The free Saturday festival with live performances and instrument vendors at Kalamazoo Valley Museum also boasts a Friday kickoff event starring Brian Oberlin of Full Cord. View the schedule.
Busy Weekend: Brian Oberlin performs Friday and Saturday, and closes out the festival with a jam session. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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Hudsonville multi-instrumentalist Luke Lenhart calls the Kalamazoo Fretboard Festival “a homecoming event” for Kalamazoo’s The Green Valley Boys.
“They are known all over the state and got national recognition when Rem Wall was on Columbia Records back in the 1960s with hit songs like ‘Home is Where the Hurt Is’ and ‘Oh Remember Me,’” Lenhart said of the bluegrass, gospel and country band which has appeared at nearly every Fretboard Festival over the years.
“The Fretboard Festival does a great job focusing on musicians and instruments, which is perfect for The Green Valley Boys to share our music.”
Returning Saturday: Luke Lenhart & The Green Valley Boys (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
Sharing live music, displaying guitars, banjos and other instruments, and offering workshops on mandolin, slide-guitar, sound engineering and more will propel the 20th Fretboard Festival taking place Saturday (March 22) at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, with mandolinist Brian Oberlin playing a kickoff event on Friday evening (March 21).
More than 1,800 people attended the free event in 2024, with visitors browsing vendors throughout the facility and experiencing performances on stages in the museum and in Anna Whitten Hall next door.
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Fretboard Festival,” said Anna Koenig, weekend programming coordinator for Kalamazoo Valley Museum at 230 N. Rose St. in downtown Kalamazoo.
“One of the highlights is ‘20 Years of the Fretboard Festival,’ a special documentary showcasing the festival’s rich history and impact over the years. This will be shown throughout the day (on Saturday).”
In tribute to the instrument “that started it all,” the festival will shine a special spotlight on the mandolin, with Oberlin of the Full Cord bluegrass band taking Friday attendees “on a musical journey through the history of the mandolin and its original music” and “demonstrate the instrument’s versatility, charm and beauty in a way that promises to be a truly unique experience.”
A JAM SESSION WILL CLOSE OUT THE FESTIVAL
Children will be treated to a special morning performance by Paul Bauer’s Small Sounds in the Children’s Landscape at 10 a.m. Saturday, with a community jam session closing out the festival at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, led by Oberlin.
“The first portion of the session will focus on reading music, both in notation and tablature, providing a great opportunity for musicians who want to build their skills,” Koenig said. “The second half is all about playing by ear, welcoming musicians of all levels to join in and create something truly special together.
Drawing a Crowd: The festival’s Anna Whitten Hall venue. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
Even if you’re not a musician, you’re more than welcome to attend and experience the joy of live, spontaneous music-making. It’s the perfect way to wrap up the festival and celebrate the vibrant musical community that has made this event so special for the past 20 years.”
Performers range from returning favorites such as folk singer/music historian Joel Mabus, singer-songwriter Darcy Wilkin and The Green Valley Boys to the Celtic band Whiskey Before Breakfast and gypsy jazz string band the Birdseed Salesmen.
Lenhart noted that The Green Valley Boys’ special performance at 1 p.m. in Anna Whitten Hall will feature Rem Wall’s sons who played on “The Green Valley Jamboree” TV back in the day, along with Don Bradford, Bernie Steffes and Lenhart.
“We will be performing several Rem Wall classics and a mixture of bluegrass and country music from the golden age,” said Lenhart, who’s played the Fretboard Festival nine times.
Get more information about the festival and the workshop schedule online at kalamazoomuseum.org.
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