The annual Podunk Bluegrass Festival is kicking off for the 23rd year this weekend in Goshen, and festival goers from all over New England have loaded up their RV’s to camp out on the lawn and enjoy artists from across the country.
The first things visitors see when they arrive on festival grounds are long rows of RV’s set up for the weekend’s festivities. On Thursday, during set up, people mingled about, greeting their temporary neighbors and creating the perfect grill setup. Performers come in droves as they unload instruments ranging from guitars to fiddles to banjos.
Organizers of the festival say that there will be a number of other events available aside from listening to the musicians on stage, including band competitions and a kids academy for children to enjoy while their parents watch the acts. The academy will feature activities for children of all ages including a movie night, a scavenger hunt, and arts and crafts.
Jim Sharpley, an organizer of the event, says that one of the highlights of the festival is the field picking that is held around the campground. Field picking is when people join together and play music in an informal setting. Camp goers will sit around each others campsites and play their instruments for fun.
“People at night, after the show is over on the main stage, will go around with their instruments and meet up with people and just start playing Bluegrass,” Sharpley said. “It’s just a lot of fun, and it’s fun because you just never know who you’re going to meet up with. A lot of the bands will stay overnights and they’ll join in with the field picking, so you’ll be able to play with experts.”
The festival will be held through Sunday and will feature acts such as the Bill Thibodeau Band, Red Molly, and The Feinberg Brothers.
Here is a link to the festival page.