Simon Brogie & the XLTs at the 2026 Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival – photo © Dale Cahill
Bluegrass fans enjoyed Podunk Bluegrass Festival’s 29th running at The Goshen Fairgrounds on August 5-9. The fairgrounds offered three days of continuous music, a Kid’s Academy, a campground of pickers, late night jams, and a peaceful unharried experience that many in New England and beyond have come to count on and enjoy. Happily for everyone in attendance, and unusual in these times of rising prices, Podunk’s Board members decided on zero increase in ticket prices this year. It is little wonder that Podunk won “Best Festival in Connecticut” by Connecticut Magazine for the second year in a row.
This year, the festival kicked off on Wednesday night with a bluegrass karaoke set followed by dancing with Cole Quest and The City Pickers. Thursday’s main stage music started at 12:30 with the 2025 fan favorite Telefunken Band Competition winner, Ironwood Drive. They then turned the stage over to this year’s four competing bands, The Folk Villains, Beyond Dixon, Red Tailed Rounders, and The Wire Jays.
The Wire Jays took first prize. Based in South Florida, all band members attended The Frost School of Music and describe themselves as a newgrass band that prioritizes creative songwriting, musicianship, and fun. First prize for the Songwriting Contest this year went to Thomas Brown and Kelly O. Williams for their tune, Hallelujah Christmas.
The headliners that followed on Friday and Saturday included The Gibson Brothers, Wood Box Heros, Becky Buller, Jig Jam, and Donna Ulisse. The only band that got bumped off the main stage due to rain on Friday night was Jig Jam, an Irish Bluegrass Band. They relocated to a large well-covered barn and the crowd followed them eagerly. Listening to their high energy tunes made it difficult for anyone in the audience to sit or stand still. Fortunately, there was plenty of space for dancing.
Other highlights in the weekend’s line up were Songs From The Road Band out of Asheville, North Carolina, the Downriver Collective, who won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2024 Momentum Award, Burlington, Vermont’s Queen City Cut Ups, 2025 Telefunken Band competition winners, and The Rick Faris Band. Faris is a member of the Kansas Music Hall of Fame and recently won the IBMA’s Songwriter of the Year award. He isn’t the only one in the band who has gained national recognition. The band also includes Oklahoma mandolin player Henry Burgess, plus banjo player Gibson Davis and bass player Maddie Dalton, both of whom have won the IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award. This is a band to keep an eye on.
As always, Podunk also offered attendees a wide range of workshops, jams, and performances on their Litchfield Stage. The long list of opportunities included Monroe Style Mandolin with Lauren Price Napier, Duet Harmony with the Gibson Brothers, Crossover Between Bluegrass music and Irish music with JigJam, Sisters of Song Songwriting workshop with Becky Buller and Donna Ulisse, Mandolin workshop with Thomas Cassell, and one of my favorites, The Unified Theory of The Banjo with Ned Luberecki. He is just as wonderful in person as he is when spinning the discs and sharing his banjo licks on XM’s Bluegrass Junction!
The Housatonic stage, a breezy open aired barn, delivered a constant stream of emerging artists and regional bluegrass standouts including Simon Brogie and the XLTs, The Splinters, Hound and Handler, the Red-Tailed Rounders, and many more. The Housatonic stage also hosted an open mic and some dancing.
With only one late night rain cloud, the sun shined on Podunk Bluegrass Festival this summer. Between the spacious camping, excellent picking opportunities, constant tunes, and easily accessible vendors and stages, Podunk is clearly one of New England’s and our favorite bluegrass festivals.
We are looking forward to seeing who is in the lineup for Podunk’s 30 year celebration!
