Kids Academy students on stage at the 2018 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – photo © Tara Linhardt
Sunday of Grey Fox 2018 saw the stage show launch with a Gospel set by The Dry Branch Fire Squad. Then the scholarship recipients for this year were joined by a few former recipients, and they had a set where they each could be highlighted on a tune or two. They were all some very, very fine pickers and it will be exciting to see where they end up in a few years for sure. The climax of the festival is always when the Kids Academy students take the stage to perform the songs that they have been working on all weekend. There was the Senior Division first, followed by the large group. The kids sounded fantastic, and many ear-to-ear grins could be seen when they came off the stage after the roaring applause from the crowd.
Here is a clip of the Grey Fox Bill Vernon scholarship recipients Eli Wildman and Victor Furtado performing an original tune written by Eli called Falling Up.
Here are the scholarship recipients being joined by a few recipients from past years for Will the Circle Be UnBroken.
Country Current (the US Navy Band) was smoking hot, and pickin’ and grinnin’ dazzling and wowing the fans with originals and traditionals with some serious bluegrass drive going on.
Grey Fox means so much to so many people. Over the years it has started many now great young artists playing music, helped to encourage and support up and coming pickers, provide one of the premiere music festivals for the northeast region of the US with constantly fantastic music, and created a space in which friendships are made and people become part of a community. Grey Fox attendees often comment that they feel that sense of family in returning year after year. A huge thank you to all of the people who work year round to create such a wonderful festival and to all the staff, volunteers, artists, and fans who come each year adding to the magic that is Grey Fox.
