If you’ve ever wondered what Virginia bluegrass sounds like, the 31st annual Graves Mountain Festival of Music at the end of May has it in spades. In fact, this will be the third year since the Graves family, who own the 1,800 acre working farm where the festival is held, committed to present only bands from The Old Dominion on stage.
Fortunately, the commonwealth is rich in the music, offering headliners for 2025 in Lonesome River Band, Junior Sisk, Valerie Smith, Red Camel Collective, and Nothin’ Fancy, all known wherever bluegrass is played. But all 14 bands set to perform are also Virginia-based, from every part of the state.
A lot has changed at Graves Mountain since things started in the ’90s. The Graves family still provides all the food, with three food service options within the festival grounds, The Festival Cafe, Pop-pop’s Festival Food, and The Market Deli & Tackle, each offering a different fare, plus a full sit-down dining room, The Farmhouse Restaurant, offering buffet meals in the main lodge a few steps away. For those so inclined, a beer and wine tent is also available on site.
In recent years, however, they have added a total of 56 non-musical activities during the day, from a fly fishing workshop and stream exploration, to horseback riding and morning yoga, plus the Kids’ Tent with crafts and adventures for the young ‘uns. You can also bicycle or hike through the woods, or do some mountain biking before the music gets going, or a UTV tour of the largely-wooded property in Virginia’s Shenandoah mountains.
Vocal and instrumental workshops are offered on the Friday and Saturday, and the jamming never stops from Wednesday through Sunday.
It’s also a great place to camp, with rough camping free with a two or three day ticket, and plenty of room for RVs.
The Graves family has always referred to this weekend as a family-style event, and they really mean it, with activities galore for those less focused on the music, in a stunningly beautiful location not far from Culpepper, VA.
The festival runs May 29-31, with entry allowed on the 28th. Full details and ticket purchase can be found online. Children 12 and under get in free.
