Live music and festivals are anchors of the Hudson Valley’s cultural legacy that have, to varying degrees, been pre-empted by the pandemic. But many are back in the coming months and hopes are high that they could, perhaps, bring a sense of normalcy.
Pete Daly of Lagrangeville attended the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival for more than three decades before the pandemic forced it to go virtual in 2020 and be canceled in 2021. Daly purchased tickets for the return of Grey Fox this year — July 14-17 in Oak Hill, Greene County — and grew emotional discussing reuniting with friends, camping, and soaking in the Grey Fox scene.
“I had tears in my eyes when I got my tickets,” said Daly, who looks forward to seeing performances by such bluegrass heavyweights as Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and the Del McCoury Band.
Not every festival is returning in 2022. The absence of festivals with a long track record, developed over decades prior to the pandemic, will also be felt this summer, particularly by fans of both the Clearwater and Mountain Jam festivals.
