With summer approaching, the festival season will soon be in full swing in the Northeast. There will be plenty of banjos, fiddles and high-lonesome harmonies in New England. Among the bluegrass festivals taking place in the region early in the summer are the Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival (May 28-31) and both the Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival and the Jenny Brook Family Bluegrass Festival (June 18-21).
Artists slated to perform at the Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival in Preston, Connecticut include The Boston Boys, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Jonathan “Sunshine” Edwards, The Farewell Drifters, Amy Gallatin, The Gibson Brothers, The Greencards, The Kruger Brothers, Lonesome River Band, Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and the Josh Williams Band. A special folk music and dance tent on Saturday, May 30 will feature Girl Howdy, Tracy Grammer, The Kennedys and Red Molly.
A number of daytime instrumental workshops are on tap, as well as a vocals and arrangement workshop with the female Americana trio Red Molly and a songwriting workshop with the Gibson Brothers. In addition, there will be a Strawberry Park Kids Academy for Bluegrass, and folks desiring to take a break from the music can take a dip in one of three pools and relax in the whirlpool spas on the property.
Weekend passes, including camping in the rough, are $100 through May 25 and $120 after then. Daily and nighttime only passes also are available. For more information, visit www.strawberrypark.net/bluegrass.html.
The BlisteredFingers Family Bluegrass Festival takes place at the Silver Spur Riding Club in Sidney, Maine. Featured artists include Acoustic Blue, Aroostook County Bluegrass, Audie Blaylock & Redline, The Douthwrights, Smokey Greene, Kip Hemingway & Crooked River, The Lewis Family, Lizzy Long & Legacy, Anna Mae Mitchell & Rising Tide, The Muellers, The NitPickers, Robinson Gospel Sing Along, White Mountain Bluegrass, and, of course, Blistered Fingers.
In addition to featured/scheduled performances, there will be an open stage for acoustic bluegrass bands on Saturday afternoon and off-stage field-pickin’ throughout the extended weekend.
Four-day tickets, which include rough camping, are $55 until June 1 and $60 at the gate. Daily tickets also are available. Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free accompanied by their parents. For more information, visit www.blisteredfingers.com.
Although it has moved to a new location – the Tunbridge Fairgrounds in Tunbridge, Vermont – the Jenny Brook Family Bluegrass Festival still promises plenty of “bluegrass, Green Mountain style.” This year’s artist lineup features Bear Minimum, Beartracks, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Breakin’ Strings, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Gibson Brothers, Smokey Greene, Katahdin Valley Boys, Brenda Matthews & Friends, The Next Big Thing, Pine Hill Ramblers, Plexigrass, Reunion Band, Karl Shiflett & Big Country, and Tennessee Mountain Jug Band. The Seth Sawyer Band and The Sawyer Brothers serve as hosts.
For those arriving early, a Wednesday night barn dance will be preceded by a potluck supper — for which folks are advised to bring a dish to share. Daytime workshops, a kids academy, and nighttime pickin’ at the Sugar Shack round out the activities.
Weekend tickets — which include rough camping and admission to all shows and workshops, Thursday-Sunday — are $85. Early-bird camping for Wednesday is an additional $10. Daily tickets also are available. Children ages 16 and under will be admitted free with an adult, while those ages 17-18 pay half-price. More information on the festival can be found at www.jennybrookfestival.com.
AcousticMusicScene.com will preview more upcoming festivals in the weeks ahead.