Fall Fest 2026

Celebrate the end of summer with us once again at The Dempsey Farm on Saturday, September 12th! Grab your picnic blanket and cowboy boots, and join us for KMF's Fall Fest.

Our Singer/Songwriter Concert kicks off from 6:00–10:00 p.m. under the stars. Bring your family and friends to enjoy food from local favorites like Greens Grocery BBQ and live performances by iconic Nashville songwriters Matt Warren, Wynn Varble, and Dave Pahanish

Co-hosted by the Dempsey Family, the Perry Family, and the Knox Martin Foundation, Fall Fest raises awareness and critical funding for innovative brain cancer research at the Duke Brain Cancer Center, home to one of the country's leading immunotherapy research programs.

Learn more about KMF below!

Can't make it? You can still make a difference. Click the Donate button (below the Register and Sponsor Our Event buttons on the right) to help give someone else's Knox a shot at a longer life.

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Matt Warren is a chart-topping songwriter with over 70 recorded songs and 12 singles. Solo artist. Multi-platinum award winner. Soul singer. For nearly a quarter century, Matt Warren has played all the parts, building a versatile career that's taken him from the elite writing rooms of Music Row to stages across the country to top of the Billboard charts — where Gary Allan's "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)" made him one of Nashville's most in-demand songwriters during the 2010s. Matt is the writer of "Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)," "Learning How to Bend," and songs recorded by Gary Allan, Drake Milligan, Robert Randolph, and more.

Wynn Varble's first radio single was “Fit To Be Tied Down” by Sammy Kershaw. Since then Wynn has had many hits including three number ones…all three were nominated for “Song Of The Year” by the CMA or ACM and sometimes both. Wynn’s three number one songs are “Have You Forgotten” by Darryl Worley, “Waitin’ On A Woman” by Brad Paisley, and “I’m A Little More Country Than That” by Easton Corbin. In addition to his number ones, Wynn has had songs recorded by artists such as Garth Brooks, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Trace Adkins, Mark Chesnutt, Willie Nelson, Kellie Pickler, Lee Ann Womack, and many others.

Dave Pahanish is a three time #1 hit Billboard Country songwriter. Dave penned Tobey Keith’s “American Ride”, Jimmy Wayne’s “Do You Believe Me Now?”(also co-produced by Dave), and Keith Urban’s “Without You”. Notable cuts by Dave include Tim McGraw's “Right Back Atcha Babe" and "The One That Got Away", Jimmy Waynes “I Will” ,Emily West's “Completely Yours” and Collin Raye’s “Divine Everlasting Love”. Altogether 5 charting singles. He has shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Eric Church, Little Big Town, Jamie Johnson, Eric Paslay, Montgomery Gentry, Eli Young Band, Old Dominion, Todd Snyder, Leon Russell, and many others.

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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 2026:

Sponsorships helps make Fall Fest possible while supporting the mission of the Knox Martin Foundation. Whether given by a family, individual, or business, your generosity creates a meaningful experience for our guests and helps further KMF’s impact in brain cancer research.

Every Sponsorship Includes:

• One reserved table for 10 guests at Fall Fest
• Unlimited food and beverages for your table
• Recognition of your family (or in honor or memory of a loved one) or business during the event and in select event media & communications
• The opportunity to celebrate with family and friends while supporting the mission of the Knox Martin Foundation to fund the next breakthrough in brain cancer research

🧠 Presenting Partner: Help make Fall Fest 2026 possible as our Presenting Partner, supporting an unforgettable evening of music, fellowship, and giving. Your family, loved one, or business will be recognized as the Presenting Partner throughout the event, and you'll enjoy celebrating the evening with family and friends.

🤠 Dove Shoot Partner: Sponsor and participate in the Dempsey Family Annual Dove Shoot. Your family or business will be recognized throughout the Dove Shoot experience while helping create lasting memories for hunters.

🏠 Barn Host: Sponsor the Barn, a gathering place where guests can relax, cool off, and spend time together throughout the day. Your generosity will be recognized in one of the event's most visited gathering spaces.

🍾 Pour Partner: Sponsor the Tap It Bar Truck. Your family's support will be recognized as an important part of the evening's hospitality.

🍖 Dinner Host: Help us provide dinner for every Fall Fest guest by sponsoring the Greens Grocery BBQ Tent. Your family or business will be recognized for bringing everyone together to share a meal and enjoy the evening.

🚻 Port-O-Potty Patron: Sponsor the restrooms and become the hero Fall Fest 2026 guests didn't know they needed! Your partnership helps provide clean, comfortable restroom facilities that keep everyone enjoying the festivities.

🪕 Songwriter Patron: Help bring talented Nashville songwriters to Fall Fest and make the evening's entertainment possible. The support of your family or business will be recognized as part of creating a memorable concert experience for everyone in attendance.

Interested in any of our Fall Fest sponsorships? Select the "Sponsor our Event" button or email hello@knoxmartinfoundation.org to learn more

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TICKETING INFO:

🕊️ Dove Shoot Package bring 5 hunters to participate in the Annual Dempsey Dove Hunt Invitational 3:00 - 6:00pm; 1 reserved VIP host table for up to 10 guests (all inclusive of food & alcohol) at the Fall Fest signer/songwriter concert 6:00 - 10:00pm. Wear your cowboy boots and join us for a night full of live music under the stars!

💚 Fall Fest Table Host host your friends and family at a reserved table for 10. Includes food and drinks all night for all guests. Wear your cowboy boots and join us for a night full of live music under the stars!

🍻 Fall Fest General Admission (21+) join us Fall Fest! Includes entry, dinner from the Greens Grocery BBQ Tent, and 2 drink tickets. Bring a picnic blanket or folding chair to enjoy a night full of live music under the stars!

🍽️ Fall Fest General Admission (under 21) includes entry, non-alcoholic beverages, and dinner from the Greens Grocery BBQ Tent. Bring a picnic blanket or folding chair to enjoy a night full of live music under the stars!

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KMF's Story

Since our foundation's inception in 2021, KMF has given over $1.6 MILLION in research grant funds to The Duke Brain Tumor Center. This funding has supported 5 landmark projects at Duke and, as of 2026, there are over 35 patients enrolled in our MOAB Trial. Collectively, our projects show how the generosity of our donors fuels progress across the entire spectrum of brain tumor research—from discovery to direct patient impact.

1. PESKE Trial – Now completed and closed, results have been published. You can read them here!
2. FLIRT Trial with Fluoxetine – Now completed and closed, with manuscripts expected within the coming year
   
3. TIL Development – Preclinical efforts are advancing to prepare the next wave of IND-enabling studies
4. Personalized Vaccine Program – Functional validation is underway as our lab moves toward IND submission and first-in-human testing
5. MOAB Trial – A multicenter trial of atezolizumab in recurrent glioblastoma, now open at Duke, Kansas City, Huntsman Cancer Center in Utah, and UCSF. So far, over 30 patients have already enrolled, and KMF support is enabling deep analysis of their samples
   

These initiatives span the full continuum: from completed trials moving toward publication, to cutting-edge preclinical innovation, to an ongoing trial already making a difference for patients. Our support is the bridge that sustains these efforts with our lab team at the Duke Brain Tumor Center and accelerates discoveries that would otherwise not be possible.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest, most aggressive form of brain cancer, and the kind that our namesake Knox had. Despite being first identified in the scientific literature in the 1920s, there are only four FDA-approved drugs to treat GBM. Four in 100 years. For GBM, the five-year relative survival rate is only 7.2% and median survival is only 8 months after diagnosis. These devastating statistics attest to the severely underfunded and under-researched nature of brain cancer treatments – particularly treatments for GBM. Few research studies are conducted in aggressive brain cancers each year because the disease is so deadly; yet the disease remains deadly because so few research studies exist. Our goal is to end this infinite loop.

Today, fueled by the memory of Knox and the shared determination of donors spanning generations, the Knox Martin Foundation partners with the Duke Brain Tumor Center to fund clinical trials for high-grade glioma and Glioblastoma, giving warriors like Knox a shot at a longer life.

With the help of our donors, we are truly advancing research on brain cancer to give warriors like Knox a shot at a long life! Please consider joining us in 2026 as we strive to continue funding this important and vital research at the Duke Brain Tumor Center

Knox didn't lose his battle, he ignited a MISSION. And through this foundation, his fight continues. Thank you for being here.