When was the last time you tail-gated before a symphony concert? You'll be able to do just that this June at Great Smoky Mountains National Park when the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra helps the park celebrate its 75th birthday.

The backdrop for this concert will be none other than Cades Cove, which should provide some incredible acoustics for the orchestra. The concert, scheduled to run 90 minutes, will open at 3 p.m. on June 13 and offer a selection of classical compositions.

One-thousand-five-hundred vehicle passes will go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis on March 28.

Leading the orchestra will be Music Director Lucas Richman, who will be joined by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. The senator will play along on a grand piano, a performance reminiscent of his playing at the national park’s 50th anniversary.

The outdoor concert, in partnership with the Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be held in the Cable Mill area adjacent to the Cades Cove Visitor Center, located half-way around the 11 mile one-way loop road. Due to limitations in the amount of parking available at the concert site, the event will be limited to those having purchased a vehicle pass in advance.

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra's box office will begin selling vehicle passes on Saturday, March 28, at 9 a.m., and continue on Monday-Friday, March 30-April 3 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. until all passes are sold. The passes can only be purchased by calling the KSO Box Office at 865/291-3310. Only two passes will be issued per person. The cost of the event is $25 for vehicles with up to a 15-passenger capacity and $50 for vehicles with a capacity greater than 15 passengers.

The vehicle pass issued, along with a ticket receipt, will be required for admission. Since this is an outdoor concert with no weather shelter for the orchestra or the public, the concert will be canceled in the event of inclement weather. There will be no rain date scheduled and no refunds will be issued. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Friends of the Smokies, which is sponsoring the event.

“The location of the concert was selected to maximize the number of vehicles that can be parked in the Cove without impacting the resources while still accommodating the orchestra’s logistical needs,” says Great Smoky Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. "The plan to issue vehicle passes, instead of individual tickets, will increase the number of people that can attend since vehicles rather than people are the limiting factor. We are strongly encouraging pass holders to fill each seat in their vehicle so that we can maximize attendance with fewer vehicles at this special event.”

The superintendent also is urging all concert-goers to be sure they "pack out everything they packed in, leaving absolutely no litter or trace of their presence."

To accommodate concert traffic, Cades Cove will have a varied opening and closing schedule that will affect normal use on June 13. Cades Cove Loop Road will open to all motor vehicles at sunrise (around 6:30 a.m.) and close to the general public at 12 p.m. The normal Saturday morning road closure for bicycle/hiker use on that Saturday will not be in effect.

More specific information on how the concert will be managed, what people should bring and what items will be restricted can be found on the park’s 75th Anniversary website.

In addition, important tips on how to plan and prepare for spending the day outdoors, parking, traffic, and general information about the Cove and June weather conditions are also posted o that site. For those not attending the concert, there is also information available that will advise visitors on the partial day closure and reduced visitor activities and services.

"The Knoxville Symphony and I are delighted to be a part of the 75th Anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said KSO Music Director Lucas Richman. “Hearing the glorious sounds of music wafting through the natural setting of one of the area's best-known and well-loved locations made quite an impact 25 years ago, when we participated in the park's 50th anniversary."