The Boston Bluegrass Union is hosting its annual Joe Val Festival this coming weekend, Feb. 16th – 18th, in Framingham, MA. Last year the Joe Val Festival won the IBMA Event of the Year Award and this year’s festival promises to be just as good. One of the reasons Joe Val was selected for this award is the wealth of education oportunities available at the festival for pickers, educators, and music fans. This year the BBU is hosting weekend workshops, a teacher training seminar, Bluegrass In The Schools concerts and band training workshops, our Joe Val Kid’s Academy, Joe Val Master Classes with visiting artists, and bluegrass history film segments from the International Bluegrass Museum.

All of these programs and the education programs we offer throughout the year are made possible through kind donations from BBU members, instrument dealers and manufacturers and foundations. This year we are privledged to hold not only our instrument raffles at the festival but also auction off two fine instruments donated by Eastman Strings and Paul Beard Guitars. Non-festival attendees can participate in our silent auctions for the Eastman 815 mandolin (list price of $1950) and the GoldTone Paul Beard Special Deluxe Resonator Guitar (list price $1050) by visiting our auction web page http://www.bbu.org/raffle_auction.htm and submitting an email bid. Bidding closes this Sunday, February 18th, at 3pm eastern time. Winners will be announced later that afternoon. We hope you can come and pick with us at the festival but if you can’t, please bid often and help support the great work the BBU does to support bluegrass music in New England.