Modeled after thriving folk music and community centers like Brooklyn’s “Jalopy Theatre“, Boston’s “Club Passim“, NY’s “Caffe Lena” and Maine’s “317 Main“, Connecticut now has it’s own home for folk arts.
The IBMA Foundation recently awarded $20,000 in project grants to 11 bluegrass
programs in eight states plus Canada. The Bill Breen Bluegrass Youth Education Fund will support one-third of the amount awarded for project grants in 2026. “An impressive list of recipients for 2026 will support bluegrass education for both young people and
adults,” said IBMA Foundation Board Chair and President Trisha Tubbs. “We are grateful to donors who continue to support the Foundation. Project grants are the flagship program of the IBMA Foundation, dating back to 2011. We’re especially pleased to help fund important work across the U.S. and beyond with these annual grants that make an enormous difference in lives and communities.”
The Granite (Georgetown, CT) was selected as one of the 11 recipients to receive project grant support from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Foundation. The grant will support ongoing education and programming initiatives for the blossoming new CT based non-profit.
“Bluegrass at the Granite” hosted by The Granite, Inc. hosts monthly bluegrass nights plus youth music education. A new series at the nonprofit arts venue has been developed for 2026 that will include coached and uncoached jams, workshops, and professional band performances. The program’s goal is to preserve and promote bluegrass in Connecticut and southeast New York area. (Georgetown, Connecticut)
The IBMA Foundation supports programs and initiatives that foster the growth of bluegrass music. The Foundation helps donors create a bluegrass legacy through charitable donations and planned giving by supporting programs focused on bluegrass-related arts and culture, education, literary work, and historic preservation. Information about all grants and scholarships awarded by the IBMA Foundation may be found at bluegrassfoundation.org. For information on how to sponsor one or more IBMA Foundation project grants, contact executive director Nancy Cardwell at (615) 260-4807 or info@bluegrassfoundation.org.
Live Bluegrass in CT February 2026
Bluegrass fans in Connecticut during February 2026 can catch major performances by Marty Stuart and Molly Tuttle (Feb 15) and Sister Sadie (Feb 26), along with local jams like the Granite House Bluegrass Band (Feb 26). Nearby, the major Joe Val Bluegrass Festival takes place in Framingham, MA (Feb 12-15).
February 2026 Bluegrass Events in CT
- Feb 4: Henhouse Prowlers + On the Trail at StageOne at FTC, Fairfield.
- Feb 7: Wires and Wood in Manchester CT
- Feb 15: Marty Stuart and Molly Tuttle at Garde Arts Center, New London.
- Feb 25: Audrey Mae in Griswold CT
- Feb 26: Sister Sadie at The Kate (Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center), Old Saybrook.
- Feb 27: On the Trail special performance w/ classical String Quartet – Redding CT
- Feb 26: Bluegrass Nights at The Granite Church, Redding (featuring Granite House Bluegrass Band).
- Feb 28: Danny Paisley and Southern Grass North Haven CT
- Feb 28: South Farms Winter Get Down with North County Band & Wires and Wood, Morris.
New Bluegrass Jam in Central Connecticut – Middlefield Community Center launches new initiative to build multi generational space
Mary Farnsworth, new director of the Middlefield Community center, will open up the space for community jams of various genres.
Time: 6-9 PM Sunday, February 22
Address: 405 Main Street, Middlefield CT
Chris Weurth will host a bluegrass jam in one room while Aaron Bittel will concurrently host a Québécois/French Canadian jam.
There are other rooms available for any type of music.
Roots Music Stomp
Check out this new series at the United Theatre in Westerly, RI call the Roots Music Stomp. Run as a sort of “Live Podcast”, the two hour performance with consist of impromptu music making of various genres and a discussion of the history and culture of the music. The next roots music stomp will be Sunday, March 1st from 6-8pm. See https://unitedtheatre.org/calendar/ for tickets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UjG8kjCMao
ATTENTION ALL CT BLUEGRASS BANDS
It’s that time of year again! We kindly ask all bands to go through the checklist below to make sure your information is up to date:
- Check your band profile on our webpage to ensure everything is current (personnel changes? news?)
- Confirm your contact links are working and accurate.
- Update your band photo if you’d like to showcase a newer or more representative image.
- Let us know if you’re not currently taking gigs, so we can temporarily hide your profile until you’re ready to return.
Thanks for helping us keep everything accurate and up to date! https://ctbluegrass.com/bands/
If you are a NEW band that wishes to be listed on here on the Connecticut Bluegrass Association, then Become a member, and we will post your information here and give you access to posting all of your events on the public calendar!
Scholarships / Grant available for those looking to take music lessons, attend camps, and learn bluegrass and old time music
THE STEVE MANDELL MEMORIAL MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND, launched in April 2019, is proud to announce that 22 applicants received scholarship awards of $500 or more in 2025. Donations were received by private individuals through cash donations at public festivals and concerts, online and direct payments. Eligible applicants are from the DelMarVaPa region and beyond. All applications received are reviewed by an advisory board of (7) professionals in the music industry. Awarded funds are made directly to the instructor, camp or college as designated by the award recipient.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 70 AWARD RECIPIENTS to date, whose ages range from 8 to over 70, playing a variety of instruments. Those scholarships awarded in 2025 were comprised of:
| 3 | banjo | |
| 14 | fiddle | |
| 2 | guitar | |
| 2 | mandolin | |
| 1 | bass | |
| 22 | ||
Our professional instructors are located throughout the US. Award recipients reside in the US or are attending colleges in the US. In addition, in 2023 we awarded (2) scholarships to applicants living in India who took virtual lessons from US-based instructors.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- The SMMMSF sponsored &/or appeared with a non-profit booth at 10 festivals and many other events in 2025 including Remington Ryde (PA), Graves Mountain (VA), Music City Music Fest (MD), West Virginia’s Branch Mountain (WV), No Bull Just Bluegrass (VA), Podunk Bluegrass (CT), Upperco Festival and Upperco Jam Fest (MD), Watermelon Pickers Fest (VA), Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival (NJ) as well as the Seven Mountains Bluegrass Assn. annual picnic (PA). We also had a display at over a dozen individual concert events. Proceeds from these appearances via donations, raffles and merchandise sales resulted in nearly $4,000 being sent to the Fund.
- Interviewed by award-winning musician Austin Scelzo on his YouTube channel in 2024.We were proud to share scholarship details and insight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnfxyi9L8Rg
- Interviewed by Chistian Howes of Creative Strings in 2025. We were also proud to share scholarship details and insight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmvob5ym48w
- 2 Recipients in 2020 are now teaching their master techniques to others
- 8 Recipients are now in bands
- 1 recipient in 2023 was selected to play in the IBMA Youth “Kids on Bluegrass” in Raleigh, NC (2024) and Chattanooga, TN (2025). Several other recent recipients appeared on the Kids on Bluegrass stage at IBMA in 2025.
Watch for us at numerous festivals and concert events in 2026. We are thrilled to sponsor the Kids Academy at the Chesapeake Winter Bluegrass Festival in Annapolis, MD January 30 – February 1, 2026 and the Kids Academy at the Remington Ryde Festival in Centre Hall, PA June 24 – 28, 2026.
Applications for the 2026 Scholarships, as well as donations, are being accepted now through the link below:
https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/steve-mandell-memorial-music-scholarship
About the fund:
THE STEVE MANDELL MEMORIAL MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND is intended to honor the memory of Steve Mandell who passed away in March 2018. Steve was an award-winning musician (Grammy 1993 for Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Dueling Banjos”, along with several Gold and Platinum records) and played with numerous folk, country and bluegrass acts, performed on studio album and commercial recordings and appeared on Broadway. The award is intended to benefit those who want to learn/develop/enhance their music education in folk, bluegrass, old timey and other acoustic Americana styles. Awards between $500 -$1,000 began in April 2020, annually or more frequently depending fund income and based on need and intention. Applications are reviewed and awarded by a board of knowledgeable musicians and others in the industry.
THE STEVE MANDELL MEMORIAL MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND is a program of Common Ground on the Hill. Common Ground on the Hill is recognized as a tax-exempt organization under section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Donations to Common Ground on the Hill and its programs are tax deductible. Further information can be found at https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/mandellmusic.html
Contact:
For more information contact Terry Mandell via email mandellmusic2019@gmail.com
Found on Facebook: STEVE MANDELL MEMORIAL MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The Joe Val Music Festival has Returned!
February 12-15, 2026!
The Boston Bluegrass Union is thrilled to announce the return of the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival! Buy your tickets today for President’s Day weekend, February 12-15, 2026.
The festival hotel is the Sheraton/Renaissance in Framingham, MA.
1657 Worcester Road (aka Rt 9)
Weekend passes and single tickets are on sale now. Online ticket sales end Wednesday (Feb 11) at noon.
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