Performances / Festivals

Festival Main Stage

Enjoy a tour of southern banjo styles, songs, and stories of old Virginia, fiddle hoedowns,  jaw harp, gospel singalongs, and the sweet sounds of the old-time Piedmont finger-style guitar:

• Southside Blues by Jimbo tells of Jimmy Oglers of Sutherland, Virginia – “cornbread and taters, black – eyed peas, turtle stew and collard greens.”

· Wildwood Flower/ Freight Train: played on fingerstyle guitar and flatpick guitar

· Great Grandma’s Song: the  story of Ruth Graves – an old-time quilt maker from Nelson County, VA

 •Floating Down the James by Jimbo Cary, describes batteau travel in the 19th century. (gourd banjo and bones)

•The Wreck of the Old 97 describes a 1903 train wreck in Danville. 

 •Lynchburg Town is an antebellum song about transporting tobacco to Lynchburg.

“Your songs were delightful”

“What a great addition your music was to our event.

It was perfect.”

— S. James

“Your music added so much fun and festivity!”

– R.B. , Monticello

“You have the audience in the palm of your hand.”

Family Stage

Children and their families come running when they hear Jimbo strike up the banjo. They will find themselves joining the band and playing along to a variety of lively acoustic music and songs. Kim & Jimbo’s “traveling music museum” consists of gourds, bones, maracas, bells, drums and tambourines. Animal puppets make an appearance during “Wild Animals Wild” and “The Possum’s Tail is Bare“.

Interactive Family Tent

Join Jimbo’s Jam!

In an intimate performance area under a tent, there is an inviting circle of chairs that surrounds rugs and mats, and baskets of drums, bells, gourds, tambourines and maracas — (the traveling music museum). Families create their own music as they jam along to animal songs, fiddle tunes, and banjo breakdowns in a festive party atmosphere. Animal puppets round out the fun. There are jam sessions all day long — for all ages from 2  to 92! Everyone is welcome here. Join the band and go wild making music at Jimbo’s Jam Session.

Fun for All!

Railroad Festivals

Kim & Jimbo revisit the era of steam engine trains with their tunes New River Train, Reuben’s Train and Wreck of the Old ’97. They celebrate the heroes and hoboes of that era in songs that include Casey Jones, John Henry, Wabash Cannonball and The Milwaukee Blues.  Gospel favorites such as  Life’s Railway to Heaven and When that Train Comes Around are great for singalongs.

Kim will teach everyone to how to play the bones. Children and families play along on gourds, tambourines, bones and spoons.

Jam along with Jimbo and Kim!

.

“The smiles on their faces and the rhythms in their hands

convinced me that the two of you are pros

at engaging young people in music.”

“You both are so talented and do a great job keepin’ the ol’ tunes alive as well as generating new ones.”