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Three more great music fests for the whole family, plus family music camps!
Going on its 34th year, Telluride Bluegrass draws some 10,000 devotees to this remote ski town in southwestern Colorado for top-tier artists, lively kids’ programs, and unlimited outdoor activities. The setting is spectacular Town Park, surrounded by 14,000-foot peaks, waterfalls, hiking and biking trails. Warning: Telluride is a twisty six-hour drive, or an additional flight, from Denver. Telluride, Colorado; June 21-24, 2007; 800/624-2422; www.bluegrass.com; adult day passes from $60, children under 13 free.
Despite the festival name, there’s very little traditional bluegrass (for that, head to Telluride’s sister festival RockyGrass, near Boulder). The roster typically ranges from bluegrass-trained mavericks (Sam Bush, Bèla Fleck) to jam bands (Yonder Mountain String Band) to pop troubadours (Bonnie Raitt, Jewel).
Coveted campsites on the festival grounds are doled out by lottery in the fall of the prior year. Nearby campgrounds offer shuttle service, and resort condos and hotels are pricey but plentiful (for listings, see www.telluride.com).
Arizona’s Living Folklore clown troupe offers puppetry and a talent show.
In 1999, the entire town of Telluride blacked out while festival favorite John Cowan sang "Dark as a Dungeon."
This earthy gathering held at an old farmstead northeast of Grand Rapids—with a dance pavilion, rolling hay fields, and pine and poplar woods—tries to preserve and pass on traditional music, dance, and folk arts. Do-si-do at a family square dance, learn African drumming, and watch mandolin and guitar makers at work. Remus, Michigan; September 7-9, 2007; 989/967-8879; www.wheatlandmusic.org; adult day passes from $25, kids from $2.
Folk, bluegrass, blues, swing, Cajun, and gospel. One stage is devoted to dance instruction and evening dances, from swing to the Cajun two-step.
The nearest hotels/motels are 20 to 30 minutes away—try the Baymont Inn & Suites (5858 E. Pickard St., Mount Pleasant; 877/229-6668; www.baymontinns.com; doubles from $130, including breakfast) or the Holiday Inn (1005 Perry Ave., Big Rapids; 800/315-2621; www.holidayinn.com; doubles from $109, including breakfast)—so most people camp. Facilities are basic: portable toilets, picnic tables, and faucets for well water. One camping area is designated for families, another for anyone who seeks a quiet night’s sleep.
A hilltop children’s center has a full slate of hands-on activities, from playing bones to making wind chimes. Teenagers can hone their Hacky Sack skills, make hemp jewelry, or take the stage at their own open mic. At the kids’ and teens’ craft markets, young artist-entrepreneurs can sell their own jewelry.
On several occasions, the Northern Lights have performed for audiences while acts played onstage.
Nashville royalty like Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris play here, as do big names in bluegrass, country, acoustic blues, and roots rock.
Except for an RV lot, accommodations are off-site and should be booked early—upwards of 80,000 people attend each year. If you’re packing a tent, check out campgrounds run by the Wilkesboro Fire Department (700 Snyder St.; 336/667-2391; tent sites from $65) and Wilkes Family YMCA (1801 YMCA Blvd.; 336/838-3991; tent sites from $120). For a real roof over your heads, try the Holiday Inn Express (1700 Winkler St.; 336/838-1800; www.hiexpress.com; doubles from $200) or Hampton Inn (1300 Collegiate Dr.; 336/838-5000; www.hamptoninn.com; doubles from $99).
In addition to the standard festival fare of clowns, crafts, and storytelling, kids can step right up to the old-time Alberti Flea Circus. A tent for quiet family R&R has cots and changing tables.
In 2001, Dolly Parton serenaded a record crowd of 25,000.
If your family wants to learn to play—not just listen—consider a week at a music camp. More and more summer programs are being held at regular overnight camps and on college campuses. For traditional folk music and dance, check out the family weeks at Pinewoods Camp in Plymouth, Massachusetts (www.pinewoods.org) and Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, West Virginia (www.augustaheritage.com). At the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina (www.swangathering.org), 6- to 12-year-olds can join a kids’ program while Mom and Dad immerse themselves in Celtic, dulcimer, or fiddle-and-banjo music—each six-day session has a different focus. During family week at Cazadero Performing Arts Camp in Cazadero, California (www.cazadero.org), campers can choose from a wide range of classes. Conga drumming or a rock-guitar lesson, anyone?
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