The Venue

The Wayne Henderson Festival Ends After 30 Years

Henderson Reflects on Its Long Run Photos by Derek Halsey Southwest Virginia’s Wayne Henderson happens to be one of the most famous guitar builders in the world. He has also been one of the best fingerpick guitarists in the country for many years. And yet, for the majority of his amazing career, Henderson has lived…

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Participants (unidentified) enjoying the 2024 Deer Creek Fiddlers’ Convention. // Photo by Robert Schellhammer

Common Ground on The Hill

Sponsor of Multifaceted Enrichment and Opportunity The June issue of Bluegrass Unlimited included an article about the history and summer Traditions Weeks of Common Ground on the Hill, an initiative founded thirty years ago by Walt Michael on the campus of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.  That article promised this concluding part two to feature…

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The Del McCoury Band performing at DelFest. // Photo by Liz Pappas

DelFest 2024

A Gracious and Glorious Time Del Yeah! It is the popular refrain yelled by the crowd, seen on t-shirts, shouted from the stage, and shared by fans throughout the weekend at DelFest, the four-day bluegrass inspired festival.  The refrain is a playful take on DelFest founder, namesake, and bluegrass legend, Del McCoury’s name. The festival…

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Justin Freeman (guitar), Troy Jackson (bass), Amelia Freeman (mandolin), Savannah Hardin (guitar), Elijah Freeman (banjo) and Daniel Hardin (banjo). Amelia, Savanna, Elijah and Daniel are all High Lonesome Strings scholarship winners. Photo by Pammy Davis Lassiter

High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association

High Lonesome Strings (HLS), the central North Carolina-based bluegrass club, has been in existence for almost 27 years. Pammy Davis Lassiter founded the musical organization in July 1997. It has been going strong and growing ever since with a current enrollment of 202 members. Board member Lassiter, who still handles membership, the G Run Newsletter,…

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SPBGMA

Bluegrass’s Annual Ritual of Spring Photos By David McCarty Every year on the last weekend of the first month, the bluegrass faithful emerge from their winter burrows like cicadas after hibernation with no outdoor festivals and few indoor events, itching to pick. It may still be late January, but don’t try telling bluegrass that spring…

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Linda Neal playing banjo at the Crooked Road jam at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center.

20 Years of Celebrating the Music and Culture of Southwest Virginia

I have spent many hours driving through the Southwest Virginia region. In recent years, that has meant traveling to the Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention on the east side of this unique section of the commonwealth, or while on another journey, spending three days at the newly-created Blue Highway Fest in Big Stone Gap, which is…

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