Broadway to host The Valley Bluegrass Festival and Autumn Days

When banjo, upright bass, guitar, mandolin and other various instruments join together, there is only one appropriate response--to dance.

This will be the case on Saturday, Sept. 13, when The Valley Bluegrass Festival is held in Broadway, Virginia.

Opening for the Bluegrass Festival is the sixth annual arts and crafts festival of Broadway Autumn Days. Located in downtown Broadway, vendors will be displaying their wares from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Not only are crafts for sale, but (of course) food. During the day, two bands will play: Middle River Band followed by New Traditions Bluegrass Band. Admission is free for these two events.

The Bluegrass Festival will run from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the J. Frank Hillyard Field. This festival is an event where six bands will compete for a prize of free recording time, donated by Blue Ridge Recording Studios, located in Luray. The judges of this contest and special guests for the day are the members of Nothin' Fancy, a nationally known bluegrass band. One of their members, Mike Andes, is a Broadway boy and looks forward to returning home.

The competing bands include Daphna Creek, South River Gospel, All4Hymn, Bluegrass Mountain Boys, Heartland and Walnut Ridge Boys. Nothin' Fancy will open and close the event.

Organizers recommend that attendees bring lawn chairs and blankets, as seating is not provided. In addition, Broadway has claimed this event as "alcohol free," so as to accommodate all .

Admission, however, is not. Tickets are $7.50 for adults and youth 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at local Broadway businesses or online at www.bhp-va.org/bluegrass. For more information, call (540) 896-4992.