‘Uncle Pen played the fiddle Lord how it would ring, you could hear it talk, you could hear it sing.’
Uncle Pen Fest is back for its 50 year anniversary at Bill Monroe’s Music Park and Campground (5163 State Road 135, Bean Blossom) tomorrow through Saturday.
“This festival has been going on for over 50 years, uncle Pen was Bill Monroe’s uncle that started him into the music industry,” Bill Monroe’s Music Park and Campground Owner Rex Voils said. “In June is the oldest bluegrass festival in the world (Bill Monroe Bluegrass Festival) and Uncle Pen Fest is right up there. There are probably only two or three others that are as old as Uncle Pen Fest that are still continuously going, that’s what sets this festival apart.”
The festival was started in 1974 as a tribute to Bill Monroe’s uncle James Pendleton Vandiver or uncle Pen, who played and taught Monroe how to use the fiddle. After Monroe’s parents died when he was 16, he lived part of the time with Vandiver where he would play the mandolin while Vandiver played the fiddle at local events and square dances.
Monroe later wrote a song about Vandiver and it became a hit for artists like Porter Wagoner and Ricky Skaggs.
Thursday will be the festival’s open jam.
Artists like the Kody Norris show, Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band and more are on set to hit the stage on Friday with the Little Roy and Lizzy show, Brayden Williamson, David Parmley and others to wrap up the weekend on Saturday.
“We do the hall of fame inductees at Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame,” Rex Voils said. “This year we’re inducting the Lewis Family and James King. That sets this festival apart from any other bluegrass festival because people do get inducted into the hall of fame here.”
James King’s induction is on the books for Friday and the Lewis Family are set for Saturday.
Food trucks, vendors and camping are scheduled for every day of the event. “Bring your lawn chairs, your cooler with food and drinks and sit out on the lawn to listen to the music,” Rex Voils said. “At night, after the entertainers are on stage at the festival, there’s a lot of picking at the campsites. A lot of people that love to play will go to their campsites and they will play all night long.”
Gates are scheduled to be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and all guests are required to purchase admission to the for each day they are camping on the property.
Three-day admission costs $145 per person. Single day tickets are $45 on Thursday, $50 on Friday and $55 on Saturday. Children 12 and under can enter for free.
Festival passes do not include camping reservations, those can be made by visiting Bill Monroe’s camping website at www.campspot.com/book/billmonroemusicpark and prices range from $70 to $140, according to Bill Monroe’s Music Park and Campground Office Manager Haley Voils.
Attendees that did not get their hands on golf cart reservations can bring their own from home for a $10 fee.
More information about tickets can be found on the Bill Monroe website at billmonroemusicpark.ticketspice.com/uncle-pen-festival-2024.
