The Venue

Hills of Home Bluegrass Festival The Dr. Ralph Stanley Hills of Home Memorial Day Weekend Bluegrass Festival held at the Hills of Home Park in McClure, Virginia is one of the longest running bluegrass festivals in the United States.  With the exception of the 2020 and 2021 events being cancelled due to the pandemic, the…

The Man Behind the Curtain “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,”is a famous line from The Wizard of Oz. Musical promoters often are the ones behind the curtain that rarely receive recognition, but without them, both musicians and fans would be at a total loss.  Milton Harkey is an important man behind…

One Filmmaker’s Perspective I first heard live bluegrass music when I was 26 years old. Growing up in New Jersey, and going to college in Washington, DC, meant that my experience with bluegrass was limited to seeing Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, and hearing parts of Hee Haw, or The Beverly Hillbillies on TV. That level of personal exposure was…

Despite being home to some of the best bluegrass musicians in the country and the site of some of the most important historical events, there aren’t many places to regularly see live bluegrass in Nashville. The Station Inn continues to be a bluegrass beacon and you can still hear bluegrass most weeks on the Opry…

The New Executive Director of the IBMA Photo by Casey Campbell After an impressive run, the Executive Director of the IBMA, Paul Schiminger, has stepped down and Pat Morris has taken over the reins as the post-pandemic world plays out.  Morris is well-aware of what he is walking into and has the talent and experience…

It is perhaps the longest-running and most successful fund-raising project in the Moose realm. It is also one of the largest and most popular traditional music attraction in North America. “It” is the Old Fiddlers’ Convention sponsored by the Galax Moose Lodge #733. Begun in 1935, the Fiddlers’ Convention is held every August at Felts Park in…