Gary Young was the founder of Hayseed Mostly Bluegrass Festival, which started in 1978 in Franconia, New Hampshire. The festival became one of New England’s notable bluegrass gatherings and ran for many years.

Formed in 2023, White Mountain Ramblers (WMR) is an acoustic quartet playing bluegrass and beyond. The band features Nathaniel Haas (upright bass/vocals), Ben Rossetter (mandolin/vocals), Luke Bartol (fiddle), and Robbie Neeb (guitar/vocals). Playing a mix of original, familiar, and traditional music, WMR's unique sound draws from the members’ diverse musical backgrounds. As outdoor enthusiasts who’ve lived in mountain ranges across the U.S., it only made sense to name the band after the Whites, the range that brought them together. Found in venues, bars, and fields across Northern New England, WMR’s hot licks, three-part harmonies, and fresh arrangements are guaranteed to get you ramblin’ along!

Dust off ‘yer boots and get ready to scoot your way to the dance floor! Proudly playing the classics from the golden age of country music, Ashley Jane’s Hootenanny is a root’n, toot’n, good time! Or if toe-tappin’ is more your speed, you can tip your hat and sing along to all the classics. Hootin’ and hollerin’ is encouraged and we always abide by the Code of The West. Yee-Haw! Featuring Ashley Warwick (guitar/vocals), Steve Wright (classic Telecaster), Brian Warwick (percussion) and Chris Cruger (upright bass).

(Appearing on the Barn Stage)

Brothers Will and JD Miller are passionate about music and performance. They’ve been performing and playing music since early childhood and continue to play with their bands The Bleeding Hearts Family Band and Brothers Miller.

This East Hardwick, VT bluegrass duo brings a contemporary feel to old-time and modern tunes to create a unique country sound.

Continuing a long line of musicians, they passionately play traditional music from a variety of genres and have spent time, together and separately, performing music and theater throughout Vermont.

As a duo, their approach provides a unique and unforgettable experience with rich vocal harmonies, intricate solos, and driving rhythms. Their influences span a broad spectrum, ranging from Doc Watson to Prince.

(Black Woods will be playing for a Contra Dance on the Barn Stage with Eric Rollnick)

Black Woods is a Celtic music duo from Bethlehem, NH with Renée Blacken on fiddle and vocals, and David Van Houten playing guitar or cittern. Renée has been a fiddler for more than 20 years, with her strongest influences coming from Maine and North Carolina. David has been playing at contra and family dances since the 1980’s in Northern New England. The repertoire includes dance tunes from Appalachia to Eastern Canada, the British Isles and Northern Europe. From upbeat reels and jigs to more relaxed waltzes and slow airs, there’s something for everyone.

Eric Rollnick call for dances throughout New England. His repertoire includes traditional square dances, contra dances, contemporary dances and dances which he has choreographed. He is comfortable calling for beginners as well as seasoned dancers. “The smiles from the dance floor are the best feedback for how well a dance is going, and having new dancers become regulars at the dances is the best reward for a caller.”

Good music comes from the heart and when Christine Malcolm, Fran Forim, Marc Edwards and Hank Clark get together to play there is a lot of big heartedness. Their band settles into a Northern Vermont groove that weaves folk-grass with threads of psychedelica and tufts of country and rock.  The friendship between these veteran musicians shines through every note.  Their style is intimate, personal and old school. Christine Malcolm writes songs, lead sings and plays some guitar.   Her debut recording- Crickets, Coyotes and the Big Yellow Moon, won the Times Argus 2015 Tammy Award for Best Country Record.  Fran Forim (Beg, Steal or Borrow) is literally rock solid on the upright bass and backing vocals.  What few people know is that she also bakes outstanding sourdough bread.  Marc Edwards (Heavy Nettles), brings a virtuosic skill on guitar and a musical creativity that shines through in his playing. The breadth of his musical interests is apparent in the ideas he shares in his leads, which are magically balanced by Hank Clark (Ida Mae Specker Band) on the mandolin.  Hank creates a gypsy, jazzy, jammy bluegrass vibe to texturize the sound and sings a bass harmony that adds on the other end of the sound spectrum. 

Come join for a listen.  It's like hanging out at your friend's house eating the best homemade pie with your favorite drink at a comfortable place by the fire.  It's always a lot more fun if you are there. 

BOWMEN is the latest evolution of songwriter Bow Thayer, joined by guitar maverick Krishna Guthrie and anchored by a dynamic rhythm section: honky-tonk heavyweight Eric George on bass and River Thayer (Bow’s son) on drums and percussion.

Rooted in Thayer’s 40-year songwriting legacy, the band revisits a deep and diverse catalog — breathing new life into old songs while fearlessly charting untraveled ground. BOWMEN isn’t just a reinterpretation project; it’s a living, growing organism. Genres blur. Instruments transform. Alternative tunings are standard practice, and Thayer’s signature Bojos shape the band’s unmistakable sonic identity. New material introduces the thunderous Reso-Bojo-Baritone, pushing the low end into uncharted depths.

“How low can you go?”

Come find out.

What makes BOWMEN especially compelling is its generational span. With decades of road-tested experience alongside fresh, youthful energy, the band carries a palpable sense of mentorship and musical continuity. It’s seasoned musicianship meeting fearless exploration — old guys doing something new, young guys doing something timeless.

Thayer’s songwriting moves effortlessly through roots, rock, and global influences, driven by an undercurrent of freedom and unity — a fitting ethos for a band proudly calling Vermont home.

*Bowmen will be doing an acoustic, string band ensemble for the Moore Dam Bluegrass Festival, pulling songs from Bow’s days as banjoist with bluegrass group The Benders (as well as brand new songs). Utilizing the amended 6-string open-back banjo, upright bass, acoustic guitar and cajon trap kit for percussion, this group paves the way for an updated take on old-time music. It’s music that literally grew out of the dirt of Vermont to reverberate through its hills and valley.

Tim Easton is the youngest of seven children, born in Upstate New York, and raised in Tokyo and Akron, Ohio by a Canadian Mother and American Father. Influenced by a combination of songwriting legends and folk masters from his older brother’s and sister’s vinyl collections, Easton found himself busking the streets of Europe on and off for seven years, living in Paris, London, Prague. It was this period where he honed his songwriting style of folk based storytelling of personal adventures, often peppered with bold confessions or “tell it as it is” reality. Returning to the USA to record his debut solo album “Special 20,” in Nashville, he signed with EMI Publishing in 1999, relocated to Los Angeles, performed at songwriter hubs like Largo, and signed a recording contract with New West Records. His first release for the label was 2001’s “The Truth About Us,” featuring three members of WILCO as the backing band. Next came “Break Your Mother’s Heart,” garnering 4 stars in the print version of Rolling Stone and heralding his songwriting as having a “novelist’s sense of humanity.” World tours have continued for over twenty years. Several albums have been released after a relocation from Joshua Tree to Nashville where he signed with Thirty Tigers and Oklahoma’s BLACK MESA RECORDS. His fourteenth album, “fIREHORSE,” produced by Kevin Nolan and featuring a full band in yet another direction in the arch of the consummate songwriter and troubadour.

His touring career also involves Songwriting Workshops. While living in Joshua Tree, Easton began creating and displaying individual hand painted jackets for his albums, a practice which carries on to this day in his new home of Nashville.

130 original songs are on his Spotify page and five books of poetry/essays have been published. He also released a limited edition, hand painted jacket—vinyl only release of his long dormant alter-ego DARK WATSON in 2025, and will be touring Australia, North American, and Europe in 2026.

(Appearing on the Barn Stage)

The Tenderbellies are a Vermont-based string band whose music ranges from bold and brazen to delicate and somber through tightly arranged songs and improvisational exploration. The band thoughtfully bridges a variety of musical influences, creating a distinctive sound with a bluegrass backbone, but that also incorporates elements of blues, rock, soul, jazz and Dawg music. From intricate harmonies to fast-paced instrumental jams, The Tenderbellies deliver a live performance that’s heartfelt, high-energy and emblematic of a band comprised of dear friends. 

The Tenderbellies have been recognized as one of Vermont’s finest, winning the “Seven Daisies” Award for Best Bluegrass Group in Vermont seven times in a row, a testament to their beloved place in their music scene. The Tenderbellies have held local residencies in the Burlington area, shared the stage with nationally touring acts, toured on the west coast and performed at music festivals, clubs and community events throughout New England. The band values bringing communities together by sharing their original music and energetic live performance. 

The Tenderbellies’ latest album, “When the Thunder Rolls,” was released in April 2025 and is available on all streaming platforms and in both vinyl record and CD format for sale.

The Tenderbellies features Chris Page (Guitar/Vocals), Collin Cope (Harmonica/Vocals), David Titus (Guitar/Vocals), Luke Hausermann (Bass/Vocals) and Matt Francis (Mandolin/Vocals)

“If there’s one feature prosperous bluegrass endeavors have in common, it’s a synergy resulting from fruitful and durable relationships. Picking and singing together a few nights here and there can’t fabricate those bonds. But through a commitment of time, and by way of shared experiences on and off the stage, The Tenderbellies have developed a deep level of comfort and trust.” – Seven Days