Bluegrass Festival taking place this weekend in Waverly

On Sept. 8 and 9, the North Barton Grange, located at 1363 Ellis Creek Rd. in Waverly, will host their annual Bluegrass Festival. The event will be a two day festival, and will offer seven bands and camping. Friday’s music runs from 4 to 9 p.m., and then the music will continue on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Activities will include the Valley VFW Color Guard, the National Anthem, a chicken and pork barbecue, Chinese Auction, Bake Sale, vendors and raffles.

Approximately 500 attended last year’s festival, and the organizers are expecting even more this year with the addition of camping. 

Scheduled to perform is the Mathews Family Tradition, a local band from the Van Etten area. They have played at the festival three times, and are looking forward to this year’s event as well. 

The Feinberg Brothers are from Long Island and are new to the festival. Also performing are Zink & Company from Massachusetts, and Louie Setzer and the Appalachin Mountain Boys from the Windgap, Pa. area. This band has performed at the festival each year. 

The Delaney Brothers, from the Syracuse area, will perform, and new this year is Slewfoot Bluegrass, a local band from the Candor area. Melanie and the Boys, another local band from the Apalachin area, will also be returning this year. 

There will be tents set up in the shade, and guests should bring their own lawn chairs. This is a rain or shine event. 

The Grange is run by volunteers only, and all proceeds from this festival go to the North Barton Grange. They are used for any upgrades that need to be done, and to keep the Grange running year round. 

They are the last active Grange in Tioga County, N.Y. and are host to monthly tractor pulls, a Community Day in June., and the Bluegrass Festival, which is always the weekend after Labor Day. 

The Grange is always looking for new members, to help with keeping this Grange active. 

Tickets are $35 at the gate, $10 for Friday only, $25 for Saturday only, and children 16 and under are free with a paying adult. 

Free rough camping is available with a weekend pass, but there is no dump station on the premises. The camping gate opens on Thursday at 1 p.m. The concession stand opens on Friday at 2 p.m. 

For more information, call Beverly Randall at (607) 687-1678.