ANNUAL FESTIVAL UNDER THE DOME

2011 ANNUAL FESTIVAL FLYER

ANNUAL FESTIVAL

The Annual Nova Scotia Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival, Canada’s oldest continuously operating Bluegrass Festival is now produced at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Grounds in Bible Hill near Truro, which is at the centre of Nova Scotia. The Downeast Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Society produces this event.
The site location has changed a few times over the years but the festival continuous to produce some of the finest entertainment in Eastern Canada.
Fred Isenor and Vic Mullin were the two founders of the event and they are both certainly well known to all Bluegrass followers. They were playing together for a benefit in the summer of 1971 when they decided to try to have a Bluegrass Festival the following summer. John Moxom was having barn dances in his barn in Hardwoodlands at that time, so the two convinced Mr. Moxom to let them hold a Bluegrass Festival at that location.
And so the first festival was held at John Moxom’s Farm on August 4th, 1972 with the entertainment supplied by three volunteer local bands. It was an evening session only and the stage was made from a farm wagon with a canopy over it. As it began to get dark the guests, who were sitting in their cars in front of the stage, shone their car lights in order to see the entertainers.
The success of the first year was great enough to make Fred and Vic decide to make this an annual event and the festival became registered as the Annual Nova Scotia Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival to be held on the last full week-end of July each year and so the second year was produced with an even greater attendance.
The next year a real stage was built and band members made their first dollar playing for the festival at the 3rd annual in 1974. Profits had increased and each band got a cheque for $10.00 for playing at what was now a two evening festival.
But the venue became too small and in 1977 the 6th annual was moved to Green Valley Campground at Nine Mile River and to a 3 day event with 9 Maritime bands and a band from the U.S.
In 1981 the 10th Annual was moved to Black Rock N.S. but only remained there for a year before moving to Beechbrook Campground in Ardoise N.S.
At its arrival in Ardoise, the festival began a new format and worked toward a family atmosphere by increasing the volunteer staff to around 40 or 50 people plus the Board of Directors. These folks were on duty during most of the week prior to the festival and during the festival. Security was also hired to be in attendance all weekend to ensure the new rules were followed.
The Festival celebrated its 13th year with entertainment by the Father and Founder of Bluegrass, Mr. Bill Munroe and the Bluegrass Boys. Who said the 13th was unlucky, most of us heard Bill Monroe in person for the first time.
In 1985 at the 14th, the Festival was honoured to have the great and famed Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen to entertain them, another first for most of us Maritime folks. 
In 1985, with the help of CBC’S Ocean Ltd., the entertainers and fans at Ardoise all got together to form the world’s largest Bluegrass band. It was 10 AM on Saturday the 27th of July when a band consisting of 250 people played and sang ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’, among other songs. This session was recorded and later heard on CBC Radio and was also registered in the Guinness book of World records for the world’s largest Bluegrass band.
In 1996 the Festival celebrated its 25th year with the multi talented and International Bluegrass Music Association Award Winning ‘Del McCoury Band’ from Tennessee, as well as the Whitstein Bros from Tennessee.
For its 28th season in 1999 the Festival adopted another new home, that being Avon River Park in Mt. Denson, Nova Scotia, where it remained until its 33rd year in 2004.
In 2005 the Annual Nova Scotia Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival moved to East Stewiacke for its 34th year of existence.
After 37 years of existance, in 2009 the Annual festival found yet another new home, right fair in the centre of Nova Scotia at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Grounds in Bible Hill, just outside of Truro.
During the festival there are instrument and vocal workshops and many concessions selling various items such as souvenir T Shirts, Ball Caps, various jewellery items, recordings, instruments and accessories, as well as repairs.  There are many great food concessions there as well.
The stage show starts on Thursday evening with an organized jam, with entertainment supplied by folks who are usually only seen pickin' & singin' around the grounds.
The organised band music starts at noon on Friday, 9:30 AM on Saturday, 9:15 AM on Sunday and the whole weekend ends about 3 PM on Sunday.
Some staff and fans start filtering in previous to the festival starting. One can usually find a pickin’ session somewhere by Wednesday. For those who care to stay up and roam through the park, it would be hard to find an hour during the day or night that you would not be able to find someone pickin’ and singin’ somewhere.
So mark the last full week-end of July on your calendar each year and plan to visit with us.