Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center will host Don Knotts and eight other original cast members from “The Andy Griffith Show” for a Mayberry Cast Reunion Weekend, June 18-20, 2004. This is a “can’t-miss” weekend for fans of the popular The Andy Griffith Show, and the neighborly lifestyle it represented.
Fans can see the cast members in Aunt Bee’s Blue Ribbon Dinner and Reunion Show on Fri., June 18. On Sat., June 19, they will meet fans, sign autographs and appear at a special Tribute to Mayberry at the Grand Ole Opry. Cast members scheduled to appear: Don Knotts (Barney Fife); George Lindsey (Goober Pyle); Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou); Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass); Rodney Dillard, Doug Dillard, Dean Webb, and Maggie Peterson Mancuso (The Darlings); and Elinor Donahue (Ellie Walker, the lady druggist).
“This event was very popular with many of our guests in 1991 and 2001, and we expect it to be even more popular this year,” said Arthur Keith, senior vice president and general manager of the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. “The Mayberry Cast Reunion offers our leisure guests a way to express their appreciation of down-home family values and country lifestyle.”
Don Knotts will make a rare appearance at the Gaylord Opryland Resort as he does not typically participate in other Mayberry events. His performance at the reunion will be a re-enactment (in his original costume) of one of the show’s most memorable moments: Barney Fife sings good ‘ole 14A (“Welcome Sweet Springtime”) with the choir. Avid fans will immediately recognize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this scene recreated. Mr. Knotts will also perform his popular Nervous Weatherman stand-up routine.
The Andy Griffith Show debuted in 1960, aired 249 episodes, and went into syndication more than 25 years ago. It continues to be a favorite for those who love small-town atmosphere and wholesome values. This Mayberry Cast Reunion will be the third time Gaylord Opryland has hosted the event. The reunion was held for the first time in 1991 and then again in 2001.
Two-night packages start as low as $279* at the Gaylord Opryland Resort or $244* at the Radisson Hotel at Opryland and include room accommodations, ticket to Aunt Bee’s Blue
Ribbon Dinner and Reunion Show on June 18, ticket to the Grand Ole Opry’s Tribute to Mayberry show on June 19, breakfast buffet one morning, and special themed activities throughout the weekend like pickle-eating and Opie look-a-like contests. Tickets for Aunt Bee’s Blue Ribbon Dinner and Reunion Show will be available, after June 1, for $65 plus tax and gratuity. For more information and to make reservations, call toll-free 1-888-999-OPRY or visit www.gaylordhotels.com
*Rate is per person, plus tax, based on double occupancy. Extra nights available at prevailing rates. Premium View, add $60 plus tax per night.
About Gaylord Opryland Nashville
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center – the largest non-gaming hotel facility in the world – is known for providing superior products and services to the meetings and convention industry. Winner of numerous prestigious awards including the coveted Gold Key Elite Award in 2003 & 2004, Gaylord Opryland Nashville is the flagship property of the Gaylord Hotels brand owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.gaylordentertainment.com or www.gaylordopryland.com.
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