Photo submitted – Headliner of the Bluegrass, Brews & BBQ Festival Dirty Blanket performs at a recent concert.
Little Falls, NY – Organizers of the annual Bluegrass, Brews & BBQ Festival in Little Falls just announced their 2022 concert schedule for Saturday, September 17th, 2022, featuring an Upstate favorite, Dirty Blanket. Dirty Blanket is known for combining an array of influences with a passion for creating original music. Guitarist Max Flansburg and singer/songwriter Kevin O’Leary began playing as an acoustic duo, utilizing what free time their other musical projects allowed them to share their latest material with audiences across Upstate NY. In 2016 the band expanded its vision with a sharp turn toward the fast-paced styles of America’s bluegrass greats. Regional musicians Richie Colf, Joel Fedkiw, and Aaron Oldweiler were added to the roster on the mandolin, banjo, and upright bass, rounding out the band lineup as a 5-piece string quintet.
Dirty Blanket has been touring the American Northeast, making names for themselves on the festival circuits and in cities like New York, DC, Baltimore, Burlington, and beyond. To date, they’ve played events with some of the highest-profile names in bluegrass: The Del McCoury Band, The Infamous String Dusters, Jeff Austin Band, Kitchen Dwellers, and more.
According to David E. Warner, the festival’s event director, “We have an incredible lineup for audiences this year with Cincinnati Creek’s toe-tapping melodies starting off the festival at noon. The talented performer and songwriter, Andrea Asprelli, entertains at 2 pm with her unique blend of new grass and rustic Appalachian tones. The Brothers Blue enter the stage at 4 pm with their fresh hybrid sounds of Country, Bluegrass, Cajun, and Irish music. And, capping off the event…our headliner…Dirty Blanket at 6 pm.” It’s a no-admission day filled with music, food, and fun. Audiences will be delighted that the festival’s workshops continue with a guitar workshop presented by Jason Borisoff at 4:30 pm, inside the Cafe at Stone Mill. Borisoff regularly collaborates and performs duos with Andrea Aspelli.
The Bluegrass, Brews & BBQ Festival offers music for all ages, celebrating creative expression and nurturing the art of songwriting. The one‑day festival will be held from 12 pm to 8 pm in the city’s historic Canal Place, an open-air, family-friendly environment with continuous music, beer, and bbq throughout the day.
Food vendors for this year’s festival include: The Cafe at Stone Mill, Canal Side Inn, K Dogs BBQ (food truck on West Mill St.), Mangia Macrina’s Wood Fired Pizza (behind the stage inside Stone Mill), Promise Land BBQ (food truck on West Mill St.) and Little Falls Elks Lodge No. 42 will also have their grill set up on West Mill St. Local craft brewer, Rock Valley Brewing Company, one block from the festival on West Mill Street, will offer a variety of house-brewed beer, local spirits, hard ciders, and soft drinks, and DikinDurt Distillery will be just west of the stage with a tasting booth and their local moonshine. Their Mohawk Valley Moonshine is handcrafted with New York State-grown grains and distilled in the hills of the Mohawk Valley with a custom 100-gallon copper still built from a real Kentucky moonshiner. All-natural spirits are infused with fruits or rested on oak and finished with local honey or maple syrup for a sweet smooth smoky flavor.
For more information about the 2022 Bluegrass, Brews & BBQ festival, visit us online at www.littlefallsbluegrassfestival.com, or contact Warner at dave@littlefallsbluegrassfestival.com or (315) 508-5310.
About the Bluegrass, Brews & BBQ Festival:
Bluegrass, Brews & BBQ is an annual festival held at Canal Place in Little Falls, NY, and co-sponsored by the City of Little Falls Tourism Committee, and the Youth & Family Center. This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.
The festival offers entertainment for people of all ages, celebrating creative expression and nurturing the art of songwriting. The 202 festival will be held on September 17, 2022, from 12 pm to 8 pm in the city’s historic Canal Place, an open-air, family-friendly environment with interactive demonstrations, continuous music, food, and fun throughout the day. For more information about the festival, contact David E. Warner, Festival Event Director at (315) 508-5310 or email dave@littlefallsbluegrassfestival.com.