PICKIN’ & GRINNIN’ IN NORTH GEORGIA
Boxcar Pinion Bluegrass Festival this weekend
Bluegrass fans and musicians from around the country will make their way to Mountain Cove Farms this weekend for the 29th Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival in Chickamauga, Georgia.
The festival is held in memory of Boxcar Pinion, who lost his life to cancer in 1990. It is organized each year by daughters Cindy Pinion, Inez Pinion Castleberry and Ruth Pinion.
Today through Saturday, May 2-4, the cove will ring with bluegrass performed in the Show Barn. Three solid days of bands have been booked, in addition to innumerable jam sessions always held around the campsite.
“Narrowing down the choices of bands to a few dozen is the hardest thing to do,” says Cindy Pinion. “They are all so good, I love them all and it’s hard to decide.”
Pinion says making their first appearance at the festival will be Larry Efaw and the Bluegrass Mountaineers.
“We have our own Chickamauga resident Landon Fitzpatrick playing banjo with them. I’m proud of that,” she says.
Pinion is also looking forward to the performance by the Fiddlers Anonymous Fiddle School Band, which kicks off Saturday’s entertainment.
“These are all children learning to play bluegrass. It’s always exciting to me for youth to be involved. I think any kid who wants to play bluegrass instead of video games is worth our support,” she says.
And always-popular Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out will be Saturday night’s headliner.
Pinion says this festival stresses a family atmosphere, and there will be activities such as craft vendors to browse, disc golf, fire rings and other outdoor recreation offered by Mountain Cove Farms.
Folks who want to stay for the full weekend can rent campsites. All camping reservations require a three-day ticket and threenight minimum stay. Children ages 15 and under camp free with a paying adult.
RV owners are advised there are hairpin curves coming from Lookout Mountain down Dougherty Gap Road. Large RVs coming across Lookout Mountain must travel to the farm via Highway 136/ Highway 193.
To rent a campsite, call 706-820-2228 or 423-432-6276.