in-eastern-hernando/1249732/
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RIDGE MANOR — C.J. Siller is watching the Withlacoochee River with a wary eye.
A branch of the river made an island out of his neighbor's mobile home in the last couple of days, swamping Tarzan Street in Talisman Estates, just north of the Hernando-Pasco county line. By Tuesday morning, the tea-colored water had crept beyond Siller's fence and across his driveway, ever closer to the mobile home he shares with his wife and five children.
If the water reaches a light post near the corner of the home, Siller said, he will take his family and valuables to higher ground.
"I'm a little worried," he said. "I don't want to wait until the water comes because I won't able to back a U-Haul in here without getting stuck."
Siller probably doesn't have much to worry about this time around. As the National Weather Service predicted, the Withlacoochee reached flood stage — 12 feet — at Trilby on Sunday. By Tuesday afternoon, the river was measured at 12.27 feet.
That level of water typically results in minor flooding of areas including Lacoochee, Talisman Estates, Riverdale, River Heights Estates and Nobleton.
Due to small chances of rain over the next few days, the river was not expected to rise much more, if at all, and will likely fall below flood stage by early Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
"We're not expecting anything worse than what (residents) are currently seeing," said forecaster Tyler Fleming.
There were no reports of flooded homes by Tuesday afternoon, said Hernando County emergency management director Cecilia Patella. The river was lapping at the stilts of some homes, though, and had almost swallowed Riverdale's community park.
Heavy rains from tropical storms Debby and Isaac helped etch another notch in the history books for the Withlacoochee, a river prone to drastic fluctuations, depending on weather patterns: Sunday marked the first time the river has hit flood stage since summer 2004, the year of hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.
On Sept. 29 of that year, the river crested at 16.55 feet. Flooding is considered "moderate" between 14.2 feet and 16.5 feet and "major" beyond that.
Eight years is long enough for even longtime residents to become complacent, and for many new residents to move into the area without firsthand knowledge of how quickly the Withlacoochee can rise, Patella said.
Now the river is swollen again and residents need to be vigilant in the coming weeks, she said. Another hurricane, tropical storm, or even several days of heavy rains over the Green Swamp, where the river begins, could result in more serious flooding.
"I would encourage everyone to watch it, at least until we get out of rainy season," Patella said.
Patrick Coney, who lives next door to Siller on Tarzan Street, was hoping to mark the latest flood down as merely a close call. By Tuesday, Coney had to wade to and from his house, the water just two steps below his front door.
"When it gets up to the second step, it's time we start getting stuff up off the floor," he said. "It's time for us to go when it starts easing through the door."
The river isn't the only cause for concern in the low-lying areas of eastern Hernando County. Lakes and ponds that dried up during the drought in recent years are making a comeback.
When William and Lorie Richard bought their single-wide mobile home near the corner of Reynolds Street and Barth Road in January, a nearby pond spanned just 50 feet across and was completely dry a few months later.
Now a full-fledged lake has drowned their fire pit and is seeping toward the corner of their home.
On Tuesday, the Richards were moving some of their valuables to their storage and travel trailers sitting on higher ground.
"We're just going with that good ol' common sense," Lorie Richard said.
Many residents chose to prepare ahead of Isaac, hauling away about 2,400 sandbags from the Ridge Manor Community Center, said center board member John Shoppa.
"Now people have stopped coming to get them," Shoppa said.
Though the county ran out of sand and sandbags at one point after Tropical Storm Debby, the supply has been replenished. The center is at 34240 Cortez Blvd.
Information from Bay News 9 is included in this report. Tony Marrero can be reached at tmarrero@tampabay.com or (352) 848-1431.
At Hollow Point Farm, bluegrass rules
Vicki Deanhttp://ticket.heraldtribune.com/2016/02/22/at-hollow-point-farm-bluegrass-rules/
BUSHNELL — Hollow Point Farm is one of Florida’s best-kept bluegrass secrets.Word is slowly getting out on the private house concerts at Bruce and Jody Watson’s horse ranch.For the past four years, they have opened their spacious home to some of the biggest acts in bluegrass music. All of the money from ticket sales goes to the artists, who stay for free on the couple’s Central Florida ranch where they get a brief respite from winter.The musicians also get a heaping helping of Southern hospitality...
BUSHNELL — Hollow Point Farm is one of Florida’s best-kept bluegrass secrets.
Word is slowly getting out on the private house concerts at Bruce and Jody Watson’s horse ranch.
For the past four years, they have opened their spacious home to some of the biggest acts in bluegrass music. All of the money from ticket sales goes to the artists, who stay for free on the couple’s Central Florida ranch where they get a brief respite from winter.
The musicians also get a heaping helping of Southern hospitality from Bruce and Jody, who feed them during their stay.
On a recent weeknight, the Watsons welcomed a capacity crowd of 65 guests to see the Gibson Brothers, the two-time International Bluegrass Music Association entertainers of the year.
Concerts at this private venue kept cropping up on social media feeds, piquing my interest. After an email exchange, Bruce called and said that if my husband and I wanted to see the Gibson Brothers, we would have to commit quickly.
We had seen the Gibsons several times at the 5,900-seat Red Hat Amphitheater and most recently as hosts of the IBMA Awards Show last year in Raleigh, North Carolina. But nothing compares to seeing a top-tier bluegrass group up close and personal.
Dressed to the nines, the band played two acoustic sets in the Watsons’ living room.
The brothers’ tight tenor harmonies were amplified only by the home’s soaring wooden ceilings and log beams. Guests could literally feel the rich tones of the band’s fiddle, guitars, banjo, mandolin and 1939 upright Kay bass. The setting was perfect for the Gibsons’ pared-down sound.
Watson said he started bringing bands in during the economic downturn after so many festivals went under. Bluegrass musicians were hurting, and Watson said he wanted to help by providing a warm-weather stop in the lean winter months.
“Thanks for supporting live music ” he told the crowd. “It means a lot to these musicians.”
The artists
The Gibson Brothers were one of the first bands to play at Hollow Point Farm about four years ago. Since then, the band has soared to the pinnacle of the bluegrass music world, twice earning IBMA top band honors and multiple Song of the Year awards.
They could make a lot more money at bigger venues, but the Gibsons always schedule a stop in Bushnell when they head south to the Sunshine State. This year, they added a second show, and both sold out quickly, Watson said.
“We always smile when we see this date come up on our calendar,” Eric Gibson said. “We always have a good time here.”
Out back under the live oaks sits a storied picking cabin, a former trapper’s shack that Watson spruced up after moving it to the property. The walls are signed by some of bluegrass music’s biggest stars who have stopped by to play over the past three decades. Music history oozes out of the cabin’s wooden walls and floors.
In the rustic cabin, musicians sit in a circle and jam, harkening back to a simpler time.
The Gibsons and their band spent several hours picking in the cabin and worked up new material for their next recording project.
“Thank you for giving us that space, Bruce,” Leigh said.
They played a handful of new songs for the enthusiastic Hollow Point audience, including “In the Ground,” Leigh Gibson’s autobiographical tribute to the struggles faced by farmers. He speaks from the heart, recalling the struggles of their late father, who ran the family’s dairy farm in New York.
Have bluegrass, will travel
On show nights, rabid bluegrass fans roll in from all over the state. The concerts are only offered during Florida’s snowbird season, and most of the regular attendees winter in the Brooksville area.
“Half of Upstate New York is here tonight,” Watson said when introducing the Gibson Brothers. “The other half is going to be here tomorrow night.”
Chuck and Joyce Carter of Maine made the two-hour drive up from their winter home in Venice. They brought a jar of fossilized shark’s teeth scooped up at some of South Sarasota County’s best beaches.
“We’ve known these guys ever since they started,” he said of the Gibson Brothers.
“I got my hug!” Joyce said of her pre-concert greeting by Eric, the older, banjo-picking brother.
During a break between sets, the brothers sold and autographed CDs and T-shirts. They shook hands with fans and embraced old friends.
One of their English teachers attended the show, so the boys were on their best behavior.
“Which one was the best student?” Leigh asked.
“Erin!” she said, citing Eric and Leigh’s younger sister, who is a schoolteacher in New York.
Spreading the word
Getting the word out on the concerts remains a challenge. Watson has no online presence. This year, friend and songwriter Mark “Brink” Brinkman shared homemade fliers on social media with various groups dedicated to bluegrass music fans.
Bruce Watson does most of the ticket sales by calling reservation-only concertgoers on his flip phone. Attendees send their checks in via snail mail, or pay cash on the barrelhead in advance at the ranch. The low-tech approach works for him, and he said he doesn’t want the hassle of maintaining a website.
Word-of-mouth is bringing bluegrass fans to the ranch, which was marked only by a handwritten 2-foot-high white sign by the side of County Road 476 in Sumter County.
All of the shows sell out, and more and more music fans are discovering Hollow Point Farm.
After the concert, Jody and Bruce Watson thanked their appreciative guests for coming, shook their hands and invited them to come back for future shows.
By offering such a magical music experience, the challenge just might be getting their newfound friends to leave.
INTERESTED?
Only two shows remain this spring.
March 5: John Cowan featuring Darin and Brooke Aldridge. The lead singer of the New Grass Revival performs with the popular husband-and-wife duo. (See an interview with Cowan in the March 3 Ticket magazine)
May 1: Darrell Webb Band, contemporary bluegrass band headed by the West Virginia native who is a stellar mandolin player and singer.
Info: Call Bruce Watson at 813-375-2517 for ticket prices and information.
Last modified: February 22, 2016 All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published without permissions. Links are encouraged.