The Venue

Hartford Memorial Festival Welcomes Back Crowds Following Two-year Interruption A two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, and a change of venue, did little to hinder the 10th Annual John Hartford Memorial Festival in Springville, Indiana. Nearly 2,000 people—including spectators, band members, vendors and staff workers—were present at the event, held from June 1 to June 4 at…

“Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  – Margaret Mead From September 27 through October 1, Raleigh, North Carolina, hosted the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass for the 10th consecutive year. Some 200,000 musicians and fans will visit…

In May of 2022 it was announced that Keith Whitley was to be inducted as the newest member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, with thousands of his fans and followers celebrating the news. But back in eastern Kentucky, plans for a musical celebration and a tribute had already been in the works for…

SCENIC NORTH CAROLINA CAMPUS STRIVES TO KEEP APPALACHIAN MUSIC, DANCE AND CULTURE ALIVE IN BRASSTOWN, NORTH CAROLINA The traditional Morningsong music program is offered several days a week at 7:45 a.m., and Friday performances are streamed live on the Folk School’s Facebook page. A socially distanced and masked crowd filled the historic Keith House Community…

For Dewey and Leslie Brown, seven is a lucky number. They wed in 2007. After seven years of marriage, the former Clinch Mountain Boy fiddler and his wife started their own business, Brown Entertainment, and opened their first musical venue, the Liberty Showcase, in Liberty, North Carolina, in 2014. Then, seven years later, they opened…

The Suwannee Spring Reunion Photos by Frank Serio In March 2022, I went to the Suwannee Spring Reunion to write about the event and interview a few musicians.  I had no idea what to expect. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I had never been to a music festival. Although I went to cover…