Boone Woods Bluegrass Festival, Saturday October 11 at Boone Woods Park in Burlington, KY

Another season of the Festival of the Bluegrass in Lexington, Ky has come and gone but this year’s event was a great one. The festival featured some of its recurring favorites again this year such as:

• JD Crowe and the New South
• IIIrd Tyme Out
• Mountain Heart
• Dry Branch Fire Squad
• Seldom Scene

Friday night was featured not only JD and the New South but a lot of thunderstorms. While the crowd was down a bit at the venue, most were back at the camper listening on the radio. One of the highlights Friday night was when JD joined IIIrd Tyme Out on stage and played a few tunes with them while Steve Dilling stood back and enjoyed seeing one of his favorites play.

On Saturday the weather changed, the sun came out and so did the rag-heads. The venue was packed with lawn chairs and people of all sizes, shapes and sobriety. Saturday not only featured Mountain Heart and Seldom Scene (who always closes out the festival Saturday night) but also some new bands for the festival.

The Wilson Family featured Clint Wilson, 2006 Florida State Sr. Division Banjo Champion, and his family of very talented musicians and singers. One of their songs that was particularly well done was won written by Clint and a friend, called My Old Kentucky Home. While its not on their latest album its a good one.

Another new band for the festival is one that all of us have come to enjoy over the past few years, The Grascals. I particularly enjoyed the band’s energy and interaction with the audience. During their first set they said they’d been calling the Cornett’s to get on the stage at the Festival of the Bluegrass for the past seveal years (did he say 5?) but this year the Cornett’s called the Grascals. Why did it take so long to get this band on the stage in Lexington?

The guys from the Grascals stayed around their CD table until the last fan was gone. As I saw their bus preparing to leave, I saw Terry Eldredge still talking with friends and fans in the parking lot. These guys seemed to enjoy what they do and their fans.

A few bands were also missing from the line up this year. Blue Highway with Rob Ickes’ dobro were missed as well as Phil Leadbetter’s Grasstowne.

The NKBMA has announced that its annual festival dates have changed for 2008. According to the web site

Pickin’ For Memory

2008

NKBMA Bluegrass Festival

In Sparta Kentucky

Our Festival has been moved this year to:

June 26th, 27th, and 28th!

BABA
The Texas State Mandolin Championship will be held in League City, Texas on Saturday, July 21, 2007. Location: 300 W. Walker at the Johnny Arolfo Civic Center. Competition starts at 6:00 PM, contact person if you want to enter is Rick Kirkland, see our website for details at www.bayareabluegrass.org for this event and all kinds of others too. If you don’t surf, Rick’s phone is 281-488-2244 and if you do have email his address is crk5820@msn.com

THE SAME NIGHT!! A workshop AND a stage show by the incomparable Daniel Carwile, 6-time National Champion fiddle player. Tasty, inexpensive food and soft drinks are available for sale in the BABA kitchen in case you like dinner with your music.

Come and check out the show, you’ll be glad you did.

BABA presents Bluegrass stage shows and jamming sessions on the third Saturday of each month excepting May (Fire on the Strings Festival) and December (Christmas). Admission to the shows is free, and the buiding is open for jamming starting @ 4:30 PM while the stage shows start @ 6:30 or 7:00 PM. The whole family is welcome – pickers will have plenty of folks for jamming and non-pickers can enjoy the music and raffle items and the good people of the bluegrass community.

Thanks to this list site for the great opportunity to pass on information!
Judy Sturgeon, Bay Area Bluegrass Association.

From Cybergrass.com,

Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival November 17 & 18, 2006 at the Roberts Convention Centre Wilmington, Ohio.

The Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival one of the Midwest’s premiere Bluegrass events is now being held twice annually at the Roberts Convention Centre in Wilmington, OH. You can now enjoy some of the finest Bluegrass performances in November and in March. Featured performers include:Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out, James King Band, Blue Highway, Wildfire, Don Rigsby and Midnight Call and MORE! In addition to great Bluegrass performances there will be workshops. All-Night Jam Sessions welcome! Free parking including RV space. Completely handicap accessible. Smoke and alcohol free concert area. For tickets and more information see www.somusicfest.com.