Anyone who loves live music has their “favorite festival.” In the eight plus years I’ve known him, my friend Brad has regaled me with stories about the magic and beauty of his hands-down favorite music festival – Delfest. Held on Memorial Day weekend in Cumberland, Maryland for the past ten years, it’s hosted by the bluegrass legend Del McCoury. For five years I would brush off Brad’s insistence that I go to Delfest. Then, in 2013, he threw me a curve ball. Brad offered to buy my ticket. Seeing that Phish wasn’t planning to tour that early in the summer, I agreed to go.

I really didn’t know much about Del McCoury going into my first Delfest. My appreciation of bluegrass was limited to a few Railroad Earth and Infamous String Duster shows. My excitement was mainly focused on seeing Brad and some of the other friends I hadn’t seen since moving out of Blacksburg, Virginia in 2009. When the line-up was announced, to my delight the Trey Anastasio Band, the band of the guitarist of Phish, was part of it (though probably not to the delight of most die-hard Delfest/bluegrass fans).

As the festival date drew near, some of my friends from New York and even Ohio decided to jump on board. Six of us made our way to Cumberland, Maryland for Delfest V! I arrived late the first night and was elated to get the biggest welcoming hug from Brad and his southern crew!

When I woke in the morning and unzipped my tent, I gasped at the view before me. Towering above me was a large cliff face carved out of the Potomac river covered in lush greenery so beautiful it looked like the fake backdrop in a school photo. I stepped out of my tent, breathed in the fresh Maryland mountain air and began my love affair with Delfest.

It’s hard to put your finger on what makes this festival rise above the rest, but I will attempt to do it justice. Something about the gorgeous setting just feels like hallowed ground. We spend our days floating on the river from the campsite to the main stage listening to the music resonate off the canyon wall.

On my first year, Delfest V, when the full moon peaked over the cliff, Trey insisted the lights be dimmed so we could all howl at the moon! And while I’ve never been on the stage, I’m pretty sure the view has to be one of the most incredible that a musician gets the honor of playing.

It’s a festival for all ages! By day, kids outnumber adults at the Grand Stand stage. In the evenings, the volume gets turned up, but being it’s a family friendly festival, the late night shows are indoors. Only acoustic music is allowed in the campgrounds after midnight, so the kiddos and early-risers can sleep somewhat soundly (it’s a music festival after all) and the rebel rousers can rage until the break of day!

Let’s not forget Del himself. He is the pièce de résistance with his one-of-a-kind voice and incredible musical talent, to his amazingly talented family and his ability to bring some of the best musicians in the industry onto one stage, sometimes all at once! The minute his crooning voice hit my ears, I knew I wanted Del to “marry my grandma and be my grandpa” as I’ve come to say! With well-coifed hair and sharp attire, he is the epitome of bluegrass and one of the most reverent and revered American musicians. If you don’t know who he is yet, you should.

Delfest  is a family affair. Headliners include the Del McCoury band as well as Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury’s band the Traveling McCoury’s. Also on the docket is McCoury’s granson Evan’s band The Broomestix. And last year, the tiniest McCoury musician, Vassar McCoury stole the stage!

The music at Delfest is absolutely top-notch. I’ve gained an entirely new appreciation for the versatility and complexity of bluegrass. And I’ve had some of the most spiritual musical experiences of my life at Delfest, including hearing the Traveling McCoury’s play this haunting version of the Grateful Dead’s Loser.

Here are some other reasons why Delfest is the bees knees…

• You know it’s a good festival when you’re decision on whether or not to attend only partially hinges on the line-up. DELuxe (VIP) pass holders have to purchase their tickets before the line-up is announced. And this year, it sold out in two days!
• You know it’s a good festival when your crew packs a meat smoker and keeps it smoking all weekend long.

• You know it’s a good festival when your face hurts from smiling so hard.
• You know it’s a good festival when you walk out of the late night show to the stars being extinguished one by one as the early light of morning begins to rise over the cliff. You drag your weary dancing bones back to your tent, happily exhausted. As you fall asleep, you hear the sweet  soft sounds of acoustic bluegrass coming from the hollow in the woods nearby from the musicians who couldn’t bear to go to sleep yet.
•  You know it’s a good festival when you can sleep in until past noon because the sun isn’t bearing down on you because it’s not the middle of August.

From the moment the doves are released signifying the start of each year’s festival to the final notes are played on the late night stage, Delfest is a class act, full-on musical and spiritual experience everyone needs to check out at least once in their life. Each year, as I drive away, I leave a huge piece of my heart at Delfest.