Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival

Subject: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 03 Aug 04 - 09:40 PM

We're thinking of going to this for the first time, since we'll be in that area on (husband's) business. Has anyone at Mudcat been? Any advice? Looks like a great lineup. The festival is in Amelia, VA August 19-21, 2004:

http://www.ameliafamilycampgrounds.com/august2004festival.htm

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 16 Aug 04 - 08:28 AM

So no Mudcat bluegrassers from central Virginia?

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: GUEST,Mountain Tyme
Date: 17 Aug 04 - 01:34 PM

Been going there for years (from NJ). Lots of great hot and trtaditional pickers in the parking lot!!! The Rice's, James King etc. Enjoy!! All the snakes are friendly :) MT

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 17 Aug 04 - 04:35 PM

Good to hear that. Look us up if you go. We'll have our SHAW sign up on the camper somewhere, unless we immediately get involved in a jam and never get around to it... (You'll have to tell me who you are, since you have a pseudonym).

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 04:40 PM

So Mountain Tyme, were you there? I didn't see a single license plate from anywhere but Virginia (besides ours from Connecticut), but my husband said he saw a pickup with New Jersey plates that had trouble getting up the muddy hill Sunday morning. Was that you?

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: GUEST,M Tyme
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 05:34 PM

Barbara, Sorry I couldn't make it this year. Wanted to look you and my usual Southern friends all up too.
Did you enjoy? Was the parking lot pick'n great! ?
I usually do 15 to 20 BG Fests per summer (since 69 or 70). Last two years i've been lax. I've got to work my gumption harder :)
MT

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 08:13 PM

We had fun and met some nice people, but there was no parking lot pickin! There were maybe two or three small jams after the shows, and these people had all camped together and played together. Frank and I sat out every night after the show and played for an hour or so, but none of our neighbors were pickers (although they were partyers) and no one walked by to join us. One afternoon a guy named McCloud came by with two kids, and they played with us for an hour or so, but that was it! (And it was fun). I'm used to New England festivals where you sit and pick one tune, and pretty soon there's a group joining in. I was told by people we met that the pickers have stopped coming to this festival for some reason.

So we had fun, the shows were great, the place is very nice and it was a good crowd, but ALMOST NO PICKIN'!!! (Which pretty much kills any chance of us going back, unless we bring a few pickin' friends with us...)

And I had my first (and LAST) taste of boiled peanuts.

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: GUEST,MT
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 05:43 PM

Barbara, What about the snakes???
This festival and the one in Rocky Mount, VA (Sterling T. Belcher)in the past have many of the snake worship pickers attending making for an always interesting w/e. Also down on the corner of the access road is the "Church of the Video Redeemer" where for some pocket change you can watch a video sermon.
I'm used to 10 to 30 pickers in my "living room" at these two festivals. Yes i've done most of the yankee fests all the way up to the St. Lawrence except for the ones usually boycotted by the pickers. Maybe infact we do know each other except by name. Have you done upstate NY fests like Wrench Wranch or the other PENNY fests? Hope we meet at some jam! MT

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 07:56 PM

SNAKES?? Did not see a single snake. You mean the kind in a box that people stick their hand into and pray? So do you consider yourself a southerner, since you mention "yankee" festivals? I have to tell you, it was pretty interesting being the only "yankees" in a crowd of several hundred southerners, especially when the Lewis Family played "Dixie" and almost everyone in the audience rose to their feet to sing along!!

We go to 8-10 festivals every summer, so maybe we have crossed paths. We usually go to:

Joe Val (MA)
Strawberry Park (CT)
Old Songs (NY)
Fiery Hill (NY)
Grey Fox (NY)
Pemi (NH)
Podunk (CT, instead of Pemi this year)
Thomas Point (ME)
Hartland (CT)

Sometimes:
Jenny Brook (VT)
Brandon (VT)
Blistered Fingers (ME)
Catskill MT (NY)
Amelia (VA) - new this year

I've heard that Wrench Wranch is a good one. What do you play? What do you look like? Are you male or female? What's your next festival?

Subject: RE: Amelia (VA) Bluegrass Festival
From: GUEST,MT
Date: 28 Aug 04 - 03:39 PM

Barbara, The many "Yankee" festivals associated with PENNY around Binghamton, NY along NY Rt. 17 are always good, friendly with lots of pick'n and great food. One of the best is Wrench Wranch in Green County and there are others close bye there. Get there Wed to get a good spot. It's crowded these days. First one had eight camper couples. Everything about it is premium, and it's held three times per summer.
The Smokey Green festival set the standard for all the rest upstate. It lasted ten short days every year. It was held at the Washington County (NY) Fairgrounds and any old timer remembers it most fondly. When it ended it was as big a loss as Union Grove. The festival still held along the St Lawrence is premium as well. Any festival in Ohio or Indiana I have found to be great for pick'n. Bass Mountain in NC has always been a treat. Arcadia on Rt. 30 in MD is perhaps the best remaining in the old tradition. The Fire Co. people who run it see to it everyone is treated special. They also hold big name concerts during the winter in the firehouse. Most of the various festivals held thruout VA are special each in their own way. The Stanley festival is a must do. Many of the original festivals are now gone.... but not forgotten. Gettysburg was at its onset a fine festival but then priced out the good old pickers on fixed incomes. Union Grove, Gloryland Park and Coniwingo were killed by the party crowd as were many others that were the standards of the day.
I have attended none of the festivals you mention. I know Strawberry Park is boycotted along with some others in the area. I hesitate to say more on that on a public forum. :)
If you would like to continue this discussion my e-mail is [e-mail]. I am a "Yankee" from NJ now in N/E PA. later, MT