Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival has deep First State roots

Labor Day weekend is a special time for acoustic music lovers in our area. That’s when the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival springs up like a rootsy Brigadoon out of the Salem County Fairgrounds in Woodstown, New Jersey.

For the 52nd year, the Brandywine Friends of Old-Time Music will present the best in Bluegrass, along with topnotch jazz & ragtime, Western Swing and Old-Time Music.

BFOTM’s primary interest has always been southern Appalachian old-time and bluegrass, and related music styles.

Back in 1971, now-retired Delaware Superior Court Judge Carl Goldstein, his lawyer friend Sheldon Sandler, and the late Mike Hudak founded BFOTM, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. Bluegrass legends Dr. Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe asked them later that year if they would host the first bluegrass festival in the Northeast United States and Del Val Bluegrass was born!

This year’s featured bluegrass acts include the internationally renowned Del McCoury Band, the Seldom Scene and Becky Buller Band, up-and-comers ETSU Pride Bluegrass Band, Delaware’s own Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, and Red Wine, all the way from Italy. Folks will thrill to pyrotechnics from their banjos, fiddles, guitars, basses, and mandolins, and their soaring vocal harmonies.

And they will be jumping in their seats to Tuba Skinny’s lively New Orleans jazz, blues and ragtime, the Western swing stylings of Austin-based Asleep at the Wheel, and foot-stomping hoedowns from old-time Music darlings the Slate Mountain Ramblers and Uncle Henry’s Favorites. There will be many other wonderful acts at the festival; this is just a sampling.

Del Val Bluegrass also offers hands-on activities, with clog dancing, jamming and song-writing workshops, and the Kid’s Academy for the young ones to hone their skills on fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar and bass.

There is “Jam Central Station” for novice pickers to get together for a session.

Food, crafts, musical instruments and accessories, clothing, CDs and other artist merch will be available from vendors.

The Salem County Fairgrounds is located just a half-hour drive from the Delaware Memorial Bridge, address: 735 Harding Highway, Woodstown, New Jersey. Read more about the schedule, tickets, and activities at delawarevalleybluegrass.org.

BFOTM has presented, and continues to present, a multitude of concerts in Delaware over the years featuring a wide variety of what is now termed “roots” music. This interest has peppered BFOTM’s lineups in all of its endeavors over the years, with compatible music forms like Cajun, Canadian, blues, and traditional country acts.

BFOTM is always looking for members. For more information about BFOTM, go to brandywinefriends.org.

Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival takes place Friday, Aug. 30, to Sunday, Sept. 1, at Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown, New Jersey. Visit delawarevalleybluegrass.org/ for lineups, tickets and other details.

Kellie Allen is a member of the Board of Directors of the Brandywine Friends of Old-Time Music

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Valley Bluegrass fest offers stars, camping Labor Day weekend