The Grass Is Always Bluer
Originally from Arkansas, Harold Ferguson grew up playing bluegrass music. While working on a cotton farm as a child, he’d run into the house and play the mandolin between picking rows. Ferguson eventually moved to the West Texas town of Wickett—where he later became mayor—and started the Wickett Bluegrass Festival 20 years ago. Though Ferguson died in 2016, the festival continued until the pandemic, for a total of 21 years.
After the festival ended its run in Wickett, Ferguson’s daughter, Cyndi Perdue, moved to the Big Bend area, where she discovered an array of music and art. Bluegrass, however, was mostly absent, so she started the Big Bend Bluegrass Association. From Oct. 7-8, the association is hosting the inaugural Big Bend Bluegrass Festival at the Alpine Civic Center, bringing a mix of gospel and bluegrass music to West Texas.
“Alpine and the Big Bend area are very rich in music and the arts, and we’re really trying to showcase that here,” Perdue says. Visitors can expect multiple bands, including The Kody Norris Show, a 2021 International Bluegrass Music Awards Band of the Year finalist. Other performers include the Edgar Loudermilk Band, Bluegrass Express, and an array of local acts. Workshops for guitar, banjo, fiddle, and more are available as part of the admission fee ($30 for the full weekend). Instrument giveaways, door prizes, food vendors, and visual artists round out the event.
Big Bend Bluegrass Festival, Oct. Alpine Civic Center, 801 W. Holland Ave., Alpine.
