Well look know further, tune into “Bluegrass Express” with Sweet Brenda & Him
at WBBC Bobcat Country Radio 93.5FM or listen on the web at http://www.bobcatcountryradio.com
The “Bluegrass Express” with Sweet Brenda & Him schedule…
Wednesday evenings… 6 – 9pm
and also tune in,
Sunday mornings… Sweet Brenda & Him – Gospel Bluegrass – 7am – 10am
Bluegrass Music and Bluegrass Festivals In Ontario
If you are a bluegrass music fan and love bluegrass festivals then you
must check out bluegrass festivals in Ontario Canada. That’s right, the
province of Ontario is a wealth of bluegrass music and talent and if you
didn’t know that, you’ve been missing out.
I’m writing about bluegrass festivals in Ontario to spread the news of a
well deserved recognition. Not only is there quite a few bluegrass
festivals through each year but they are quality bluegrass festivals. Of
course I’m a little biased because I’m from Ontario Canada and I’m
proud of our music. But recognition is deserved and that’s just a fact.
Now I’m not saying bluegrass festivals in Ontario are better than
anywhere else in the world but I want people to know how rich in
talent we are. I love bluegrass music and I’ve been to festivals in the
United States and they were absolutely amazing but it’s great to know
if I can’t make it down south, at least I can attend great festivals that
are close to home.
Bluegrass Festivals In Ontario worth attending in 2012
We are into a new year and the bluegrass festivals in Ontario are soon
to kick off for 2012. Many friends and acquaintances are anxiously
waiting for the bluegrass festival season to begin.
We Canadians don’t have the luxury of seeing many festivals through
the winter months, maybe some indoor festivals but not outdoor festivals. So
by the time June rolls around, we are ready!
Here is a list of Bluegrass Festivals in Ontario…
Quinte Isle Bluegrass Celebration – June 8 -10
Bluegrass in the Country (Manitoulin Island) – June 8 -10
Tottenham Bluegrass Festival – June 15 -17
River Valley Bluegrass & Country Gathering – July 5 -8
Renfrew Valley Bluegrass Festival – July 12 -15
Minden Hills Bluegrass Festival – July 20 -22
Palmer Rapids Twin Music Festival – July 26 -29
River Valley Bluegrass Jamboree – July 1 -5
Flinton Bluegrass Jamboree – August 3 -5
Holstein Bluegrass Celebration – August 10 -12
Conestoga Trails Bluegrass & Gospel Festival – August 17 -19
Sand Road Bluegrass Festival – August 16 -19
River Valley Bluegrass & Country Windup Weedend – August 31 -Sept.1
6th Annual Upper Canada Bluegrass Festival – September 14 -16
These are the bluegrass festivals I know of and if I missed one or another is
scheduled, I will be sure to add it to the list.
Support Bluegrass Festivals in Ontario
There have been a few bluegrass festivals in Ontario that have been cancelled
over the years. It’s going to happen from time to time regardless of what we do.
But we can support the festivals by attending and spreading the word to our
friends. One successful way of getting the word out is on Facebook. There is
quite a bluegrass community on Facebook and talking about bluegrass festivals
and bluegrass music goes really viral.
Christmas just wouldn’t be complete without a sprinkle
of bluegrass music.
Christmas is a special time of year where most people
around the world get to slow down and spend some
quality time with family and friends.
…. and you can bet there are thousands of bluegrass
musicians gathering together and picking some of
their favorite bluegrass songs all over the world!
Christmas spirit shared through Bluegrass Music
I wanted to put a post together and feature some
great videos featuring Christmas bluegrass music.
Enjoy!
—————————————————————-
The Del McCoury Band, Blue Christmas & Christmas Time’s Comin’
Rhonda Vincent - Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
Earl Scruggs and Bluegrass All Stars Jingle Bells
Beautiful Star Of Bethelehem—Larry Sparks & Lonesome Ramblers
Hard Ryde – Winter Wonderland
Roland
P.S – Merry Christmas to you and yours from us at Bluegrass Festival Hangout!
Hope you enjoyed Bluegrass Music: Christmas Style.
Living in Canada, we miss the experience of bluegrass festivals during the winter months. Canadian bluegrass fans endure a long wait until the first bluegrass festival of each new year.
It’s been three long months since I’ve been to a bluegrass festival already. I don’t know about you, but that just isn’t natural or right. It will likely be May of 2012 before I make it to another one unless I win a lottery and retire.
Of course we have indoor bluegrass events in Canada that are really good with local bluegrass bands as well as bands from the United States and other countries. But nothing quite adds up to the experience of an outdoor bluegrass festival and I think you will agree. The daytime sun, the smell of food cooking, people all over the place socializing, the night time jams around the campsites and so on….
So when I saw a posting on Facebook, about a video of this film “Bluegrass Country Soul” it inspired me to blog about it and share with other bluegrass music fans that haven’t heard of it before.
I’m not sure how this film slipped by me but I figured maybe I’m not the only one. There is a lot of great footage of the camping and campsite jamming, not ot mention some great scenes of bluegrass legends playing in the day.
You will enjoy seeing the cars, clothes, hairstyles of the early seventies. Even the campers and the lawnchairs are a spectacle to see! Just think, one day, thirty or forty years from now, folks will be watching a bluegrass festival video of our time.
What Is Bluegrass Country Soul About?
Bluegrass Country Soul captures the sights, sounds, and magic of this three-day outdoor festival, the first of its kind, featuring bluegrass veterans and future stars alike sharing the primitive wood and cinder block stage. This documentary does more than just capture on of the largest bluegrass festivals of that decade, it’s also an interesting mixture of live performances, interviews, impromptu jam sessions and crowd footage of live music set in a small town surrounded by the now long gone red clay and tobacco shacks of North Carolina.
A mention should go to the creator of this film, Albert Ihde.
This video below is amazingly entertaining.
Enjoy!
Hope you enjoy this article about Bluegrass Country Soul!
Tonight on “WORLD WIDE BLUEGRASS” Ernie & Deb will be talking about the growing popularity of bluegrass internationally and the 33rd annual Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards. Our special guest will be Melissa Sherman from Trenton, Ontario… Be with us by clicking here ——-> http://www.worldwidebluegrass.com
Back in August 2007 we set out on a road trip that I will remember for ever. I believe it lasted nearly two weeks.
The road trip included two bluegrass festivals, jamming, The Gibson Brothers double shot and great friends! It started off with a stop in Governeur NY to see the Gibson Brothers, Hard Ryde and others. Also we were travelling with our new trailer for the first time. It was a 28FT. travel trailer with two slide outs and we were excited about that let me tell you!
So like I said we got to see the Gibson Brothers at both festivals which was a treat.
When we arrived at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival we heard of thunderstorm warning and possibly high winds in the name of a possible tornado. Not the words I wanted to hear seeing we were out with the new trailer for the first time.
The first day of the festival turned out great but on the Saturday is when the nasty winds came through. So up went the awnings and we hunkered down for a while. Everything turned out fine except for about 100 lawn chairs were knocked over and part of a tent that is set up for the fans to sit under. It was a bit wet too but all in all everything and everyone were fine thank goodness. Then the skies cleared and the music was back on!
On Sunday we headed home. My inlaws were travelling with us in their motorhome and wouldn’t you know it we got split up from them as we were getting on the Interstate as we were leaving Gettysburg.
We weren’t sure if they were ahead of us or behind us so we just kept travelling in hopes of catching up with them. It started to rain hard as we got into the mountains and the fog was getting thick as darkness came. So we pulled into a Hampton Inn & Cracker Barrell. The Hampton Inn wanted more for a room than I was willing to part with so we stayed in the trailer at the Cracker Barrell parking lot. The kids were happy about that.
When we woke up breakfast was waiting for us at The Cracker Barrell. Always a for sure stop for us when travelling in the United States.
We actually got a hold of my inlaws on the phone and we met them about an hour up the road that morning. All was good!
So always remember, the road trip is half the fun when going to a bluegrass festival. Make it enjoyable and don’t stress over minor things, especially when your inlaws get lost
Here is a video Don Adams put together of the Gettysburg Bluegrass festival from 2006. I should also mention Don is playing banjo in this video as well!
The 4th Conestoga Trail Bluegrass and Gospel Festival took place on August 12-14, 2011
My family and I attended the first two bluegrass festivals at this venue starting in 2008. We missed the festival last summer (2010) but we were determined to be there in 2011. Obviously there has been a lot of good talk and word of mouth being spread about this bluegrass festival. The attendance is growing every year and the bluegrass bands are mentioning that they have heard lots of good things about it!
The weather turned out wonderful as it always does. It didn’t always look that way but the rain held off.
There was so much going on at this festival. Of course you have the bluegrass music but you also have numerous workshops, wood carving, shopping, 50/50 draws, guitar raffle, campsite jamming, slow jams put on by The Pineridge Bluegrass & Folklore Society and much more! Lets not forget this festival is a fundraiser for the Brant Community Healthcare System. All the fundraising efforts at this festival go toward the purchase of medical equipment. Over $5000 was raised on this weekend!
The friends of Bluegrass Festival Hangout and families got to see a variety of bluegrass bands that we haven’t seen before. There were four bands from the United States and four bands from Canada. A great mixture if you ask me!
Here was the lineup….
Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers The Stevens Family Ernie Evans and The Florida State Bluegrass Band Rhyme N Reason Lonesome Meadow Bill White and White Pine Concession 23 The Tebworth Brothers
Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers are one of those bluegrass bands that stand out. They are such a tight band and a crowd pleaser. They blend quite a bit of bluegrass gospel and humor in their sets and do a wonderful job at it. I know they made a new fan in me. They were also seen visiting late night campsite jams and mixing it up with the people. I managed to shoot a lot of video of them performing. Some of it is a bit dark but I did the best of what I had to work with.
The Stevens Family are a returning bluegrass band from last year. The fans liked them so much that they requested they return for 2011. They are an all family unit which is hard to beat. The Stevens Family did some gospel bluegrass as well as regular bluegrass music in their sets. They were even out after the shows to mingle and play at the campsite jams. I think that is so cool. That’s the great thing about bluegrass music and bluegrass festivals, it’s like one big family! How many country shows or rock shows have you been to where the artists come out and mingle with their fans?
Ernie Evans and the Florida State Bluegrass Band were another band that I haven’t seen or heard of before. I thought they were pretty good. They had some sound trouble which didn’t help their show but you could tell they knew how to play bluegrass music. I really enjoyed the work they did on their instruments. Ernie sure can play guitar even when being very distracted. They also did a great gospel set on Sunday.
Rhyme N Reason are a bluegrass band from Ontario, Canada. They are having a great couple of years with lots of work in Canada and the United States. At the 2010 Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards, Rhyme N Reason were nominated in 8 different categories and awarded 5. Not bad at eh! Rhyme N Reason were suddenly called to fill in for another band that couldn’t make it and did a wonderful job at it.
The other bands such a Lonesome Meadow, Concession 23, Bill White and White Pine and The Tebworth Bothers all did a stellar job as well! Conestoga Trail Bluegrass Festival has been strong since it’s first year and I can see many more years of great bluegrass music for us. Gerry and Fran Morgan should be proud of what they have started. If you haven’t been to this bluegrass festival yet, give it a try in 2012. You will be glad you did.
I like how the organizers of this bluegrass event chose the word CELEBRATION in their title. When I first noticed this bluegrass festival announced on Facebook, my attention was drawn to the name. It stood out from the rest and I think that was a clever choice.
Celebration…
1. an act of celebrating. 2. the festivities engaged into celebrate something.
To me this event was an ideal celebration of the culture and genre we know as bluegrass music!
The first Holstein Bluegrass Celebration will stand out in people’s memories for some time I believe. From the friendly reception at the gate to the wagon ride down into the sugar bush where we could hear the sweet sounds of bluegrass music coming from the large rustic barn where the stage was set up.
You know how when you are going to an event for the first time and you aren’t quite sure what to expect? How your expectations aren’t the highest? Well I can assure you we were blown away with the whole experience. This event had all it’s T’s crossed and I’s dotted. If there was anything missed or unorganized, we didn’t notice.
The Band lineup included….
Hard Ryde (Host Band) Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show Traditionally Wound Badly Bent Simcoe County Ramblers Free Whiskey General Store Riverbend Gentlemen
Bluegrass Edition
Hard Ryde was the host band and did a great job as usual. I had the pleasure of meeting Doug and Melissa and they were gracious hosts for sure! I’ve seen Hard Ryde at a few different bluegrass festivals through the years and they are always a crowd pleaser. They play a lot of original tunes which is great to see. Here is a couple videos of Hard Ryde performing.
Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show (USA) came out to entertain and that’s what they did! Karl Shiflett is from the state of Texas. The band has a “retro” stage presence about them and they do a ton of traditional bluegrass & country music. Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show have their own unique style that separates them from anyone else. They are a must see and I spoke a bit with Karl and he is a super nice guy!
Traditionally Wound really impressed us as well. It was our first time seeing them perform. I’ve seen the members in different bands throughout the years but this ensemble seems to really gel. We look forward to seeing them again in the near future! In this video Traditionally Wound play two songs back to back.
Badly Bent are a band out of Toronto ON. Many people may not know this but Toronto has a rich bluegrass and acoustic music community. This was our first time seeing Badly Bent and we sure hope to see more of them. Marnie Niemi (Bass & Vocals) was joined by her 10 yr. old daughter Madeline for a few songs which was well received by the audience. There is lots of talent in this band and families.
All the bands did a great job but we didn’t get a chance to shoot video of them all. But I can tell you this, there was never a dull moment in the entertainment. Also a big hand goes out to the sound man and emcees of this event.
Like I mentioned, this festival was just awesome! There was plenty of camping, good food (roast beef dinner), great music and an overall great atmosphere!
Definitely mark The Holstein Bluegrass Celebration on your calender for 2012. You have my word that you will be equally impressed with this event and you will make it a yearly stop on the bluegrass festival circuit.
“Bluegrass Music can lift the lowest heart and touch the coldest one too. It can cause spontaneous outburst of joy or tears of sorrow. It makes you laugh and makes you think. It Praises God’s Holy Name. Bluegrass Music is real.” ~Dennis Jones
I read this quote on Facebook the other day and I sat there and pondered it for a while. All kinds of past and present thoughts went through my mind.
Music has a way of touching us in different ways. Music is so powerful. I guess it’s because music can tell stories of happiness or sadness. It can teach about life.
Music can lift you spiritually or the opposite.
For me music makes me happy and cheerful mostly . If I’m feeling a bit lazy or unhappy I just throw on a favorite bluegrass CD and let it rip! It’s like a shot of adrenalin. I also enjoy listening to the stories often of places I’ve never been and lifestyles of people from other places. There is a lot to be learned from bluegrass music. It’s a culture.
I’ve always liked the sound of the 5 string banjo and the fiddle. Then when I turned 36 I decided to get myself a banjo and learn how to play it. That’s when a big change happened for me personally. I took lessons for a couple years but I don’t always make the necessary time to progress. There are a few reasons for that but I won’t make any excuses.
Now I’m writing about bluegrass music and bluegrass festivals. I love everything to do with bluegrass music.
I’m no writer but I don’t care, I enjoy it and I’m going to do it!
Besides there is a saying I try to live by and so far it has given me the courage to do what I dream of in life. It goes like this…..
“You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going”
But lets get back to the power of bluegrass music. Bluegrass music has a way of bringing people together through many different avenues and bluegrass festivals are just one way. I never experienced anything like a bluegrass festival in my life before. When family and friends get together at a bluegrass festival, there isn’t anything quite like it. The music, likeness of musical instruments, camping and seeing familiar faces at every festival is what makes it unique from other genres of music. The memories last forever.
I once heard someone say that “once the bluegrass bug bites, you are never quite the same”. How true and there is no cure.
Bluegrass music can be shared and enjoyed among different generations and that is powerful.
Bluegrass music means different things to everyone. For myself it means many things and I enjoy it the most when I’m by myself cruising down a scenic country road. I’m at peace.
I guess it’s like the quote above says…. “Bluegrass Music Is Real”
Our day started off with a drive through some of the most scenic and beautiful regions of Ontario. The Minden Hills Bluegrass Festival is situated in the heart of the Haliburton Region. The drive along Highway #48 then Highway #35 takes you through blue lakes, rolling hills and quaint country towns which to me, is what summer is all about in Ontario, Canada.
The Minden Hills Bluegrass Festival hosted their very first bluegrass festival on July 15th to 17th 2011.
I believe it was a great start for an event such as a bluegrass festival. The location is great and the hosts from the Rotary Club & partners did a great job taking care of everyone’s needs.
Most importantly, the entertainment from The Tebworth Brothers, Bill White & White Pine, (newcomers) Simcoe County Ramblers and of course The Spinney Brothers was wonderful. I got to sit right up front and hear these bands up close. I think this is the best way to see a live show. You can really appreciate the show much more!
Like I mentioned before in a previous post about this bluegrass festival, I was personally excited to finally see The Spinney Brothers for the first time. I have a confession though, I took six videos of this band and all the videos didn’t turn out properly because I had set up the camera wrong. My apologies, nobody is more upset than me. I will make it up another time.
But I did manage to get some great shots of The Spinney Brothers. They played a great show. I highly recommend seeing them if you get the chance.
Another surprise to me was the Simcoe County Ramblers. They are a newly formed band and 2011 is their first year hitting the bluegrass festival circuit among other live music shows. They are a good tight band with some really good vocals from Jill Jones, Randy Brethour, and Gene Gouthro. Instrumentally they were pretty sound, and for you mandolin lovers out there be sure to check out Randy Brethour. He knows his way around this great instrument.
The Tebworth Brothers, (8 yr. old Wyatt & 6 yr. old Marshall) are a real joy to see. These young men are following in the footsteps of their grandpa and their daddy (Rob Tebworth) and doing a wonderful job at it. They are quite a crowd pleaser and the potential these two boys have is amazing. Look out for Tebworth Brothers in the years to come.
Bill White & White Pine just get better everytime I see them. Bill White has been playing live bluegrass music going on 36 years now and as far as I’m concerned is one heck of a representative of Canadian bluegrass music. Band members include Bill White, Joe White, Rob Tebworth, John Rennie, Glen McDonald & Barry Calthorpe. They play quite a few bluegrass festivals in Canada each summer and if you like your bluegrass hard driven be sure to check them out.
All the bands did a great job entertaining the multitude.
So be sure to add Minden Hills Bluegrass Festival to your calender in the summer of 2012 and tell your friends! I believe this bluegrass festival is going to be around for some time to come.
I know us here at Bluegrass Festival Hangout are looking forward to next years festival already!
Be sure to view more photos and videos of this bluegrass festival on our other pages.
