This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
08/10/2022 08:30 AM“Bluegrass music is very country, and St. John’s is very country,” says Karolyn Nicolaides, organizer of the St. John’s Episcopal Church annual Bluegrass Festival.
After a year off for a pandemic pause, the fourth annual festival is poised to play on the grounds of the historic North Guilford church at 129 Ledge Hill Road on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 4 to 7 p.m.
“People are very happy about coming back up to North Guilford,” says Karolyn of the response to news of the festival’s return.
As the festival’s founder, organizer, and event planner, Karolyn has plans for this year’s festival to make quite a musical note, as part of the church’s 275th anniversary celebration.
Part of the effort has been to put together a line up of bands and other offerings to make up the area’s best bluegrass festival offering, hands down — and hands-on.
This year’s headliner, duet Amber Anchor, is a big name in bluegrass.
“It took me four years to get them here. We’re really excited about bringing them to Guilford,” says Karolyn.
The festival line-up also features huge fan favorites On the Trail and, for the second year, the return of multi-player band Grass Roots.
Karolyn’s also rounded up a fantastic opportunity for bluegrass lovers and musicians to get in on hands-on jam instruction sessions (2 to 4 p.m.) with Connecticut Bluegrass Association president Austin Scelzo, who will be teaching the Pete Wernick Method to registered participants. Add to that another festival first: the evening’s Open Mic Jam, when festival ticket holders can bring their own instruments on stage during intermission, for an impromptu bluegrass jam.
“I’m really excited about the Open Mic Jam. I’d like to see who has instruments and wants to play. You never know, we may have some budding artists that root out of this,” says Karolyn.
Advance festival tickets, $20 (children under 12 free) are available now at www.stjohnsguiford.org, where enthusiasts can also find the link to register for Scelzo’s program. Festival tickets at the door are $25. Online registration for Scelzo’s class, $15 per hour or $30 for both sessions, can also take place on site at the festival on Saturday, Aug. 27. Rain date for the event is Sunday, Aug. 28.
To help the festival get underway, Boy Scout Pack 472 will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and soloist Lisa Bollard will sing the National Anthem. Throughout the event, the family-friendly gathering will be manned by church volunteers, including those cooking up hot dogs and roasted corn for purchase. Soda and water will also be available.
“It’s a really simple, affordable fun family event,” says Karolyn, noting bring-your-own picnics are also welcome.
She adds that festival seating is also of the bring-your-own variety, from blankets to chairs.
“We have people who like to set up tables and have very elaborate picnics, and then we have people that bring their lunch box and enjoy the music.”
As someone who’s definitely a little bit country, Karolyn has always held a special appreciation for the perfect, scenic setting enjoyed by St. John’s and its neighbor, North Guilford Congregational Church.
“We don’t have a lot of hills in Guilford, but we do have a lot of hills up there. It’s very peaceful. It’s historic – we have the historic cemetery across the street,” says Karolyn. “For our 275th anniversary, we’ll be opening our doors and providing tours of our sanctuary and church during the festival.”
The church first gathered in a house down the street from its present location; until NGCC gave St. John’s some neighboring land to build its own church. According to information shared by Karolyn, “St. John's Episcopal church dates back to 1747, when mostly lumbermen from south Guilford would come for weeks at a time, living in makeshift camps while they cut and dressed timber for this structure. St John's is listed among the most historically significant and beautiful churches in Connecticut.”
Founding a Festival
Several years back, the St. John’s annual summer barbecue, a once-popular draw for church members and area residents, had finally run its course.
“When we had that barbecue, people would come up [and] they’d spend hours up there; they got to see friends they hadn’t seen since the year before,” Karolyn recalls. “And people voiced they missed that. There was a void after that barbecue was canceled.”
Seeking a new way to gather in summer with others to celebrate the church, community and camaraderie, Karolyn, a fan of bluegrass music, envisioned the perfect opportunity.
“We have such an absolutely gorgeous location up there in North Guilford, that it struck me that having a music festival up in the North Guilford hills would be a fabulous way to bring back the community to our campus.”
A member of St. John’s for nearly all of her 40 years as a North Guilford resident, Karolyn serves in several capacities at the church. She developed the festival with the mission “...to bring great local bluegrass music and camaraderie up to the hill.” Karolyn’s idea immediately struck a chord with fellow church members.
“Our laity and leadership is very strong at St. John’s, so it’s not unusual our little church up on the hill would plan such a big, coordinated event,” she says. “It was a vision that I had five years ago, and the church has supported me and allowed this to go forward.”
The festival has not only reinvigorated the church community and its neighbors, but has become a popular attraction for bluegrass fans seeking out live music performances.
“Bluegrass is a very niche music, so there are a few little, scattered festivals, here and there. But for North Guilford, Guilford, this whole area, it’s definitely unique,” says Karolyn. “People come out of the woodwork to come here; and our church community loves to gather with their neighbors and enjoy it.”
As someone who’s attended other bluegrass festivals, Karolyn says there’s just something about listening to this distinct music in the great outdoors.
“Going to an outdoor bluegrass music festival is a very unique experience, because the music is very earthy. Bluegrass music is just down to earth.”
She thanks her fellow church members for their support and assistance with the festival, and Page Hardware & Appliance Co. for signing on as the festival’s sponsor. Karolyn is also excited that the big plans for St. John’s fourth annual Bluegrass Festival will help bring attention to the church and it’s 275th anniversary.
“Hopefully, our community will come out and celebrate with us, and enjoy the day with us,” says Karolyn.