Marvelous news for bluegrass fans in western Kentucky and neighboring areas.
It appears that the Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Celebration will be back for 2018 and beyond. It will be managed by the Ohio County Tourism Commission and the Bill Monroe Foundation, and hosted on the Bill Monroe Homeplace where it had been initially held. There has been no official announcement from either entity, and there will not be one until after the November 16 meeting of the Foundation Board.
Once all the legal niceties have been satisfied, it is expected that a date for 2018 will be announced. In the past, the festival was held towards the end of September each year, with a focus on the sort of traditional bluegrass music that Bill Monroe championed all his life. No change is this policy is anticipated.
If current plans come to fruition, the reborn festival will serve to finance the work of the Bill Monroe Foundation and the Tourism Commission, which currently maintains the Monroe Homeplace, and will manage the Bill Monroe Museum currently under construction in Rosine, KY.
Campbell Mercer and his family will no longer be involved in the operation of the festival. He is focused now on his veterinary practice.
Look for more news on this front in the next two weeks.
