Clarion River Jam Bluegrass Festival: Providing Musical Family Fun for Ten Years and Counting

Sherry Campbell

Sherry Campbell

Published March 21, 2019 4:30 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — For a decade now, Clarion River Jam has been a favorite among musicians and bluegrass enthusiasts.

About 700 attendees filled the Ramada by Wyndham in Clarion, during the March 15 to 17 event. The annual festival benefits the United Way of Clarion, and grants by Pennsylvania Council On the Arts and Clarion County Hotel Tax Committee made this year’s event possible.

Twenty-eight bands donated their time and talent to perform on the main stage. Meanwhile, pickers, fiddlers and friends formed impromptu groups and bonded over old tunes and timeless lyrics. Most participants agreed that the opportunity to “jam” with old friends and new acquaintances, makes the Clarion River Jam exceptional. This was clear as these jam sessions lasted ’til the wee hours. With the variety of old-time, traditional, contemporary, and gospel bluegrass, there is something for everyone.

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This year’s Saturday evening line-up featured a Fiddler’s Roll Call, a group of fiddlers playing familiar pieces and taking turns on the lead. This special fiddlers’ showcase was dedicated to the late George Servey, well-known local fiddler, who passed away in November 2018. Selections included some of Mr. Servey’s favorites, as well as some traditional fiddle tunes.

The Clarion River Jam is the third in the Western PA Bluegrass Series, following the Butler Ice Jam and the Oil Country Bluegrass Festival. Melissa Fulton, Executive Director of the United Way of Clarion, shared that there was more to the story of Clarion River Jam than creating a fundraising event. Its inception came out of a local need for good, free, family fun.

Ten years later, the Clarion River Jam Bluegrass Festival not only remains a great fundraising opportunity for the United Way but also a popular event on the local calendar.

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