After a hiatus of two dozen years, Ralph Stanley will again be hosting a major festival over the Labor Day weekend, starting in 2014. Like their long-running Memorial Day event, it will be held at the Hills of Home Park between Coeburn and McClure, VA.
Stanley’s grandson Nathan, who is assisting with the planning, tells us that his Papaw readily acceded to the young Stanley’s desire to resurrect the late summer homecoming, not far from their family compound in far southwestern Virginia.
“It’s been at least 25 years since he last held the Labor Day festival. But I wanted to bring it back to give fans a second chance to return back to the mountain. It’s too nice and too special of a place to only hold one event per year.”
Nathan says that he has booked most of the acts for next year’s Labor Day fest, which will be held September 4-6, 2014. Already scheduled to perform are Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers, Dailey & Vincent, Marty Raybon & Full Circle, Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press, Nathan Stanley, Ralph Stanley II, Melvin Goins & Windy Mountain, The James King Band, Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome, and several others. Of course, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys will also be on the bill.
A web site for the festival is being developed now, which will be located at www.hillsofhomefestival.com when completed.
