Article Contributed by Mike
Published on November 22, 2025
March 13 & 14, 2026
The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum has announced a one-of-a-kind celebration for fans of acoustic music, Grateful Dead family history, and the deep roots that shaped one of America’s most beloved musicians. Jerry Garcia: A Bluegrass Journey – Farewell Weekend arrives in Owensboro, Kentucky on March 13 & 14, 2026, marking a two-night exploration into the songs, collaborators, and traditions that connected Jerry Garcia to bluegrass from his earliest days.
This immersive weekend isn’t just a pair of concerts—it’s an all-access gathering of Garcia’s bluegrass lineage, guided by some of the musicians who helped keep that legacy alive. Your weekend ticket includes every event on the schedule: two nights of live music, museum exhibit tours, film screenings, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops diving into Jerry’s influence and evolution as an acoustic musician. A full schedule will be announced soon.
Headlining the weekend are performances from the Sam Grisman Project on Friday, and Keller Williams’ beloved Grateful Grass on Saturday. Both artists have long carried Garcia’s melodic curiosity forward—Sam Grisman through the musical lineage of his father, David “Dawg” Grisman, and Keller Williams through his joyful, improvisational tributes to the Dead’s songbook.
The weekend also features two nights of Jerry & Dawg Revisited, a rare collaborative performance honoring the groundbreaking partnership between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. The ensemble includes a powerhouse lineup: Joe Craven, Jim Kerwin, Stu Allen, and Ronnie McCoury—musicians whose own careers trace directly back to the Dawg and Garcia acoustic universe.
Visitors familiar with the Museum’s mission will appreciate how this event merges performance and education. Through curated panels, conversations, and archival presentations, the weekend will spotlight the Old & In the Way era, Garcia’s formative banjo years, his long friendship with Grisman, and the improvisational spirit that fueled his work across genres. Fans and musicians alike will find something new to discover.
Owensboro has become a destination for bluegrass storytelling, and a celebration like this—honoring a musician who bridged psychedelic improvisation with mountain tradition—feels right at home. Whether you’re a lifelong Deadhead, a lover of acoustic music, or simply curious about how bluegrass shaped Garcia’s musical DNA, this is a weekend built for deep listening and community.
Tickets are on sale now. Admission includes full access to concerts, screenings, tours, workshops, and discussions.
March 13–14, 2026
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum — Owensboro, KY
