The annual Blue Highway Fest is always a guaranteed good time, and a last chance to get your festival-going in before the cold weather descends in earnest.
It takes place in Big Stone Gap, located in far southwest Virginia, October 8-11, right downtown, with top bluegrass and Americana acts brought in to entertain.
They’ve just announced today that appearing on this year’s fest is a Boxcars reunion, with the original lineup of Keith Garrett, Ron Stewart, Adam Steffey, John Bowman, and Harold Nixon. Starting in 2010, the band recorded four critically-acclaimed albums with Mountain Home Music, the last in 2016.
Then, in October of 2017, the guys announced that they would be going their separate ways at the end of that year. At that point, John Bowman had stepped aside, who had been singing tenor and lead, and playing banjo or fiddle, whichever Stewart wasn’t on at the moment. Gary Hultman took his spot on reso-guitar, who eventually ended up with Blue Highway.
Their impact on contemporary bluegrass was substantial, not only wowing in performances with a impeccably tight rhythm section and storied soloists, they also introduced a number of now standards into the repertoire.
Several of The Boxcars came back together in 2018 as The Highland Travelers, with Steffey on mandolin, Keith Garret on guitar, Gary Hultman on reso-guitar, Jason Davis on banjo, and Kameron Keller on bass. They recorded a single project for Mountain Home, but disbanded at the end of 2018 when Adam exited the music business entirely.
But Steffey told us today that they are all looking forward to riding the line one more time.
“Yes, we’re going to be a part of the Blue Highway festival this coming October, and are so excited and thankful that they asked us to be there. We were contacted earlier this year about the possibility of taking part, and I was so flattered. Blue Highway Fest has become one of the best in the country and for them to consider having us there is really humbling.
I hope that everyone who can will come out and enjoy the whole lineup that will be there this Fall – and that we can help make the festival a great experience.
It’s been a minute (as the kids say!), but hopefully our fingers, voices, and memories will work long enough to put the smack down on a few tunes.”
Also appearing at Blue Highway Fest 2026 are Doyle Lawson, Rhonda Vincent, The Cleverlys, The Grascals, Kenny & Amanda Smith, The Seldom Scene, Authentic Unlimited, and many others, including, of course, Blue Highway.
Tickets and full details can be found online.
