Randy and Heather Kennedy present...
The 3rd Annual
North Branch Bluegrass Festival
Your Staycation Destination For Labor Day Weekend Every Year
Friday September 3, 2010
Saturday September 4, 2010
Sunday September 5, 2010
Early Bird Camping & Field Picking begins Sunday August 29th
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A low-angle view of the North Branch festival grounds. Stage is at far end of the field.
Read all about our 2009 festival on Ted Lehmann's Bluegrass Blog. Scroll down slightly and then select 'September' from the 'Blog Archive' menu on the left to view September's topics. The North Branch Bluegrass is the 11th topic down the list.
New This Year...
More Time for Early Bird Camping and Field Picking!
North Branch Bluegrass Festival will be openning the gate earlier to campers and field pickers! Beginning at 10 am on Sunday August 29, 2010, we'll open up for 4 extra nights for a $10 per person additional charge to our $50 at-the-gate weekend festival price. Come early and field pick to your heart's delight. Bring your well-behaved friends and help us make this experiment a permanent part of our festival. If we succeed in covering our additional expenses in insurance, rubbish, and porta potties for those days, we'll do it every year!
Want Advance Tickets?
Advance weekend tickets are available by mail for $45 each. Please send a self-addressed stamped envelope and check or money order made payable to "Heather Kennedy" and send to: R & H Kennedy, North Branch Bluegrass Festival, 74 Chateauguay Road, Bridgewater Corners, VT 05035. If no SASE is enclosed, tickets will be held for you at the gate. Requests must be postmarked by July 10, 2010. Advance tickets are not refundable. Your weekend ticket begins after 3 PM on Thursday. Thursday night campers are asked to remain in camping area and out of the concert area while we finish setting up.
2010 Main Stage Entertainers:
Blackstone Valley Bluegrass
Mad Mountain Scramblers
Cardigan Mountain Traditions
Big Spike Bluegrass
Staber & Chasnoff Trio
Possum Haw
Iron Skillet Band
Boots N' Shorts
The Bagboys
...and more to be announced
For a complete 3-day Festival Schedule, click here
Camping!
Free rough camping included with a 3 day Weekend pass. RV's, campers, and tent camping welcome. See our new Pet Policy below.
Camping Rules:
1) Camping on festival grounds is limited to those 18 years or over or else you must be accompanied by a parent or grandparent who can be legally responsible for you. At registration, liability waivers will need to be signed by ALL campers staying overnight at the festival.
2) We currently have happy neighbors. We wish to be respectful of EVERYONE's right to a good night's sleep. You may play music all night long but a lower volume is appreciated.
3) Our existing "No Nonsense or Rude Behavior" policy, "No Visible Alcohol" policy, and all other festival rules must be obeyed at all times. We want everyone to have a safe and happy weekend.
4) Generators quiet after 10 pm until 8 am please. ( We have made a medical exception for one gentleman with a very small generator and will try to work with you if we find a remote location for you IN ADVANCE.)
Looking for a dumping station for your camper? We don't have one of our own but there's a nearby State Park in every direction from here that does. They charge $10 to dump and will be expecting you. Most are available to you from 9 am 'til 9 pm but check with us at the festival for a complete list.
North Branch Pet Policy:
With 35 acres available, we have the perfect grounds for dogs to play and enjoy the festival. Unfortunately, insurance restrictions, our own liabilities, and local regulations require that we must limit the activities of your best friend. so, here's what we've come up with....
Dogs will be allowed at the North Branch Bluegrass Festival only under the following conditions:
1) No "day dogs". You must be a weekend camper in order to bring your dog.
2) You must have proof of vaccination certificate with you. No dogs will be allowed in without actual paperwork.
3) You must sign a waiver of liability form in order for us to allow you in.
3) All dogs must stay in the camping area. NO DOGS ALLOWED in concert area or parking areas.
4) You are required to clean up after your pet.
5) Dogs must stay on leashes.
6) Our "No Nonsense or Rude Behavior" policy applies to everyone...including your dog. If your dog barks too much or bothers folks, we'll need to ask you to leave for the good of the festival.
For info on the "Show & Tell Songwriter's Contest" please Click Here
15 Music Workshops!
Our professional musicians will be hosting 5 workshops each day throughout the weekend. These are free and are open to everyone, regardless of skill level. Festival goers are welcome to attend as many workshops as they like. Workshop subjects are:
Friday: Mandolin, Guitar, Fiddle, Bass, and 1 other
Saturday: Mandolin, Vocal Harmony, Banjo, Fiddle, Bass
Sunday: Guitar, 5 string Dobro, Banjo, Mandolin, Bass
Admission Prices
$20 Friday September 3, 2010 Gates open at 9 am.
$20 Saturday September 4, 2010 Gates open at 9 am
$20 Sunday September 5, 2010 Gates open at 9 am.
Children:
Under age 5 FREE!
Age 5-15 years.....with supervising adult $5 Day Pass, $20 Weekend w/Camping
$50 Weekend Pass. Admission includes camping for eligible campers on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Campers may stay until noon on Monday September 6, 2010. See Camping section for eligibility requirements.
Early Bird Camper Special. Arrive Sunday August 29th through Wednesday for $10 per person additional camping charge. No prepayment or saved spots. Campers must remain in camping area and stay out of the festival concert area until Thursday night while we finish setting up please. Folks wanting to volunteer may introduce themselves and sign in anytime over at the ticket booth. We'll put you to work from there if we need help with something. Thanks in advance for offering.
Advance Tickets: $45 Weekend Pass. Must be postmarked by July 10, 2010. Please send SASE with payment made payable to "Heather Kennedy" to: R & H Kennedy, North Branch Bluegrass Festival, 74 Chateauguay Road, Bridgewater Corners, VT 05035
North Branch Bluegrass Festival is seeking non-food vendors for 2010. Our 3 day rate for a 10x10 pop-up tent with fabric walls is available to rent for a prepaid fee of $100. Each vendor must also purchase an advance $45 weekend pass. Interested parties can please contact by e-mail or phone for a vendor application. Space is limited and acceptance is subject to our approval.
The North Branch Wishing Well
The North Branch Bluegrass Festival (Randy and Heather) gave every cent of it's first show, plus an additional $5,000.oo gift to our local charitable organizations last year. We financially assisted The Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department, the Neighbors Helping Neighbors group, The Bridgewater Grange, The Bridgewater Fast Squad, and a few local churches. We wanted to introduce Bridgewater residents to the wonderfully gentle world of bluegrass festivals by being as generous as we could possibly afford to be. It was a once in a lifetime experience. We made six hundred people happy... and had a great first show. It was a lot of hard work. This festival has been largely a labor of love, full of many new personal challenges. Everything was done from scratch. Our small crew of volunteer friends did a great job! We are grateful to have them in our lives.
It's easy to believe in big dreams but much more difficult to privately finance them if you're regular working-class people like us. We're spending our life savings trying to bring this festival home to our Bridgewater. We hope that a positive annual event like this will help energize our local sense of community and sustain us through difficult times. If you wish to support our efforts, we welcome your donation. Please call, write, or e-mail us. This is a privately run and funded festival. It's our personal attempt at fending for ourselves in our old age. Please understand that donations to the festival are not considered to be tax deductible contributions.
If you wish to be recognized for your donation by becoming a business sponsor, advertising space is available on our Website, Festival Posters, and Event programs. Stage display area for your business banner and Onstage mentions of your sponsorship are also available. We have worked very hard to earn our new reputation as good promoters and plan to continue our course. We'd be happy to answer any specific questions regarding potential donations.
Randy and Heather Kennedy
North Branch Bluegrass Festival
74 Chateauguay Road
Bridgewater Corners, VT 05035
1-802-672-3042
info@ nbbluegrass.com
