Fun at the Flat

By Melinda L. Lucas

The 300 ticket holders for the Friends of Fort Griffin Gala this Saturday, Oct. 9 can start checking in at 6:00 p.m. at Griffin Flat on the Collins Creek Ranch, according to event coordinator Susan Waller.

Seats for the annual fundraiser, which will feature a performance by the world famous Larry, Steve, & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers, were sold out more than a month ago.

Patrons will sit down to a ribeye dinner at 6:30 p.m., with the Gatlin Brothers’ performance scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. They will present a 75-minute show on a stage in the tent area.

“The Gatlins are very excited about performing at The Flat,” said Waller. “And we were, of course, ecstatic when they agreed to come. It’s going to be a great night.”

The Gatlins have roots in the Big Country. They spent a portion of their childhood in Abilene, first recognized as childhood gospel singers.

Waller reminded attendees that the Gatlin Brothers’ performance is not a dance.

However, the JAK Creek Band featuring Jim Sadler will provide music for a dance at the Collins Creek venue following the Gatlins’ performance.

The entire event is taking place just a few feet away from the original townsite of Fort Griffin. The military fort was located nearby on a hill overlooking the Clear Fork of the Brazos River.

the original townsite of Fort Griffin. The military fort known as Fort Griffin was located nearby on a hill overlooking the Clear Fork of the Brazos River.

Larry, Steve & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers are Grammy award-winners who have “dazzled audiences for more than six decades.”

The group has accrued a lifetime of noteworthy achievements including a Grammy for Best Country Song, three ACM awards for Single of the Year, Album of the Year, and Male Vocalist of the Year, along with five CMA nominations for Group of the Year, Single, and Album.

They have accumulated seven No. 1 singles, 32 Top 40 records, and more than 20 studio albums, according to their publicist.