Great American Bluegrass Jam coming to western Kentucky

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY is taking their mission to spread the word of bluegrass quite literally with a new event in March of 2023.

Called The Great American Bluegrass Jam, this weekend affair brings together the Hall of Fame and area businesses to offer an immersive bluegrass experience for pickers and fans alike from March 17-19.

The Jam weekend will include the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship, a Kentucky Fried Hotel Jam, with a concert from The Earls of Leicester, and excursions to the Bill Monroe Homeplace in nearby Rosine. There is also a day trip to the Green River Distilling Company for those so inclined.

The Kentucky Fried Jam will take place at the Holiday Inn, just a few blocks from the Museum, and pickers and grinners are invited to participate at no charge. Space will be set aside for jamming throughout the property, and the Holiday Inn is offering special weekend room rates for those coming for the music.

The Kentucky Fiddle Championship will take place at the Museum, where fiddlers from all over the state converge for a chance to win the coveted trophy. Spectator tickets are only $10 each day (Saturday and Sunday), and include access to all the exhibits in the Museum proper.

Friday, March 7, will feature The Earls of Leicester performing at the Museum from 7:00-9:00 p.m., with tickets starting at $38.50. Tickets can be bundled with hotel reservations for additional savings.

Friday and Saturday will offer access to the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Roots Tour which leaves the Holiday Inn each morning at 10:30 a.m., and includes a chartered tour of the home where Monroe was raised in Rosine, plus other places of interest, returning at 4:00 p.m. Lunch is provided with the $30 ticket.

Additional offerings from downtown businesses will be announced shortly.

The Great American Bluegrass Jam sounds like a great way to kick off the 2023 season, as all events will be held indoors, so weather won’t be an issue.

Find full details at the Hall of Fame web site.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.