Another trip through the Cumberland Gap to the promised land we call the Allegany County Fairgrounds was the way of many a DelFest fan this past holiday weekend and year 15 offered something many don’t remember happening ever before – nothing but sunshine!  While Mother Nature usually offers up at least one downpour at some point throughout the weekend, 2023 was different and attendees were overjoyed to pile on the SPF for four days straight!

It kicked off as it always does with the Del McCoury Band sound check Thursday and as folks flowed into town and set up camps they would call home for the weekend, excitement bounced from mountains to field and back again. Anticipation of musical magic was palpable as attendees arrived and were greeted by welcoming staff and familiar faces as far as the eye could see.  The thing that people love most and you could hear mentioned over and over again in conversation, is that once you are here, you are family and that is what keeps people coming back year after year.

With three stages and lots of hard decisions to be made music-wise, there is never a shortage of opportunities to see a long-time favorite perform or to discover a new band or artist that you might not have seen before.  Collaborations and shared stages are another addition to the rolodex of memories that undoubtedly come with each year of the festival.  2023 alone had Lindsey Lou, Ronnie McCoury, Del himself and The California Honeydrops as repeat offenders in that category, just to name a few.  Secret riverside sets were rumored to be happening night after night, and if you were among the lucky few that were able to seek and find them, the intimacy alone could give you goosebumps. 

Strong women were a staple at this years festival as well with Sierra Ferrell casting a spell that just about everyone fell under for both her Potomac Stage and Grandstand sets.   The select few that were able to find or happened to fall upon the riverside set, lasting late into the night, were among the truly blessed as it is clear this young woman is a rising star that will continue to shine very, very bright.  Rising Appalachia was simply mesmerizing Sunday as their melodic chants and rhythmic beats seemed to shake the ground and thump into everyone’s existence, carving out a place to stay for a lengthy future.  Molly Tuttle is an addition that has been gracing the lineups of festival after festival the past few years and this year DELighted us with another reason to love her.  Even better, the Delfest family is growing in more ways than one, literally, and brother Sullivan Tuttle was also gracing the Potomac and Grandstand stages alongside his band, AJ Lee and the Summit, to share even more of the love.

Speaking of family love, if we were to speak like Yoda for just a second, we would say, "There is another McCoury!"  Last year Ronnie McCoury's son, Heaven McCoury, loomed comfortably in the shadows of DelFest.  In 2023, this powerhouse and versatile guitarist graced all three stages and came to the forefront on many occasions to show off his guitar skills.   We certainly look forward to seeing Heaven McCoury continue to grow and blossom in the future and DELight fans at DelFest and beyond!

Of course, as any DelFest pro could tell you, the late nights are never to be missed, and this year was no different.  The weekend both kicked off and ended with some amazing Grateful Dead tributes, first with the Keller Williams Grateful Grass set and then wrapping up Sundays as they always do with double Travelin McCoureys who always pay homage to the band they love so well and make us all feel the love far and wide.  Kitchen Dwellers, Cris Jacobs and California Honeydrops also got their late-night credits added to the list of reasons to love them as the music hall packed the folks who never wanted to stop the party from wall to wall.

While we love talking about some of the superstars and music legends that grace the stages at DelFest, we also know that DelFest is where you will find future superstars.  DelFest has a knack for finding emerging talent that propels them to the stages of DelFest and beyond.  We each remember many DelFest artists way before they were launched into the musical stratosphere.  We were blown away by some of the first-time and emerging acts at this year's DelFest, including Birches Bend, Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle, and Sicard Hollow.  Take a stroll down memory lane and check out this link to see all previous lineups - we are sure you will recognize a few beloved artists.

There is so much that ticket holders grow to love about the annual festival, and talking with countless folks around the campground and beyond just solidified the fact that once you get a sample of what festival fun on Memorial Day Weekend can be like, you’re marking your calendar for a return trip every year after.  Families bring the youngest and oldest members, and there is something for all of them to do.  It’s not only the undeniable fact that when you’re here, you’re family, but also the setting where all the magic takes place is like no other.  You can float down the river to relax and cool off, sit by a campfire and listen to newfound musician friends jam into the wee hours of the night, take part in a canned food drive that helps so many people or see Del himself, driving around the campground smiling and giggling and welcoming family from near and far back home to what we have come to know as nothing less than Deltopia. 

There is a reason why so many say that "DelFest is My Happy Place." DelFest is not just a festival - it is truly a cultural phenomenon and a beacon of joy on thousands of music lovers and bands' calendars.  You cannot plan special, DelFest is where special just happens and while many fans got to experience special on stage for a few moments, others got to experience it at their campgrounds.  Some moments of musical special included hushed whispers about Jason Carter and Friends campsite jam that started late at night and went until the sun almost came up, seeing the genuine shock and appreciation on Leanna Price and Lauren Price Napier's faces when Ronnie McCoury made a surprise guest during their performance and the pure joy that seeped out of The Dirty Grass band when they concluded their set as they had an 'at-capacity' performance in the Music Hall.  

Beyond the stages, our hearts were warmed over and over again, watching musicians beaming from ear-to-ear off stage as they soaked in the DelFest experience and were allowed to experience being just another attendee.  We also got to see the fun through the yougest of attendees eyes, as we were introduced to the youngest attendee at DelFest, a month-old newborn child experiencing their first of a hopeful many more to come.  We saw the DELight in children's eyes as they played at the kids' pavilion, and also they sheer joy of kids-at-heart as they jumped in or out of their inner tube along the Potomac River. 

The turnout on the front lawn for participating in restorative yoga sessions was much more than we have seen before and other health-conscious attendees were able to get their steps in early as there were two 5K's in the Allegany County Fairgrounds.  Vendors new and old allowed folksnthe opportunity to take home treasures of every varitey to remember the weekend by. and most importantly giving back to the Western Maryland Food Bank alongside an annual tradition at DelFest  Del's Army Food Drive are all among reasons why we love the festival and continue to grow the family.

One of our hardest jobs each year is to try and distill down four days of musical bliss and countless memorable moments into a singular article.  If we were to try and write a complete writeup, it would undoubtedly be 100,000 words, and we would still miss magical details that happened.  

Above are just some of our moments worth mentioning and we know that each and every person who was lucky enough to attend this year's event, brings home their own special memories that they will forever cherish.  We hope that even more fans will have the opportunity to come to DelFest 16 in 2024 and create memories of your own at DelFest.