Great American Bluegrass Jam Weekend Recap
Bluegrass music was thriving throughout every corner of downtown Owensboro, Kentucky with the inaugural Great American Bluegrass Jam. Held on March 17th-19th, the bluegrass weekend concept evolved from the city’s effort to reinforce Owensboro as a destination for all bluegrass fans. On Friday, things kicked off early at the Holiday Inn Riverfront as pickers were jamming in the lobby by 7 am for the Kentucky Fried Pickin’ hotel event. Guests continued to arrive throughout the day, meeting friends old and new, to stretch the strings. By lunchtime, Michael Cleveland was holding court in the Burger Theory restaurant delighting fellow pickers and diners alike.
Hotel rooms were sold out for the event with visitors from 12 states. Pam Waterford drove over two hours from her home in Bloomington, Indiana to jam and take in everything Owensboro had to offer. She commented, “The Great American Bluegrass Jam and Kentucky Fried Pickin’ not only bring friends together, but strangers with a kindred spirit. You can play music with a wide variety of musicians, and they are likely to become lifetime friends because of the strong connection created from sharing music. It’s always a great time in Owensboro!”
As the daytime pickers came up for air around dinner time, many of the visitors strolled along the riverfront walk a few blocks west to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum to catch the Earls of Leicester featuring Jerry Douglas on Friday night. The concert was sold out in advance. Several pockets of jamming continued to grow throughout the evening, led by Kings Highway mandolinist and Kentucky Fried Pickin’ organizer Mark Hargis.
On Saturday morning, the Holiday Inn Riverfront was hopping with pickers in the lobby taking in their coffee and making plans for the day. Some pickers headed to the Windy Hollow Biscuit House to try their famous scratch biscuits and catch a live performance by Kings Highway. A chartered shuttle left the Holiday Inn Riverfront at 10 am for a sold-out tour of the birthplace of Bill Monroe in nearby Ohio County. Tour guests were treated to a full bluegrass experience at the Bill Monroe homeplace, the Rosine Barn, Uncle Pen’s cabin, and lunch at the Bill Monroe Museum. Guests then stopped by the Rosine cemetery to pay respects to Monroe before heading back to the to Owensboro, about a 25-minute drive through the rolling hills of western Kentucky.
Green River Distilling Company was sold out Friday and Saturday for bourbon tastings and tours of the historic rickhouses housing the barrels of bourbon. Known as the western gateway to Kentucky’s bourbon trail, the distillery provided free shuttles from the Holiday Inn to the distillery located just a couple miles away.
At the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship kicked off at 10 am with the Junior-Junior Fiddle age group of 12 and under. Fiddle, old time banjo, dancing, and old-time singing contestants filled the day culminating in the Championship Fiddle-Off. Joel Whittinghill of Bowling Green, Kentucky took home the championship honors in the fiddle off. Owensboro’s big red trolley shuttled all the bluegrassers throughout the downtown area with free rides between the Holiday Inn, restaurants, and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
As dusk fell along the banks of the Ohio, the bluegrass faithful began migrating back to the Holiday Inn fueled by bluegrass heritage from Rosine, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, and seeing some of the nation’s best contest fiddlers shine. It was time to pick and keep the music going. About six continuous jam sessions evolved throughout the first floor of the riverfront hotel, taking over the open Burger Theory restaurant and bar as well as convention meeting rooms and more. The music continued all night for the serious jammers into Sunday morning.
The second day of the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship kicked off at 10 am with flatpick guitar, mandolin, bluegrass banjo, and dulcimer. With over $10,000 awarded in cash prizes, the contest featured 138 contestants from 13 states.
The inaugural All American Bluegrass Jam weekend was a great success for all the partners involved, including the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Ohio County Tourism, Green River Distilling Co., and the Holiday Inn Riverfront. Events like this celebrating bluegrass will continue to reinforce Owensboro as a premiere destination for bluegrass fans around the world. Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum executive director Chris Joslin commented, “From hosting the first World of Bluegrass in 1986 to the All American Bluegrass Jam, bluegrass music’s heritage and future are thriving on the banks of the Ohio.” Planning for next year’s event is already underway for March 2024, mark your calendars!
