The second part of Blue Highway Fest, days three and four, was held at Bullett Park in Big Stone Gap, VA, or, as everyone called it, the "main stage." Bullett Park is typically used for high school sports and recreation, but for one weekend a year, it is home to Blue Highway Fest. This venue offers plenty of room for everyone to find a comfortable spot and room for growth, which they have seen over the past three years. This year was the largest of the three years it has been held. The first year had a crowd up to the thirty-yard line; this year, they were at the fifty-yard line.
On the other side of the field were food trucks, the beer garden, and the craft vendor area, which offered handmade goods and foods. Beth Snapp kicked off Friday's lineup, which included Russell Moore and the Illyrd Tyme Out, Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Missy Raines, and the Allegheny, Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers, Scythian, The Travelin' McCourys, the Dan Tyminski Band and festival hosts, Blue Highway. The lineup included many traditional bluegrass staples like Larry Sparks, Ralph Stanley II, Russell Moore, and Dan Tyminski, but it also included Scythian, a band you probably would not have seen at a bluegrass festival a decade earlier. Scythian is a roots/Celtic band out of Front Royal, VA, known for their high-energy performances that get a crowd up and dancing.
Music festivals are becoming more popular; they are an escape from the everyday grind, and people are expecting more and more out of festivals; having a band like Scythian in the mix of traditional bluegrass brings a liveliness to a more tame atmosphere. It also helps introduce more people to the bluegrass genre. I hope they expand on this in the coming years; the more variety, the better; however, keep bluegrass at the forefront. I would love to see Mumford and Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, or even Judah and the Lion in the mix.
Saturday's lineup had familiar faces from the day before, like Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Scythian, The Dan Tyminski Band, and Blue Highway, which celebrated their 30th year as a band. Kicking off Saturday was the Rising Stars Challenge winner, Backline. Ed Snodderly, Tony Trischka's Earl Jam - A tribute to Earl Scruggs, Carson Peters & Iron Mountain, Sister Sadie, and The Del McCoury band joined the Saturday lineup. Every set was a joy to watch; however, our favorite was when Blue Highway got on stage and sang the "Crawdad Song" with Scythian. That's one of those moments you only get at festivals. It was a fun collaboration that had everyone singing along.
As the night skyline draped over the festival, the Dan Tyminski Band had the crowd in full voice, singing along to 'Man of Constant Sorrow.' Before anyone knew it, the Del McCoury Band was up, bringing the festival to a close with a grand finale. It all felt like it passed in the blink of an eye, yet somehow, after four full days in the 'Gem of Virginia,' we were left wanting more. That's the magic of Blue Highway Fest — no matter how many incredible moments it offers, it always leaves you counting down the days until the next one.
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