Jenny Brook Family Bluegrass Festival Coming to Tunbridge Fairgrounds

Jenny Brook Family Bluegrass Festival Coming to Tunbridge Fairgrounds

“I’m proud to be the event producer of this ninth annual Jenny Brook Family Bluegrass Festival,” says Candi Sawyer. “Jenny Brook was a dream come true.”

The festival, which began in Weston, will come to its new home at the Tunbridge World’s Fairgrounds Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21.

“I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after we held the festival for the first time and I’ve been battling with it ever since,” Sawyer says. “At times I can’t walk, but just knowing I have the festival to work on keeps me going." 

When she was a child, Sawyer idolized Smokey Greene.

"I wanted to learn to play guitar and I always thought it would be great to put on a festival like he did," she says. " I even became a DJ on the radio like he used to do.

"Years later, my grandfather started putting on shows at the Weston Playhouse. I helped him a lot through the years and learned a lot about putting on an event. A year before he was going to celebrate the 20^th year putting on shows, the president of his sponsor asked him why he never put on an outside event. He wanted to, but the town wouldn’t let him do it. Grandpa went to bring the next band on and the man asked me why I didn’t put one on for him. I told him we didn’t have that kind of money, and he said he would back me if I did all the work to put it together. There you have it—a dream come true."

"We worked a year and a half to get ready for the first show and it was a success," Sawyer recalls. "Grandpa’s concern right from the beginning was that there wouldn’t be enough room. We had eight great festivals and are now excited to be relocating to the World’s Fairgrounds in Tunbridge."

In Tunbridge, there will be more than one stage. In addition to the main stage, there will be another stage in the gazebo.

"We’re calling it the Grass Seeds Gazebo Stage because it’s for up and coming bands to show off their stuff," Sawyer explains. "They can sign up at the festival to get up and put on a short show. Along with the activities on stage, we’ll also have workshops going on throughout the festival with the artists from the stage. It’s a chance to get up close and personal with the bands and ask some questions."

There will also be activities for children and a Jenny Brook Kids Academy. There is no additional fee for any of these events and there will be Bingo put on by the Shriners each day from 2-4 p.m.

"This year, we have an incredible lineup from beginning to end," Sawyer says enthusiastically. "The Gibson Brothers are back by popular demand. They have just released what looks like it will become their fifth #1 album in a row."

Other bands will include Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the 2007 and 2008 IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year; and the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, which features Leroy Troy, familiar to Jenny Brook fans, on banjo, reviving the songs and routines of the legendary Uncle Dave Macon.

"Audie Blaylock & Redline present hard driving bluegrass music in the tradition of Jimmy Martin, the King of Bluegrass," Sawyer adds, "and Karl Shiflett & The Big Country Show is a hillbilly music extravaganza that has not been in this area for quite some time. The Next Best Thing features Rhonda Vincent’s daughters, Sally and Tensel Sandker, touring on their own."

Local and regional bands appearing will include Beartracks, Reunion Band, Smokey Greene, Plexigrass, the Katahdin Valley Boys, Pine Hill Ramblers, Breakin’ Strings, Bear Minimum, and Brenda Mathews & Friends. The host bands will be The Seth Sawyer Band and The Sawyer Brothers. 

Early bird camping begins Wednesday, June 17 at 12 noon, and there will be a barn dance that evening. Weekend tickets or tickets for individual days or evenings will be available and can be purchased at the gate. For more information, call 802-380-4106 or email Sawyer at candacesawyer@comcast.net.