Crowds came from all over to Cairo, West Virginia this past weekend to enjoy the 30th anniversary of the North Bend State Park’s Bluegrass Festival. Visitors from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and as far away as Massachusetts were entertained by performances from Staats And Vaugn, The Hillbilly Biscuits, Open Highway, Silas Powell and many more over the two days. The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowd as they enjoyed the music, camping and food trucks.

Organizer Sarah Clark, said that there were 200 people in attendance and that the lineup featured ten bands over the two days with some performing each day. As to why people should attend, Clark said “The setting. We’ve got a really unique thing going on where we bring people from all over the state to a beautiful setting to enjoy live music.”

Performer Silas Powell has been attending and performing at the Bluegrass festival since he was a child. He would attend with his father and grandfather as they performed in their group, East Run. But now Silas and his group are the ones doing the entertaining with their brand of bluegrass. “I have a lot of history with this festival” Powell said, “I’ve been coming since before I played music” Silas said the festival is important to dispel stereotypes and misunderstandings of Appalachian culture, “Having something like this that showcases what the heart of Appalachia is all about is a great way to show what we are about.”