Nestled in the heart of Appalachia resides one of the newest must-see music festivals held in the Blue Ridge region, Blue Highway Fest.
Photos Courtesy of Joshua Moore.
Blue Highway Fest is a new bluegrass festival held annually in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, every October and was named after the critically acclaimed bluegrass band Blue Highway. Founded in 2022, Blue Highway Fest aims to bring more vitality back to a region that has suffered from losing many coal mining jobs.
Blue Highway Fest also received the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Event of the Year Award for their first event in 2022, and justly so. Blue Highway Fest brings together some of the best artists scattered across the Blue Ridge region and beyond, such as Blue Highway, The Dan Tyminski Band, Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Ed Snodderly and many more. Blue Highway Fest also brings together some of the best crafters in the region and features various food trucks.
Blue Highway Fest 2023 brought back everything that made the first year special, along with an extra day of activities, which included more music. The Song Writers Round on the first day stood out to me the most. This brought together Darrell Scott, Tony Arata, Ed Snodderly, Tim Stafford, Wayne Taylor, Shawn Lane, Beth Snapp, Bobby Starnes, Grayson Lane and Garrett Lane to talk about their process of writing songs, which also led to them performing the piece acoustically with all of them on stage going one after the other. The first two days of this year also had the stage downtown, which helped bring in people to the local eateries. The last two days were hosted on a larger stage at Bullitt Park just up the street.
This year’s turnout was notably substantial, featuring an impressive roster of artists like the Steeldrivers, Blue Highway, Seldom Scene, The Dan Tyminski Band, Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers, and the Sam Bush Band, among others, which explains the large attendance. A memorable moment for me was witnessing Larry Sparks being unexpectedly celebrated for his six-decade commitment to Bluegrass music.
The Blue Highway Fest offers all the elements of a great music festival, and it seems poised to expand further, likely becoming a must-visit event for many.
To learn more about Blue Highway Fest, visit their website, bluehighwayfest.com
