Way Down Upon the Suwannee River
Beth and Randy Judy’s nationally recognized music festivals have changed the lives of many and changed names from MagnoliaFest (held in October) and Suwannee SpringFest (held in March) to Suwannee Roots Revival and Suwannee Spring Reunion respectively. While I’ve always considered all four of these festivals to be one and the same, I used to hear folks claim that MagnoliaFest was more jam band-oriented and SpringFest more acoustic-minded. I’m still not sure if this is true. While there are other music events that take place at The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, I (and many of the artists included in this article) will be using the umbrella term “Suwannee” to refer to any one of these four magical festivals curated by “Music Farmers” Beth and Randy Judy.
Twice a year for close to three decades, music lovers have gathered at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida to be a part of a living musical legacy. Every big name in the business has graced the famous Amphitheater Stage. Suwannee is where I first saw legends like Tony Rice and David Grisman perform as well as where I discovered top-tier regional talent like Sam Pacetti, Gabe Valla, and Josh Pinkham. For a bluegrass-obsessed college kid, attending Suwannee was extremely formative and beyond inspirational. In 2002 my biggest musical goal was to play Suwannee — which I achieved three years later! Being a part of the Suwannee family has enriched my life with music and people beyond what I deserve and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. From the sound crew to the artists; from the festival goers to the vendors; it is clear we all feel lucky to be part of the Suwannee family.
Suwannee founders Beth and Randy Judy were business and life partners until Randy passed away in April of 2024. In 2016 Randy suffered his second stroke which dramatically changed his lifestyle. Even still, he continued to attend every festival — sitting right at the side of the Main Stage. While I’m sure the music was healing, it was hard on those who loved Randy to see him not as himself. This past March, at the most recent Suwannee Spring Reunion, several of the artists took part in a heartfelt musical memorial to Randy, and the Amphitheater Stage was renamed Big Cosmo’s Amphitheater in his honor. Randy “Big Cosmo” Judy was a friend and musical visionary who improved the lives of so many. Randy believed in me and I would not be doing what I do without his influence in my life.
Recently while talking with Beth Judy, I asked her about the origins of Suwannee. Beth explained,“The first festival Randy and I ever produced was Suwannee SpringFest in March of 1997. The first fall festival was October 1997 called Big Cosmo’s Sunshine Daydream Weekend. Starting the next year in 1998 it was called MagnoliaFest.
Big Cosmo’s Sunshine Daydream Weekend was initially intended to be a one-time event. The park had this date in October and we decided to produce an event that was dedicated to the memory and spirit of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead. Not a festival that played the Dead’s music, although some bands did that, but a place where the spirit and community as well as the wide variety of musical styles that influenced their music was reflected in our lineup. We knew this audience well and were able to gather them together to support our goal of building a music community based on family, friendship, music, fun, and a loving spirit.” It has always been challenging for me to describe what style of music you’ll hear at Suwannee. While many consider Suwannee to be a bluegrass festival it’s not confined or defined by any one genre. Beth affirmed, “Attempting to describe the style/genre of music at our festivals to someone who has not been is very tough. We usually said we book what we like to listen to. Randy and I had similar but different tastes, and he opened the doors to me, so to speak, and introduced me to tons of different music, starting with the Grateful Dead. He was the bluegrass guy with a history of attending festivals in the 70’s such as Stompin’ 76, The Big Stomp, and a whole plethora of fiddlers conventions from Maryland to the Carolinas.”
Beth continued, “So when we met in the 80’s and started our musical journey which led to our producing festivals in the late 90’s, we had considerable experience under both our belts. Our standard line was bluegrass, new-grass, singer-songwriter, folk, country, rock, Celtic, and more. We gave preference to original music and the style could be most anything. When the term Americana started being bandied about and we joined the Americana Music Association in its first year, Randy and I played the game we called ‘Americana or Not?’ A similar question to this one is ‘How do we put a lineup together?’ I always said that making a lineup is like painting a picture. Each band is a hue of a color, and we just pick all the hues that make each festival painting come together in the best way. It’s difficult to explain how we know if a color fits for each time, but I think the analogy is good. It really comes down to you know it when you hear it!”
Over the decades, a core group of artists have emerged as regulars. These performers have grown up right alongside the festival goers creating a real relationship between musician and fan. I had a chance to ask some of the Suwannee veterans about what makes Beth and Randy’s festivals unique to them and what it’s like to be a part of the Suwannee family.
Banjo frontman Jeff Mosier explained, “Beth and Randy brought together a mix of traditional and boundary-pushing musicians, creating a space where we could collaborate, grow, and truly be ourselves. What made the festival so special — and why we all kept coming back — was the deep sense of community. There was no divide between the stage and the crowd. Fans and musicians shared the same space, the same energy, and the same love for the music. It was a non-judgmental environment that encouraged originality and connection, where sitting in with our heroes gave us the validation to keep going until the next time we could all gather again.”
Songwriting legend Jim Lauderdale said, “Beth and Randy Judy created a home for musicians of various styles of roots music and bluegrass has always been such a major foundation of their vision. To be able to listen to, watch, be so close to, laugh, and interact with heroes such as Vassar, Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Del, and Billy Strings has meant a lot and means more as the years go by. There’s a lot of sitting in with different bands onstage and a lot of camaraderie going on. It’s a big go-to happy place for music lovers.”
Bluegrass icon Peter Rowan has played nearly every festival that Beth and Randy have produced. Rowan commented “I really feel like I’m part of the family. I have fond memories of many performances with Tony Rice and Vassar Clements at Suwannee.”
Flatpicking guru Jon Stickley added, “Suwannee is our (Jon Stickley Trio) favorite place to play music, and we are so honored to return year after year. It’s truly a reunion of friends and family that leaves us feeling recharged and hopeful in the face of whatever life brings.”
Acoustic music legend Joe Craven has been educating and entertaining Suwannee attendees for so long that his set has become multigenerational, performing alongside his talented daughter Hattie. Craven explained, “My first experience at Suwanee was with the David Grisman Quintet at the very first MagnoliaFest called Big Cosmo’s Sunshine Daydream. After seeing me perform with Dawg, they approached me asking if I ever did anything on my own and, well, I’ve been coming most years ever since – from solo to various ensembles.”
Craven added, “In spite of name changes and struggles through the years there is nothing like Beth and Randy’s festival family of CommUNITY — all-inclusive, eclectic, and multigenerational. Folks have watched youngsters like Lyndsay Pruett become top-shelf touring artists having grown up in the Spirit of the Suwannee Park. Now I bring my daughter who, like Lyndsay, has grown her career based to a large degree on the validation and permission to learn music and share it with others. Outside of Spring Reunion and Roots Revival, we live in a world of different languages, faiths, and viewpoints on economics and politics. But when we gather by the Suwanee River, we find that music unites us all.”
Spirit of Suwannee Music Park is also home to Suwannee Spirit Kids Music Camp. The camp is held four times a year and works together with the non-profit Live Oak Music and Arts Foundation (LOMAF) keeping kids inspired and involved. Kids Camp founder Charley Dame explained how Suwannee has enriched his life. Dame said, “It was the family nature of those festivals that got me and my kids hooked — and now my grandchildren look forward to the festivals as much their parents and I did.”
J.B. Ritter has been working with the festival sound crew for more than half his life. Ritter said, “They (Beth and Randy) gave me the opportunity to become part of the LOMAF family and help spread the love of playing music to the surrounding areas as well as festival goers. I am eternally grateful for their trust in me. 28 years and counting!”
Like every real family, there is also loss and grief. Over the years we have lost beloved members of the Suwannee family. After Vassar Clements passed in 2005 Sundays at Suwannee were renamed “Vassar Sunday” in his memory. This tradition continues strong to this day and Vassar Sunday has become a day to honor all those in the Suwannee family who are no longer here such as the great Sue Cunningham, the talented Kathryn Belle Long, and now festival founding father Randy Judy.
Bluegrass and related genres are more popular today than ever. Currently, the Suwannee family continues to grow and new artists are added to the lineup every year. In nearly three decades Suwannee has certainly left its mark on the festival scene. As I meet bluegrass fans from all over the country and even the world it has become evident that folks have Suwannee on their bucket list of destination festivals.
When asked what’s in store for the future of Suwannee Roots Revival and Suwannee Spring Reunion Beth optimistically commented, “The feeling at this past Spring Reunion was one of pure joy and love – you could literally feel it in the air. My goal for both these events is to keep that feeling going with the very best music that I can find that fits each festival painting and supports our mission of nourishing our community with a gathering in the spring and fall seasons that leave you feeling better when you leave than when you got there.”
