Since its inception in 2021, the annual Smoky Mountains Bluegrass Festival has become a much-anticipated gathering during this splendid time of year. Cradled by the mountains of Western North Carolina and showcasing the stunning fall foliage, the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds will once again come alive when the SMBF hits the stage from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.
Presented by the Haywood County Arts Council, the event will host bluegrass legends Balsam Range and Appalachian Roadshow Show, as well as rising acts in the scene, including Unspoken Tradition, Red Camel Collective, and Olivia Jo.
A vital fundraiser for the HCAC, the festival brings the organization’s programs and artists together for a truly one-of-a-kind music-themed experience. The event will also include music-themed vendors, raffles, artist member demonstrations/artwork, a child and adult playground, and local food/drinks.
Balsam Range
Since its inception in 2007, Haywood County’s own Balsam Range has become one of the most decorated, award-winning acts in the wide world of bluegrass music. The band has taken home the following International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) honors: “Entertainer of the Year” (2014, 2018), “Album of the Year” (2013, 2017), “Song of the Year” (2011, 2015) and “Vocal Group of the Year” (2014, 2015), with Tim Surrett “Bass Player of the Year” (2018).
“I think the reality of bluegrass is that it’s real. There are songs about racehorses, rivers, mountains, murder, baptisms, etc., and all of that still resonates today,” said guitarist/singer Caleb Smith. “When we look for stuff, we look for things that aren’t written for bluegrass. As a whole, bluegrass is a feel type of music. It’s believable. It’s always fun to bring new music to people and step out with brand new things to offer.”
And though Balsam Range continues to flourish and push further out into the world, the boys always have one foot firmly planted in Western North Carolina, firmly in the ancient mountains of their forefathers, where nothing replaces hard work and nobody is too good for their hometown. It’s those traits deeply instilled in the band being radiated from the stage and making a connection with people on the other side of the microphone.
“It’s just wonderful to still be able to work, to still be in the ring,” Grammy-winning banjoist Marc Pruett modestly said. “But, the biggest award for me is to get back out there on the stage with my buddies, pick some tunes again, and leave folks with a warm smile and some good music — that’s the only award I need.”
Appalachian Road Show
A renowned traditional bluegrass ensemble, Appalachian Road Show features Grammy-winning fiddler/singer Jim VanCleve, Grammy-nominated banjoist Barry Abernathy, mandolinist Darrell Webb, guitarist Zeb Snyder, and bassist Todd Phillips. To note, earlier this month, VanCleve was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame in Boone.
“I genuinely do think [the ‘Father of Bluegrass’] Bill Monroe spoke directly to what is so distinctive about the genre at its core,” VanCleve said. “He called it the ‘ancient tones.’ While that’s hard to quantify, I also think people know exactly what it is when they hear it — in their very soul.”
Raised in Haywood County, VanCleve’s family lived on Balsam Mountain and Eagles Nest, with others in Bethel, Cruso, and Canton. From early on, he was surrounded by music, listening to “old-time players one night, bluegrass the next, then [hearing] gospel on Sunday morning.” At age six, he was given a fiddle and “the sound of it always spoke to me.”
“Growing up in Haywood County, I was right in the middle of a rich musical tradition — all of that seeped in,” VanCleve said. “The fiddle became my way to tie it all together, a bridge between those styles and stories. It can whisper or it can cry. It can sound rough and raw or as smooth as a voice.”
Eventually, VanCleve graduated from Pisgah High School. In 1997, he joined legendary bluegrass act Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. A year later, he would join Abernathy and form famed Americana group Mountain Heart, a position he held until leaving the band in 2014 to pursue other projects. Coming into 2018, he and Abernathy once again came together to launch ARS.
“We’re trying to bring something unique in our authentic respect for the music, the heritage, the region, the roots, and the branches,” VanCleve said of ARS. “We get to share music that comes straight from the heart of Appalachia, and people keep connecting with it. The fact that folks are moved by what we do? That’s what keeps us showing up and giving everything we’ve got.”
Unspoken Tradition
From seemingly every reach of Western North Carolina, bluegrass quintet Unspoken Tradition features guitarist/singer Audie McGinnis and his brother/bandmate Zane (banjo), who hail from Cherryville, while Tim Gardner (fiddle) calls Brevard home, as Ty Gilpin (mandolin) and Sav Sankaran (standup bass) make their respective homes in Asheville.
UT is well-vested in the traditions of bluegrass and heritage music, each member bringing a different and unique skillset to the table. “We were steeped in it at a young age. I feel like this area — the foothills, the mountains — holds onto past generations’ traditions,” Zane said. “I love it because it’s real. Bluegrass is authentic — there’s no smoke and mirrors.”
“We’re all just ‘trying to get back home,’ you know?” Gilpin added. “There’s an energy there and yet combine that energy with something that’s expressive about where we’re from and who we are as people — it’s kind of a perfect combination.”
Want to go?
Hosted by the Haywood County Arts Council, the fifth installment of the Smoky Mountains Bluegrass Festival will return from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds.
Advance tickets are $69.55 per person (tax included). Children ages 12 and under are admitted free. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit haywoodarts.org/smoky-mountains-bluegrass-festival or call 828.452.0593.