FloydFest

Today I'm pulling the house to Floyd, Virginia, right along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'll be dry camping (no hookups) in the Château Morrisette Winery parking lot, volunteering at FloydFest. I'll finally get to really test the solar/battery system that I installed on the house last year.

I'm enjoying volunteering so much. I get to do the things that I enjoy most (and at which I am very, very good): helping people and problem-solving.

Come Monday, I'm not sure where I'll go. There are lots of music festivals all through the summer and fall in the North Carolina mountains and foothills, and I'd like to volunteer at as many as I reasonably can:

• High Country Bluegrass Festival in Boone -- this Saturday (July 25)...so I'll be missing this one. :(
• Doc Watson and Friends in Todd, NC -- Saturday, August 22. I doubt that volunteers are needed at this little venue. I need to find that out, because tickets will surely be sold out soon.
• The Carolina Chocolate Drops at Festival Park in Greensboro -- Saturday, August 29. I think this is a freebie. I just spent 15 minutes googling for the time of their performance, and I can't find it...but I think I saw 5:30 pm the last time I tried. I've been promoting this to my family and several friends in the Greensboro area. You've just got to see The Carolina Chocolate Drops! Justin Robinson's solo (vocal and autoharp) of Sea of Love two weekends ago at Sugar Grove inspired me to concentrate on learning to play my autoharp well.
• Music on the Mountaintop in Boone -- also Saturday, August 29. Ouch. Should I try to get some of this and catch the Chocolate Drops in Greensboro, 120 miles away? (I'm thinking about it...)
• Daniel Boone Days in Boone -- September 4 - 6. Upright & Breathin' (and at least 5 other bands) will be playing. I heard Upright & Breathin' at Sugar Grove. They don't have a CD, yet. Banjo player Brian Kreher told me, "It's really close. We need a few more tracks, and some more editing on the tracks that we have." I told him to get it close and release it! There are lots of good bands around here, but these guys are unique!
• Mountain Song Festival in Brevard -- September 11 & 12. Look at the web site!!! David Grisman Quintet; Steve Martin (no kidding!); Steep Canyon Rangers (these guys ROCK!!!); and more. I don't know if they use/need volunteers; I don't know how much tickets cost. I hope I don't miss this one!
• Carolina in the Fall in North Wilkesboro -- September 25 - 27. As I understand it, the Kruger Brothers host this festival. I've already emailed the volunteer coordinator, but I haven't heard back. Volunteer or not, I'd really like to be at this one. The Kruger Brothers are another must-see! These guys, from Switzerland, grew up listening to Doc and Merle Watson. Their roots are in bluegrass, but they do awesome classical!