Bluegrass Music | Genuine Kentucky

Always a Great Time: 18th Annual Pickin’ Party Old-Time Music Festival Returns to the Homeplace

May 17, 2016 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Pickin’ Party Old-Time Music FestivalMake no mistake about it, it’s always the right time to visit the Land Between the Lakes. There’s always so much to see and do – fun for the whole family. Next month, The Homeplace will be THE place to be on June 11th and 12th, especially if you love great music.

The Homeplace 1850s Working Farm hosts the Pickin’ Party Old-time Music Festival on Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bring lawn chairs, ground blankets, to relax under the cool shade trees while enjoying old-time music. The festival offers open mic opportunities for local musicians and attendees. Festival food is available for purchase at the farm. Visitors may bring their instruments for jamming sessions on both days at Land Between the Lakes.

“Hear some of the best old-time, string band, and bluegrass musicians in the south,” says Cindy Earls, Lead Interpreter at the Homeplace 1850s Farm. “We have local performer, songwriter, and folklorist, Nathan Blake Lynn, and fiddler, Josh Coffey, to MC this festival in the hollow. We also ask that everyone thank our sponsors–Kentucky Machine and Engineering in Cadiz, KY, and Murray State’s WKMS, who help make this event possible.”

This year’s lineup includes crowd favorites as well as newcomers:

Common Thread
Mark Dvorak
The Dixie Volunteers
Cumberland River Plowboys
All Strung Out
David Hurt portrays Grandpa Jones and performs – presented by Kentucky Chautauqua

Mandolin builder, Mike Holmes, also works his craft all weekend and offers his handmade mandolins for sale. In the event of rain, the Pickin’ Party moves to the indoor theater.

Festival and farm admission is $7 ages 13 and up, $5 ages 5-12, and free for ages 4 and under.

If you choose to stay overnight in the beautiful Land Between the Lakes region, be sure to consider the local Kentucky Resort State Parks:

2015 Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Music Celebration

September 15, 2015 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Celebration 2015

Keeping Bluegrass Music Alive and Rocking!

Excitement is building for the 2015 Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Music Celebration that’ll begin in just a matter of hours.

The annual celebration, which began in 2001, honors traditional Bluegrass music, as well as the “Father of Bluegrass,” himself, Bill Monroe. Generations of Bluegrass fans use festivals and celebrations such as Jerusalem Ridge to introduce future generations to music many Kentuckians consider “ours.”

Campbell Mercer, producer and promoter of the event, credits hundreds of volunteers who are donating their time and effort to preserve Bluegrass music.

“We try to make it as traditional as possible, as close as to the way it was when Bill Monroe was growing up in this area.” – Campbell Mercer

The festival is at Mercer’s farm (near Monroe’s birthplace) at 5520 U.S. 62.

The music festival used to be held in the fall, but this year is being moved up to Wednesday through Sunday (September 16 – September 20).

From the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer:

This is the second year there will be an open microphone for bands or single acts on the opening day of the festival. Square dancing is returning Saturday on the main stage.

On Sunday after the usual graveside church service at Rosine Cemetery, there will be Church in the Wild on the main stage at the festival grounds.

“The fellow that officiates that church service grew up with Bill Monroe,” Mercer said. “So that’s living history.”

There will be some new bands coming in this year, as well as traditional bluegrass, old time folk music, or mountain music.

Performances start at noon Wednesday, 10 a.m. on Thursday, 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon on Sunday, rain or shine.

About 35 bands are scheduled this year including Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers, Larry Gillis and his Hard Driving Swamp Grass Band, The Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show, Becky and the Butler County Boys, Alan Sibley and the Magnolia Ramblers, King’s Highway, Annabelle Watts, and more. – Bobbie Hayse, Messenger-Inquirer

For more information, including ticket prices (children under 12 are free), visit Jerusalem Ridge Festival or call 270-315-5151

Did You Know? The Jerusalem Ridge Festival is a A USA Today Top Ten Bluegrass Event!

U.S. Highway 23, Better Known as Country Music Highway

April 28, 2015 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

U.S. Highway 23, which runs through eastern Kentucky (from Greenup to Letcher County) is known as “Country Music Highway.”

The Kentucky Tourism Cabinet designated it Country Music Highway because of the impressive number of Country Music stars that have come from this region. More stars of Country Music have come from this one region than any other area of the United States. Pretty impressive, right?

These stars include…

Loretta Lynn
Billy Ray Cyrus
Tom T. Hall
Naomi and Wynonna Judd
Keith Whitley
Ricky Skaggs
Patty Loveless
Crystal Gayle
Dwight Yokum
Hylo Brown
Gary Stewart

To learn more about Country Music Highway’s history, attractions, events, and stars, check out Country Music Highway.

Country Music Highway – Inside Music Row 1243:

The video below is from a few years back, but there’s still some pretty interesting information.

Pine Mountain State Resort Park: The Hills Will Be Alive With Music!

September 8, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

The Beautiful Pine Mountain State Resort Park Lodge

Although this event has expired, there is always something to see and do in Kentucky. Visit our Kentucky Events page for up to the minute happenings and be sure to check out our Things to Do in Kentucky page. Keep an eye out for information on Genuine Kentucky about the 2015 Dulcimer Convention!

If you’re presented with ANY reason whatsoever to visit Pine Mountain State Resort Park, you should jump at the chance. This is one of the most scenic and gorgeous places in the entire country. It’s beautiful, year round, but when you’re there in Autumn, you simply do not want to leave.

If you love music – especially bluegrass music, the information below will give you a perfect chance to visit this incredibly beautiful Kentucky State Park.

Dulcimer players from far and near will gather Sept. 26-27 at Pine Mountain State Resort Park at Pineville for a music festival devoted to dulcimers – the 2014 Great American Dulcimer Convention.

The Appalachian dulcimer is a sweet-sounding string instrument played on the lap. Similarly named but unrelated is the many-stringed hammered dulcimer, which dates back to ancient times. Both types are spotlighted in the convention’s concerts by professional musicians and in workshops, open stage opportunities and jams open to all.

This year’s returning performers include Kentuckians Anne MacFie, a songwriter and balladeer, who organizes the festival; and multi-instrumentalist Randy Wilson, as well as mountain dulcimer champion Gary Gallier of Springfield, Missouri. Making their first performance at Pine Mountain are Steve and Ruth Smith, a hammered dulcimer-banjo duo from North Carolina; Square Thirteen, an Ohio band featuring the mountain dulcimer of Laura Elder; and from Rhode Island, Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly, a husband/wife duo excelling in singing, folk dancing and playing an array of instruments.

Convention activities begin with an 8 p.m. Friday evening (Sept. 26) concert by all six acts. Saturday morning (Sept. 27), the performers teach mountain and hammered dulcimer classes at beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. Afternoon activities include a group jam, open stage for dulcimer players, learning workshops and informal performances. The event winds up with a Saturday evening concert.

Information about tickets, lodging, dining and a special GADC weekend package from Pine Mountain State Resort Park is available by logging onto the park’s website: http://parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/pine-mountain/default.aspx or calling 800-325-1712. More information on the festival can be found at: http://americandulcimerconvention.com

About Pine Mountain State Resort Park

The park has a 30-room lodge, cottages and a full-service restaurant. It also has a golf course and other recreational opportunities for guests. Pine Mountain State Resort Park is located south of Pineville, on U.S. 25E, 10 miles north of Middlesboro.

See more pictures of Pine Mountain State Resort Park in our photo galleries! People (me, included) throw the words “breathtakingly beautiful” around pretty loosely, but Pine Mountain and Pine Mountain State Resort Park serve as reminder what the words really mean.

Bluegrass Through the Years Benefit Concert

June 21, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Loving bluegrass music isn’t just a passion in Kentucky, it’s kind of a birthright. I’m pretty sure those of us who were born here had an appreciation for banjo music when we were a day old. Even those who aren’t born here learn to love bluegrass music soon enough.

Heck, if they don’t, we ask them to leave.

Kidding aside (and I promise I was), I wanted to let you know about something that’s doubly exciting. “Doubly” because you have the opportunity to enjoy outstanding entertainment while doing your part to improve the lives of other’s.

The Bluegrass Through the Years Benefit Concert on September 29, 2012 at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, KY. will benefit Good Shepherd Community Nursing Center in Phelps, KY and Cedar Creek Assisted Living Community in Pikeville, KY. Both communities are part of the ministry of Presbyterian Homes and Services of Kentucky, Inc. PHSK helps provide services for those who may not be able otherwise afford care. PHSK will never turn anyone away based on financial difficulty and relies on donations to be able to do so.

I just have to interrupt myself for a second and give a great big “cyber hug” to anyone and everyone who devotes their lives to helping those who can’t fully support themselves. Thanks to God above for good Samaritans and people who walk the walk in addition to talking the talk. I respect you to the ends of the earth and back. I believe there’s a special place in Heaven for people who help other’s.

Appearing at this very worthwhile Bluegrass Benefit will be legendary banjo player JD Crowe, IBM award winning band, The Box Cars and local favorites Coaltown Dixie. Coaltown Dixie… now is that a great name or what?!

You can help PHSK by making a donation or purchasing tickets to the benefit concert.Ã?Â Either way you’ll be walking in the footsteps of heroes.

Music fans, check out the Mountain Arts Center homepage for more upcoming events.

J.D. Crowe and The New South: