Wheeling CVBlog: Strings and Things

Wheeling Bluegrass Festival

By: Jennifer Materkoski, MA

Join Oglebay Institute for the 2017 Wheeling Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, September 9 on the grounds of the Stifel Fine Arts Center. Sponsored by the Hess Family Foundation and Yuengling, the event is sure to become the premier bluegrass event in the Northern Panhandle.

The event musical lineup includes a combination of local bands and nationally touring acts. The gates will open at 10:00 a.m., and the first act taking the stage will be the Wheeling Park High School Bluegrass Band at 11:00 a.m. Other local acts include The Road Hogs and Marsh Wheeling String Band. Additionally, there will be performances by Johnny Staats and the Delivery Boys, Grand Ole’ Ditch, Herb and Hanson, Almost Famous and Cabin Fever String Band. A full lineup can be found here.

Food and beverages will be available from Ideal Provisions, Hash Browns & New Grounds, Ohio Valley Eliminators, Brynn E. Bears and Yuengling. There will also be plenty of vendors on site offering festival and band merchandise, organic body products, handmade and nature-themed jewelry, handmade children’s items, West Virginia gifts and books and music from local artists. Children are welcome at the family friendly event, and the Children’s Museum of the Ohio Valley will provide an area for kids’ activities.

The festival will also offer a pre-party on Friday, September 8 from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Oglebay’s Camp Russell. During that party, Two Bridges and Jacob’s Ferry Stragglers will perform. The cost for the pre-party is included in VIP festival admission, or guests ages 21 and over can pay $10 to attend. Tickets are available online.