Almost Done!

Due to the cold and snow yesterday, the crew wasn't able to work on the pavilion.
But they made up for it today even though it was pretty frigid outside. It sure will be nice not having to put up the tent that usually goes here.
Hey..........Bobby..........are you reading this? If a big wind comes up, you can tie your motorhome to the shed and rest easy!

Bluegrass Weekend

We just returned yesterday afternoon from a weekend of "bluegrassin' " in Asheville, NC. Several of the bands we have on our lineups for 2008 were performing and we took the opportunity to go see them as well as distribute the new JuneFest flyers. A couple of the bands are new to Dumplin Valley and we can't wait for you to see them.
There were several DV folks there, too. It was nice to see everyone. However, we got some really bad news while there. Our friend, Mike Ensley, passed away on Saturday morning after a somewhat lengthy illness. With the exception of 2007 (he was sick), he and his wife, Cathy, had been holding down the fort at our flyer table. Mike was always happy to offer any assistance or information he could regarding upcoming festivals. He was a great supporter of bluegrass. He and Cathy were quite often found at the many shows put on by Adams and Anderson. Being familiar with all of the bands, he was a good source of information for festival attendees and he enjoyed the fellowship with everyone. We will miss Mike. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Measure Twice.......Cut Once!

Pretty soon Joe will have his new structure finished. The weather was nice today so the crew has worked hard and made a lot of progress.

We Have A Floor!

They poured the floor today while I was in Knoxville. Too bad I wasn't here to photograph the practical jokers who tied the cans under Randy's truck.

New Project

Hello, bluegrass lovers! It's a cold and windy day here in Kodak. As you can see from the photos, Joe has started a new project for the farm. He's building a pavilion to replace the tent we usually erect to cover the t-shirt and artist tables. It will be a great place for campers to have picnics, etc. during "non-festival" times. It will also provide a good pickin' spot on those occasional weekends when pickers are here. The photos show Joe and Wes Soward with Randy Martin getting things ready for concrete. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit warmer and less windy for the pour.

September Lineup

Here is the lineup for the 9th Annual Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival:
Thursday, September 18: Dailey & Vincent Band; Barry Scott & Second Wind; Bluegrass Brothers; John Reischman & the Jaybirds
Friday, September 19: Grascals; Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier; Bradley Walker; Dan Paisley & Southern Grass; Balsam Range
Saturday, September 20: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, IIIrd Tyme Out; James King Band; Larry Stephenson; Big Country Bluegrass
The bands are not listed in the order which they will appear. We will post the schedule as soon as we can.
We were privileged to see some of these bands last weekend and they were great. The new Dailey & Vincent Band certainly lived up to any expectations we had and the crowd loved them! If there are any bands in our lineup that you aren't familiar with, just go to the band's website and check them out. You will find that some of the bands are made up of musicians you are familiar with. I know I've said this several times but we are very excited about this year's shows and hope that you will join us.
Have a wonderful day and check back often.
M