KENDALLVILLE - The 34th annual Fall Tri-State Bluegrass Festival will be held over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-5, at the Noble County fairgrounds in Kendallville.
Sponsored by the Northern Indiana Bluegrass Association, a not-for-profit volunteer organization, this weekend is for the entire family. In addition to stage shows, there is plenty of music around the camp fires, day and night, and pickers are welcome and encouraged to join in.
There are three large covered areas at the stage and concession stands with a variety of food, novelties, compact discs and tapes. Limited bleacher seating is available, so lawn chairs (low-back only) are suggested. Limited parking for persons with disabilities is near the stage area.
One dozen bands from eight states and one foreign country will perform more than 29 hours of high-energy acoustic music on an outdoor stage. Featured at this year's festival is the energetic old-time band The Freight Hoppers, the Tommy Webb Band, Palmer Divide and, from France, the Blue Railroad Train.
Other attractions are: Sept. 2, 4-H fundraising dinner; Sept. 4, workshops conducted by professional musicians for most acoustic instruments, a beginners' jam session and a two-hour Kids' Korner, with complementary snacks, in the morning.
Performing bands are: Blue Railroad Train, France, Sept. 4-5; David Davis & Warrior River Boys, Alabama, Sept. 4; Fade2Blue, Tennessee, Sept. 4-5; Freight Hoppers, North Carolina, Sept. 4-5; Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, Pennsylvania, Sept. 5; Palmer Divide, Colorado, Sept. 4-5; Pickin' Up Speed, Wisconsin, Sept. 2-3; Rick Prater & Midnight Travelers, Kentucky, Sept. 2; Runaway Freight, Tennessee, Sept. 2-3; Schlitz Creek, Michigan, Sept. 3; Tommy Webb, Kentucky, Sept. 4-5; and Windy Mountain Boys, Michigan, Sept. 3.
Show times are Sept. 2, 7 to 10 p.m.; Sept. 3, 6:45 to 10:30 p.m.; Sept. 4, 11:15 a.m. to 10:40 p.m.; and Sept. 5, 11 a.m. to 10:10 p.m.
Admission is $25 for a weekend pass. The weekend pass includes camping. Limited electricity and water is $5 extra, and camping prior to Sept. 3 is $10 per night.
Sept. 2 only is free. 4-H Club dinner is from 5 to 7:30 p.m., with a monetary donation.Sept. 3 only is $8 per person. Sept. 4 only is $15 per person, and Sept. 5 only is $12 per person.
Children 15 years old and under are free when accompanied by a parent.
For more information on the festival, visit online at www.BluegrassUSA.net
For information on the history of bluegrass, visit online at www.ibma.org/about.bluegrass/history
