Sister Sadie at the 45th annual Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival – photo © Dale and Darcy Cahill
Over Labor Day weekend, Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival celebrated its 45th birthday with an amazing line up, and a typically enthusiastic crowd of bluegrass lovers, faithful and newcomers alike. The original promoter Patti Crocker, who ran the festival for thirty years and sadly passed away in 2016, would have been proud of her son Michael Mulligan and his faithful crew.
Given the beauty of its location in a campground along the Maine coast, many festival goers arrived a week early in anticipation of the campground jamming and the music to come. The festival began on Thursday with a band competition between, Humbletown, J.M. Clifford, Thunder and Rain, High River, Stillwater, and The New Grown-Ups. The New Grown-Ups won the day with their eight piece band including two fiddlers. Their combination of skilled musicians with electrical rollicking enthusiasm made them natural winners.
The New England Bluegrass Band followed with equally tight and playful song choices. This was their 8th time playing at Thomas Point and now feel much like the festival’s house band. Appalachian Road Show finished off the night.
After the main stage music ended, The Ruta Beggars led a late night jam under the big tent. Other musicians eager to play headed back to the campground where many jams lasted well into the early morning.
The New England Bluegrass Band fired up the crowd on Friday, followed by Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Rochelle Sumner and Traveling Light, Country Current, and the Showcase competition winners. Sister Sadie and Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band finished off the afternoon. After dinner, the Friday headliners included Tony Trischka’s Earl Jam, another set by Sister Sadie, and MIghty Poplar. Andrew Marlin was unable to attend the gig as his wife Emily Rantz is close to her baby’s due date. Caleb Klauder, one of Andrew’s longtime mandolin heros, stepped in for him and did a great job on mandolin singing both MIghty Poplar favorites and a collection of his original tunes. A nice surprise was seeing Alex Hargreaves on fiddle.
Saturday started with the Dale and Darcy Band, offering the crowd a gentle way to begin the day with their waltzes and aires. The rest of the morning included Kristy Cox and Grasstime, Tricky Britches, and a newly formed band called The Hazel Project. This was their first time playing on the main stage of a bluegrass festival and we look forward to seeing them in the future. Jim Lauderdale followed as did The Grascals, Kristy Cox and Grasstime, and Country Current. The Grascals returned after the dinner break as did The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys with their surprise guest, Jim Lauderdale. The Travelin’ McCourys ended the night with an eclectic set of tunes played with the precision and enthusiasm we have all come to expect from them.
Given that this was a long weekend, the music continued on Sunday starting with another set of waltzes and aires from the Dale and Darcy Band, followed by Seth Mulder and Midnight Run, Jackson Hollow, and the Thomas Point Young Pickers and singers. The final set of the festival was well worth the wait with Rock Hearts and then Special Consensus, and finally The Del McCoury Band. Del and his band delighted the crowd, as did Del himself, especially when he took requests from the crowd who yelled out all their favorites. He worked the crowd like only Del can do, leaving many in stitches.
The festival also featured workshops, jams for all abilities, family activities, and of course, a beautiful beach for swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Fortunately, the weather cooperated with sunny days and slightly chilly nights, perfect for bonfires and late night jamming.
There is no doubt that this festival is one of our favorites, in large part because of the constant jamming, the beautiful and well maintained campground, the peaceful and respectful crowd, and a line up that never disappoints. Despite that fact that this festival marks the end of summer and the end of major bluegrass festivals in New England, all of our friends, old and new, parted ways on Monday with a “see you next year!”
As far as we are concerned, Labor Day 2025 is already booked!
