The Home Page Network

If you love music, then this weekend’s music festival was made for you! The 13th Annual Blugrass Music Hickory Fest begins tomorrow (Friday, the 15th) at the Stony Fork Creek Campground. In today’s feature, Home Page correspondent Drew Patrick meets the event promoter, Sue Cunningham, find out more about the festival. The Hickory Fest brings in musicians from all over the east coast and our own county. The musicians enjoy coming to the area to share their love for bluegrass and acoustic music. Part of what makes this festival special is the involvement the crowd has during the weekend. During and after performances, many audience members will play along with the musicians and other audience members. The Hickory Fest also provides workshops in which anyone can participate. “It’s music that gets everyone involved,” says Cunningham. “I think that’s what makes it so unique.”

Drew also speaks with Verlon Thompson, one of the songwriters/performers in this year’s festival. Verlon Thompson has been a professional songwriter and a traveling troubadour for over 30 years. As a solo performer, and performing partner and co-writer of Texas American songwriting icon Guy Clark, his compositions have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Anne Murray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Trisha Yearwood, and many more.

“What’s not to love [about Hickory Fest],” says Verlon. “The setting is magical, the people who attend are inviting and open to all the new kinds of music. I wouldn’t progress to be a true bluegrass player, but I’m certainly a true bluegrass lover.”

The festival will be held at the beautiful Stony Fork Creek Campground. This venue is a full-service campground located 6 miles south of beautiful historic Wellsboro, PA, about 45 miles north of Williamsport, PA and 45 miles south of Corning, NY. There is plenty of camping available with many wooded sites.

For more information, or to order tickets, be sure to visit HickoryFest.com!

Special thanks to Frank Serio for providing us with beautiful event photos and video.