Rob Ickes with Darrell Scott at Grey Fox 2026 – photo © Tara Linhardt
Once again, the beautiful Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, New York, welcomed thousands of music lovers for another unforgettable Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. The festival offered days filled with outstanding performances, jam sessions, workshops, music classes, camping, dancing, reunions with old friends, and plenty of opportunities to make new ones.
Grey Fox continues to stand out for its commitment to environmental sustainability, and its emphasis on creating an interactive, family-friendly experience. Music fans of all ages can participate in a wide variety of activities throughout the weekend. The Family Stage features a full schedule of children’s performances and hands-on activities each day, while the ever-popular Grey Fox Kids Academy welcomed 96 young musicians who worked all weekend on learning the songs for their big show on the main stage. The kids also entertained by busking throughout the campground raising money to donate to fund the Kids Academy.
Jam sessions are a hallmark of the festival, with numerous themed and led sessions taking place throughout the grounds. New this year was “Sing With Me” with Guitaro 5000, located along Vendor Row. Festivalgoers were invited to step up and sing their favorite songs in a karaoke-style setting, accompanied live by Guitaro 5000 on guitar and streamed to the internet.
Beyond the music, Grey Fox offers an impressive selection of craft and food vendors. One particularly appreciated amenity was Fogbusters Coffee, whose owner, J Bone, drove an all-terrain vehicle through the campground delivering fresh gourmet coffee directly to campers. It was kind of like an ice cream truck for grown-ups coming around. 😊
This year’s Grey Fox Artist in Residence, AJ Lee, could be found throughout the festival sitting in with a variety of bands, and joining the next generation of musicians by working with the kids in the Kids Academy, and finally performing with the Kids on Saturday evening at the big show.
It would take an army of photographers and videographers to capture the many stages and activities throughout the festival grounds, but here are a few tidbits of the music and action from where I was on Thursday of Grey Fox 2026.
The Faux Paws
Darrell Scott String Band
Jacob Jolliff Band
East Nash Grass with AJ Lee
And here are some photos from Thursday (and a couple from Wednesday’s open mic night show).
