Missouri

August 17 at 6:00 p.m. — Scivally Park Bluegrass & Old Time Sunday Jam - Cape Girardeau, MO
“Bring your instrument, your chair, a snack and a cool drink for one of the finest Sunday evening events around. Heck, even if you aren’t a picker, you’ll love to come visit with others by Walker Branch Creek under the shade of some monster hickory trees. What better backdrop than the old time sound of American roots music? There is plenty of room to spread out and relax, and there’s even a playground for the little ones. Open to the public, and always free, so bring the whole family!”

New York

August 14 Noon to 8:00 p.m. — 6th Annual Long Island Bluegrass Festival - Tanner Park, Copiague, NY.
expect to see headliner Dan Paisley & Southern Grass as well as James Reams and the Barnstormers, Buddy Merriam and Back Roads, Too Blue, Acoustic Electrix, Free Grass, Michael Daves, and Blue Detour. Tickets for the festival are $10 with kids under 13 free. Other events include a workshop stage and plenty of farm animals for the kids to see.

August 15-17 — Bluegrass in Greenville - Greenville, NY
Bluegrass artists schedule include: The Doerful Family, Smokey Green, Kickin’ Grass, The Delaney Brothers, New River Line, Honey Grass and more. Single day festival tickets are available for $13 (Fri & Sun) and $18 (Sat.) A weekend festival pass with camping (first come first served) is $43.

Pennsylvania

August 15-17 — Hickory Fest - Music in the Mountains - Wellsboro, PA
Bluegrass artists scheduled to perform include: The John Cowan Band, Alecia Nugent, Cadillac Sky, Karl Shifflett & Big Country, Verlon Thompson, The Rowan Brothers, Grass Stained Genes, and more. Visit the festival website for more information on tickets and camping.

Virginia

August 14-16 — Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Festival - Amelia, VA.
Bluegrass artists scheduled for the festival include: Nothin’ Fancy, Grasstowne, Dave Evans, Charlie Sizemore, The Bluegrass Brothers, Circuit Riders, Northridge and many more. Single day tickets are priced at $20 (Thurs.) and $25 (Fri. & Sat.) and a weekend festival pass at the gate is $60. Children 10 and under are free and those ages 11-15 are $10 daily with paid adult. Camping information is available on the website.

Got an item for the calendar?

We’re looking for Festivals, Special events, Jam Sessions, etc… If it relates to the world of Bluegrass we want to know about it. Send us the who, what, when and where and other details you’ve got and we’ll do our best to let everyone know about it. Send your Bluegrass Calendar items to <a href=”mailto:subscriber@bluegrassjournal.com” title=”Email your Bluegrass Calendar items to us.” target=”_blank”>subscriber@bluegrassjournal.com</a>.

Share This

Dr. Ralph Stanley will receive the Governor’s Award for the Arts on September 17 in Richmond, VA.

Nashville, Tenn. — Mountain music patriarch Ralph Stanley will be presented the Governor’s Award for the Arts Sept. 17 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. The 81-year-old singer, banjoist and songwriter is the only musician among the 10 winners announced Aug. 5 by Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine.

“These awards recognize outstanding achievement and excellence in the arts,” Governor Kaine said. “They call attention to the creative spirit that contributes to the quality of life throughout the Commonwealth.”

A performing musician since 1946, when he formed the Stanley Brothers with his older brother, Carter, Stanley has shaped the more stark and traditional strand of bluegrass music. His participation in the soundtrack recording O Brother, Where Art Thou—an album that has sold more than 7 million copies—earned him three Grammys, including the Best Country Male Vocalist award. He holds a fourth Grammy for his recordings with artist Jim Lauderdale.

The Virginia Press Assn. named Stanley its 2004 Virginian of the Year, and President George Bush honored him in 2006 with a National Medal of Arts. Earlier this year, the Virginia General Assembly cited Stanley for lifetime achievements.

The other Governor’s Award recipients—chosen from among 345 nominees—are Bruce Miller, Phil Whiteway and Richmond’s Theatre IV, the state’s first professional children’s theater, the Richmond Ballet and its artistic director, Stoner Winslett; the Bob Brown Puppets; the William King Regional Arts Center of Abingdon; the Richmond Jazz Society; the Hampton University Museum; Ralph Cohen and Jim Warren for their work with the American Shakespeare Center; SHENANDOAH: The Washington and Lee University Review; and David and Susan Goode for their leadership roles in various state arts organizations.

Share This

Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain will kick off a Bluegrass Concert Series promoted by BluegrassFM 89.5 WWED in Fredericksburg, VA on November 1.

Fredericksburg, VA — Bluegrass FM, a two station broadcast radio network in Virginia, begins a five concert series this fall in Fredericksburg VA. The series will start November 1 and run through March 14 at the 1,100 seat Massaponax High School auditorium. It will be the first fall-winter concert series of its kind along the I-95 corridor between DC and Richmond.

The series is a fund-raising opportunity for Bluegrass FM stations WWED 89.5 in Fredericksburg and its sister station WWEM 91.7 in Lynchburg which are both operated as non-commercial, non-profit and donor-supported stations and provide an all-bluegrass music format 24/7 to thousands of listeners across Virginia.

The Massaponax High School Fine Arts Department is presenting the concert series with Bluegrass FM and will also benefit from the events. Corporate sponsors are being sought. Companies which are interested can contact Bluegrass FM through its website: www.BluegrassFm.org.

The season lineup features:

• Nov. 1 — Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain, IIIrd Tyme Out
• Dec. 6 — Balsam Range and the Larry Stephenson Band
• Jan. 10 — Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice (tentative) and Kenny & Amanda Smith
• Feb. 14 — Gold Heart and the Lonesome River Band
• Mar. 14 — Sierra Hull and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Share This

The Federal Communications Commission has approved an application submitted by WWED 89.5 in Fredericksburg to increase its FM broadcast power from 380 watts to 16,000 watts.

The station, known as “Bluegrass FM”, simulcasts with its sister station WWEM 91.7 in Lynchburg, VA. The two stations provide all bluegrass music non-commercially 24 hours a day, seven days a week to thousands of listeners daily across Virginia.

Bluegrass FM will need to replace its current transmitter, antenna and antenna line before the power increase can take effect. The project will cost an estimated $100,000 and will need to be raised in the form of donations from listeners and corporate sponsors. Once the project funds are received, equipment can be ordered and installed.

Once the upgrade is complete, the station’s coverage will be significantly increased toward Richmond, Charlottesville and Culpeper and provide a denser and more listenable signal into portions of Northern Virginia south of Washington, D.C.

Completion of the power increase is anticipated in mid-2009.

For more information visit www.BluegrassFm.org

Share This

The Appalachian String Band Music Festival begins July 30 and runs through August 3 in Clifftop, West Virginia. Photo by Michael Keller.

Connecticut

July 31 - August 3 — Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival - East Hartford, CT.
Bluegrass artists expected to perform include: Blistered Fingers, Blue Moon Rising, Dale Ann Bradley, Dailey & Vincent, Cadillac Sky, The Infamous Stringdusters, Claire Lynch Band, Tony Trischka Double Bluegrass Banjo Spectacular, Nothin’ Fancy, Dan Paisley & Southern Grass, Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad, The Steeldrivers and more. A 4 day festival pass that includes camping is available for $155 at the gate and single day tickets range from $22 - $43 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free and discounts are available for Seniors (65+) and Juniors (13-17) .

Indiana

July 31 - August 2 — Bean Blossom Gospel Jubilee - Bean Blossom, IN.
Bluegrass gospel acts scheduled to appear include: The Sullivan Family, Jimmmy Hicks Family, The McPhersons, The Uplanders Singing Band, The Howards, Chapman Family, Lighthouse Gospel Singers and more. Tickets at the gate range from $13 - $20 and camping onsite runs from $6.42 / person for rough camping. RV Hookups sites are available for $21.40 (30 amp) and $26.75 (50 amp) double occupancy.

Kentucky

July 31 - August 2 — Osborne Brothers Hometown Festival - Hyden, KY.
Bluegrass Artists schedule include: Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press, Dean Osborne Band, Dr. Ralph Stanley and His Clinch Mountain Boys, The Grascals, Lonesome River Band, Curtis Burch, J.D. Crowe & the New South, Kenny Baker & Josh Graves Jr. James Monroe, The Sullivan Family, Vince Combs, Kentucky Wind and more. Single Day tickets will be available at the gate for $10 (Thur) and $20 (Fri - Sat). The festival also features free primitive camping according to their website.

Michigan

July 30 at 8:00 P.M. — Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen - The Ark in Ann Arbor. MI.

New Hampshire

July 31 - August 3 — Pemi Valley Bluegrass Festival - Campton, NH.
Bluegrass artists schedule include: Nothin’ Fancy, Beartracks, Remington Ryde, Hurricane Creek, Pine Hill Ramblers, Goldwing Express, Cabin Fever band and more. A three day festival pass at the gate is priced at $58. Single day passes range from $10 - $30. Free primitive field camping with a 3 day pass. Children under 13 are free with paid adult and 13-16 are half - price.

Virginia

July 31 - August 2 — Bluegrass in the Blue Ridge’ Shriner’s Festival - Luray, VA
Along with host band Michelle Nixon and Drive expect to see the Bluegrass Brothers, Goldwing Express, Wildwood Valley Boys, Paul Williams & Victory Trio, the James King Band, Wayne T. Holt Band, Makeshift, the Carolina Rebels and more. A three day festival pass is $45 at the gate with children under 12 free with paid adult. Kids 13-17 are half price with paid adult. Rough Camping is $5 per night.

West Virginia

July 30 - August 3 — Appalachian String Band Music Festival - Clifftop, WV.
The Appalachian String Band Music Festival features banjo, fiddle and band contests, square dancing, tons of workshops for musicians and dancers alike. a Yoga class will be taught daily. The festival will also feature many activities and arts and crafts workshops for the children as well as adults. Ticket information is available on the web site.

Share This