Article Contributed by Victory Lap PR
Published on 2026-07-21
Photo: The Del McCoury Band delivered a fiery Friday night set at Grey Fox 2026. Photo by DrDavePhoto.com.
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival concluded another unforgettable summer reunion July 15-19, welcoming thousands of music lovers to Walsh Farm in New York’s Catskill Mountains for five days of world-class bluegrass, roots music, late-night jam sessions, workshops, dancing and community.
Long celebrated as one of North America’s premier bluegrass gatherings, Grey Fox once again honored the genre’s rich traditions while embracing its ever-expanding future through momentous performances, once-in-a-lifetime collaborations and meaningful moments both on and off the stage.
This year’s festival carried special significance as longtime Grey Fox icon Ron Thomason took the stage for his farewell performances as leader of festival host band Dry Branch Fire Squad following his recent retirement announcement.
For generations of Grey Fox attendees, Thomason’s unmistakable humor, storytelling and reverence for traditional bluegrass have become woven into the fabric of the festival itself.
Audiences were treated to standout performances from The Del McCoury Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The SteelDrivers, The Travelin’ McCourys present The Grateful Ball, Della Mae, Darrell Scott String Band featuring Rob Ickes, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Amy Helm, East Nash Grass, Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, The Brothers Comatose, Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires, Le Vent du Nord, Shelby Means and dozens of celebrated artists representing bluegrass, old-time, Americana, folk, Celtic and roots traditions from around the world.
While severe weather prevented Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue from performing their highly anticipated set, the weekend continued with the resilience, flexibility and camaraderie that have long defined Grey Fox.
Festival artist-in-residence AJ Lee became a familiar face throughout the weekend, making appearances across multiple stages and joining fellow musicians including The Pine Leaf Boys and Amy Helm for a series of memorable collaborations that embodied Grey Fox’s signature spirit of spontaneity and musical camaraderie.
Another standout addition came from viral musician and creator Guitaro 5000, who chose Grey Fox as the launch point for his first-ever Sing with Me Live: The World Tour.
Best known for transforming strangers into collaborators through spontaneous public singalongs, Guitaro immersed himself in bluegrass culture by learning banjo especially for Grey Fox, joining campground jam sessions and documenting his first experience inside one of the genre’s most beloved festivals.
His unscripted musical encounters with artists and festivalgoers introduced Grey Fox’s welcoming community to millions of followers around the world while capturing the collaborative spirit that makes the festival unlike any other.
Grey Fox also welcomed Paste Magazine, whose team spent the weekend filming exclusive live performance sessions with several festival artists. Music fans can look forward to those intimate performances being released in the months ahead, extending the magic of Grey Fox well beyond the festival grounds.
Beyond its celebrated concert lineup, Grey Fox continued its tradition of offering immersive programming for attendees of all ages, including instrument workshops, dance instruction, yoga and meditation, family activities, artisan vendors, educational presentations, campground picking sessions and countless informal collaborations that unfolded throughout the weekend.
The festival also continued its longstanding investment in the next generation of acoustic musicians through the Bill Vernon Memorial Scholarship, recognizing Eden Alderman, Bayla Davis, Marley Mason and Sophia Sparks for outstanding musical achievement.
Although this year’s recipients were unable to attend, several past scholarship recipients—now accomplished musicians and lifelong Grey Fox friends—returned to perform together for the first time, beautifully illustrating the enduring connections and musical community that Grey Fox nurtures across generations.
For more than four decades, Grey Fox has distinguished itself not only through its lineup, but through the community it creates each July.
From sunrise campground jams and impromptu collaborations to reunions between lifelong friends and newcomers discovering the festival for the very first time, Grey Fox remains a place where tradition is passed hand to hand and every attendee becomes part of the story.
As another unforgettable chapter comes to a close, anticipation has already turned toward next summer, when Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival returns to Walsh Farm July 14-18, 2027.
Additional information will be announced in the coming months. Tickets go on sale Monday, July 27, for next year’s gathering.
Facebook: Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival wrapped another memorable gathering at Walsh Farm with Ron Thomason’s farewell performances, standout collaborations and five days of music and community.
