It Takes A Village.............

I hope you read the previous post on a couple of our volunteers.  Without our volunteers there could be no festival as it is quite an undertaking.  We have been blessed by the generosity of our friends & family who have given so much of their time and talents to help us present a first class event for your enjoyment.  Once inside the venue you will most likely encounter several people who are here to make sure that the people buying tickets to the shows have a good time.  Some of these unsung heroes are not up front and center and may not be noticed right away.  But they wouldn't have it any other way.   If things are running smoothly, you can bet that these volunteers are doing a fine job to ensure just that.  Having said all that, let's take a look at some of them.

Let's start with Bobby & Barbara Mull.  They have been here from our humble beginnings and have become quite the ambassadors for Dumplin Valley.  Bobby's main "job" is addressing the arrival and needs of campers.  It's usually his smiling face that greets the campers as they enter the farm.  He's so familiar with the layout of the campground and the rigs of our repeat visitors that he can identify most of them when they approach the gate and knows where they're going before they even drive onto the grounds.  
You'll also see him picking up the slack wherever and whenever he senses the need.  And he is often accompanied by his wife, Barbara, who is also a VIP.  Barbara pitches in wherever needed and that might include anything from paper towel patrol to administrative assistance.  They've even been known to provide some meals for bands from time to time.    It was certainly a lucky day for us when we crossed paths with these two fine bluegrass lovers.  We've leaned on them a lot in the last 14 years for advice and guidance as they are veterans of the bluegrass trail with lots of stories to tell.  They are good ambassadors for Dumplin Valley on that trail as they carry our brochures on their travels and help spread the word.  
During the festival you'll find them parked near the pavilion with little Molly Rose on the dash.  Molly Rose is the official bluegrass cat of Dumplin Valley now.  Thank you Bobby & Barbara for all you do. 

I hope these photos will help folks identify Bobby & possibly clear up the confusion of who is Joe and who is Bobby!  They each answer to whichever name someone calls them.  But they both do so many jobs on the grounds that people get them confused. 
Thanks, you guys, we couldn't do it without you!! m

Thank you, Mr. Gene LeGrand!

Today's local paper carried a story on the front page which featured one of our faithful volunteers, Gene LeGrand.  Not only has he been here every year working tirelessly at the gate selling tickets, giving directions, welcoming people and providing information to the many people who drop by his tent, he can also be found at various charitable organizations volunteering his time (alongside his wife, Barb).  In this instance, he was photographed while judging the local county science fair.   Needless to say, we are proud of Gene for his generosity in serving the community in so many ways.  He and Barb are very important cogs in the festival wheel at Dumplin Valley.  Barb is in charge of handling/selling the t-shirts, information table & also makes reservations while answering the phone and answering questions for the folks who drop by her headquarters.   We know we are lucky to have such fine help.  And Sevier County is lucky to have this couple giving so much of their time.   I actually met them while volunteering at Sevier County Food Ministries.  They just happened to be working on the same day that I worked there and we soon bonded and the rest is history.  Volunteering to work at a bluegrass festival without knowing much about the music was a big step for them.  And now they have been converted to the category of being fans.  We've certainly learned a lot through the last 14 years together and we look forward to experiencing September festival #15 in 2014.

 

  

Check back for another installment of a salute to our volunteers.

 

 

We're Looking for a Few Good Volunteers

If you're interested in helping park cars, etc., give us a call. We can use a few volunteers in exchange for admission. Let's make a deal.........ha ha. Give us a call at 865-397-7942.

2008 Season Wrapped Up

Well, we made it through! It was great. The weather was beautiful and the crowd was the biggest ever. Thanks so much for supporting Dumplin Valley and for being such a good attentive audience. The bands commented about the great crowd and how they appreciated the support they got from the audience. These musicians love what they do and the feedback they get from you is very important to them (and to us).
We are grateful for the fact that you all left the farm pretty much the way you found it. And we'd like to thank you for all the compliments on the clean facilities.
And let's not forget the army of volunteers! If it weren't for them, there would be no festival. There are a lot of behind the scene jobs that have to be done and our volunteers came through with flying colors.
Your experience here begins with the gate and those people worked tirelessly to get you processed as quickly as possible.
I know a lot of you thought Bobby was Joe and that Joe was Bobby. That's okay! They both zip around and get a lot done. Maybe we should get them a shirt with their name on it! ha
Thanks to everyone who helped us have a successful festival............volunteers, sponsors, vendors, and last but not least............all you festivarians!
It was great to see all of our "old festivarians" as well as all the newbies. And it was great having several of our family members attending this year - including my 96 year old Aunt.
We would like to especially thank Don Clark for the beautiful bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace up in the woods. Don, you will never know how much that meant to us.
The "Lady in Red" was a special addition to the show on Saturday night. And let's not forget the mosquito who started a chain of events that led to some hilarious unexpected shenanigans on stage! (you had to be there to understand!)
Yes, 2008 will go down as one of the most enjoyable shows ever. Thank You Thank You Thank You for coming. And if you weren't here..................we hope you'll come in 2009 to join us for some good wholesome entertainment.