It was hairy going there for a while – the rumors were flying around the sale of the Rothvoss farm and the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival remaining homeless. An appeal was made, the organizers asked anyone with an idea, a lead, a hint of a lead to contact them to help in the search for a new home. Much was at stake – tickets sold, artists’ contracts signed, vendors lined up. The “what if?” was too awful to consider.
JULIE GRITTEN to the rescue! Yes, the HVBA’s very own up-and-coming fiddler, Julie Gritten, came forth with a contact and a phone number – brought the two parties together… and the rest is bluegrass history.
Julie and her family are friends of the Walshes, owners of the farm that is to be the new home of the Grey Fox festival. When they heard of Grey Fox’s troubles, they forwarded the festival organizers’ number to the Walsh brothers. Contact was made, the Grey Fox people went to check out the property and found it not only satisfactory, but even better than they’d hoped for. Says Julie, “The family is really excited about the whole thing as they’ve never been to GF.” This year they won’t have to go to GF – GF will go to them!
Thanks Julie! This HVBA member saved the day!
Here is the original article about the farm being sold:
Rothvoss Farm Sold; Grey Fox Seeks New Home
January 10, 2008
The Rothvoss Farm, long-time home of the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, was sold on January 7, ending 31 years of bluegrass festivals on the picturesque farm in Ancramdale, NY. Grey Fox is searching for a new site for this year’s festival.
While we were hoping to remain on the Rothvoss Farm in 2008, it is necessary for us to move this summer’s event to a new location. Our goal is to find a new home in the Hudson Valley or the Eastern Catskill Mountain area. Anticipating the sale of the farm since early December, we have looked at many potential locations in Columbia, Dutchess, Greene and Ulster counties and are making a short list of the many prospects. We are THRILLED that so many communities are anxious to welcome us.
Each summer since 1976, world class bluegrass music has resonated from “The Hill” (as the working hay farm in rural Columbia County has been fondly nicknamed). Thousands of fans, volunteers, artists, friends and families will cherish the years and years of memories made at the Rothvoss Farm.
Grey Fox has been produced on the Rothvoss Farm since its inception in 2000. Mary Tyler Doub, founder of Grey Fox and a producer of the Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival prior to Grey Fox, has been involved in festivals on the Rothvoss Farm since 1983. Doub, who is past chair of the International Bluegrass Music Association (http://www.ibma.org) and current chair of the International Bluegrass Music Museum Board of Trustees (http://www.bluegrass-museum.org/) promises, “We are doing everything we can to find the perfect match for our bluegrass festival and its community of wonderful fans and artists.”
“Rest assured that we have everyone’s enjoyment, safety and comfort in mind,” says Doub. The festival is also committed to keeping the rustic and relaxed atmosphere that makes Grey Fox such a big part of people’s lives. We hope to move Grey Fox only once, be we may need to select an interim site while we continue to search for the ideal location. We hope this is not the case.
Our move will certainly be filled with mixed emotions. While each of us will leave a part of ourselves on “The Hill,” we can all look forward to years of annual gatherings in a new and exciting location. We are hoping to find 75-150 grassy acres that will allow campers to spread out more. We also hope to settle on gentler (and therefore safer) terrain than before.
We feel that this year’s festival has one of the best artist rosters ever and we hope to see everyone as we begin a new era of bluegrass music, culture and community.
Stayed tuned. Don’t reset your dial! We will let everyone know where Grey Fox 2008 will be as soon as possible. In the meantime, we’ll post any significant changes on our website