Sam Leslie will substitute for Ethan Ballinger.

Friday April 10, 2026 7-9 pm

Vienna, VA

Address will be provided upon purchase of ticket(s).

Food & soft drinks will be sold as a fundraiser for DCBU. BYOB

When John Cowan & Luke Bulla perform together, their shows reflect 25 years of shared history, musical trust, and genuine friendship. Blending New Grass Revival (and more) favorites with old and new originals, they pair masterful picking, rich harmony, and stories that are heartfelt, funny, and hard-earned.

The Hazel Dickens Song Contest 2026 winners have been announced!

The Hazel Dickens Song Contest celebrates the life one of the Baltimore/Washington region music’s most beloved bluegrass songwriters.


The Mike Auldridge Instrumental Composition Contest honors the life and musicianship of one of America’s greatest bluegrass players.

2025 Winners Announced!


Orrin Star

2026 Orrin Star Scholar Rita Perloff!

Congratulations goes to Rita Perloff who is the recipient of the 2026 Orrin Star Music Scholarship. Rita is a 14 year old from Oxford, Pennsylvania. Rita has been playing guitar in the band, Full Steam. Rita attends many festivals and Kids Academies. You can often see Rita and her fellow students busking around the festival grounds. With only 2 1/2 years of lessons, Rita is already playing solos! With her scholarship, Rita will attend the DelFest Music Academy.

The Orrin Star Scholarship honors the memory and generosity of a remarkable man, who lived in the DC area for most of his career and who was a friend to many in the bluegrass community. Orrin gained notoriety as a champion flat-picker and went on to enrich many of our lives with the warmth and humor of his performing and teaching.

Applications for the $500 award are accepted every year, beginning in the fall. Look for the announcement on the home page. Meanwhile, the program description is at https://dcbu.org/the-orrin-star-scholarship-program/

One important aspect of DCBU’s mission is to promote music education. We offer an instructor directory so students can locate teachers in their local area for in-person instruction. Additionally, since so many great musicians teach online classes, we’re now posting information for instructors wherever they are located. To sign-up as an instructor fill out the form by selecting the link below. Your submission will be reviewed and added to our directory within a few days.

Thursday, September 17, 2026
Thursday 09/17/2026 - Saturday 09/19/2026
All Day
24th Annual Nothin' Fancy Bluegrass Festival
Glen Maury Park, Buena Vista VA

Join Nothin’ Fancy, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, The Grascals, Chosen Road, Authentic Unlimited, Fast Track, Amanda Cook, Southern Legacy, Larry Stephenson Band, Dave Adkins, Blue Ridge Thunder, Pitney Meyer and the Malpass Brothers for 3 days of bluegrass goodness! https://www.nothinfancybluegrass.com/default.asp?loadpage=festival for more information, or for the ticketing link directly, that’s at https://www.itickets.com/events/483923.html.

 
Thursday 09/17/2026
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Mullin's 1847 Restaurant (Bluegrass Jam) Every Thursday
Mullin’s 1847 Restaurant, Moorefield West Virginia
 
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Sunday 09/20/2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
SAM Jam - Sykesville Bluegrass and Americana Music Jam
Sykesville Gatehouse Museum, Sykesville MD

Every Sunday, 2-4 pm

Sykesville Gatehouse Museum
7282 Cooper Dr
Sykesville, MD 21784

 
Monday, September 21, 2026
Monday 09/21/2026
6:30 am - 9:45 pm
VFW Post 350 "Hells Bottom" Bluegrass Jam
VFW Post #350, Takoma Park MD

The first and third Monday of each month..

Contact:
VFW Post 350: 301-270-8008
or Barb Diederich: 301-633-2504 barb@barbdiederich.com

For more information or to subscribe to the announcement list, see the FAQ at https://www.barbdiederich.com/vfwjam/

 
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Thursday 09/24/2026
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Jam at The Farm Brewery
The Farm Brewery at Broad Run, Broad Run (Haymarket) Virginia/Prince William County

Open Bluegrass jam. All levels (multiple circles). The Farm Brewery at Broad Run is on a spacious, well laid out, farm with food and beverages available. The jam is held on the SECOND and FOURTH Thursdays. There is ample parking and a friendly staff. The Farm Brewery closes at 9:00 PM, hence, jam hours are 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

 

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