08/12/2026
Well… we survived another Pickin’ in Parsons Bluegrass Festival! And what a week it was.
There are so many people who deserve a HUGE THANK YOU.
First, to our volunteers and staff — there really aren’t words big enough for this thank you. ❤️
Many of you have been beside us for years. You drive here from Delaware, Baltimore, Cleveland and beyond. You take vacation days, leave your jobs and families behind, and give up a week of your own lives to help us pull off this crazy thing we love.
You show up year after year, work long days, take care of problems nobody else ever sees, and love this festival right alongside us. Somewhere along the way, you stopped being “volunteers” and became family.
We know what you sacrifice to be here. We see it, we appreciate it more than you know, and we love you for it. Pickin’ in Parsons simply would not be Pickin’ in Parsons without you. ❤️
And then there’s our daughter, Kate. ❤️
John and I simply could not do this without her. We rely on her more than most people will ever realize. She handles the phones, the camping, the tickets, answers a thousand questions, keeps track of a thousand details, and somehow keeps the two of us pointed in the right direction.
Being our daughter certainly doesn’t mean she gets a cushy job around here — quite the opposite. She carries an enormous part of Pickin’ in Parsons on her shoulders, and she does it because she loves this festival and the people who come here just as much as we do.
There are jobs you can find someone else to do. Kate’s isn’t one of them. She is absolutely irreplaceable to us, both as part of Pickin’ in Parsons and, much more importantly, as our daughter.
We love you, Kate. ❤️
To every single band that took our stage, our vendors who gave everyone a place to shop, Tucker County YoungLife who kept our bathrooms clean and stocked, Liz from Canaan Valley Flower Company, who year after year works her magic and makes our stage absolutely beautiful, and of course the Southard Audio crew who made everybody look and sound so good — thank you for being part of our little corner of West Virginia for the week.
And most of all, thank you to our guests.
Thank you for rolling with the small changes we made to the chair-line process. We know changing a 20-year tradition can be a little scary around here. 😂 You cooperated, you were patient, and overall it went better than we could have hoped.
Thank you for opening your hearts and your wallets to help our neighbors affected by the flooding. That generosity says more about the Pickin’ in Parsons family than anything we could ever put in an advertisement.
And the Stick Band Society… WOW.
We thought a few crazy people might permanently tattoo our little stick band on themselves. Turns out there are a LOT more crazy people than we realized. 🤣 We had to rush-order more T-shirts by Tuesday evening!
We are humbled, honored and honestly still a little stunned by how many of you chose to carry a little piece of Pickin’ in Parsons with you forever.
And we are VERY thankful for the WEATHER! The weatherman had us preparing for the apocalypse, and somehow we ended up with a pretty darn nice week.
Nobody got hung up.
Nobody left in an ambulance.
And, despite some concerns, no one was injured during The David Mayfield Parade. 😂
Which actually brings me to something else we believe pretty strongly around here.
Pickin’ in Parsons will always have traditional bluegrass at its heart. We want to introduce this music we love to as many people as possible and help make sure there is an audience for it long after all of us are gone.
Sometimes that means we may stretch the edges just a little. Not because we’re walking away from traditional bluegrass — quite the opposite. Sometimes you have to get people through the gate before you can show them why you love what’s inside.
If somebody comes because one band catches their attention and, while they’re here, discovers Ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys, The Cox Family, Authentic Unlimited or another traditional artist they might never have heard otherwise, we did our job.
Twenty-some years into this crazy adventure, we are still learning, still tweaking, still taking a few chances and still incredibly grateful that you trust us enough to come along for the ride.
Together, you made 2026 one for the books.
Thank you for showing up. Thank you for supporting the bands. Thank you for supporting our little town. Thank you for laughing with us, picking with us and occasionally putting up with us. ❤️
We hope to see every one of you back in Parsons, West Virginia, August 3–7, 2027.
We’ll bring the bluegrass.
You bring your chairs.
And maybe a sense of humor. 😁❤️🪕
