Growing Greenup: GreenboGrass

Growing Greenup

GreenboGrass

Anne Stephens

For The Ashland Beacon

The mission of the Greenup Extension Community Arts Program is to inspire creativity, create opportunities for arts education and participation, foster arts appreciation and consumerism, and encourage community development through arts programming.

One of the ways that we reach toward this mission is programming a bluegrass music festival at the amphitheater of our local state park. 2025 marks the 9^th event we call “GreenboGrass”! If you are a live bluegrass music lover, this event is for you! Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 9, starting at 3:00PM and lasting until 10:00PM. Admission is $20, and guests at the lodge or campground of the park qualify for half-price admission. Children 12 and under are free. Greenbo will have the amphitheater concession stand all afternoon and evening.

You may remember this event being free in the past – that is true. The first bluegrass music concert/festival event that happened at the Greenbo amphitheater was in 2014. They continued until 2020 when we all remember that nothing like a community music festival happened for a couple of years. We were able to pick back up in 2023 but the funding we once had was no longer available.

Because of partnerships and dedicated local people who want this event to continue, 2025 has some new blood and a new plan! I am very proud of the new GreenboGrass lead volunteer organizer, Tiffany Corbin. Tiffany is part of the Greenup Extension Arts Council. She is also part of the Pump House live music venue and the music festivals that she and her family host on their beautiful property in Greenup County.

As a part of the county Tourism board, I have watched these events grow and become an anchor in our community for live music. The Pump House and Greenup Arts share a mission of promoting live music. This partnership is a great example of Extension programming at the local level. This event continues to be nonprofit. The admission price at the park amphitheater will stay local and become the seed money for GreenboGrass 2026. We truly hope that people will understand the need to add an admission price and show up to support and enjoy!

Tiffany deserves all the credit for the outstanding 2025 lineup! Be sure to get there by 3:00 to hear Harley Kelley and Sledrail, followed by Max Mobley and friends, The Willis Twins, Charlie Woods and Deep Hollow, and the headliner: David Parmley. Check out this big news from David: DAVID PARMLEY TO BE INDUCTED INTO INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME July 16, 2025 NASHVILLE, TN

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announces that David Parmley will be inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a founding member of The Bluegrass Cardinals. The announcement was made today during the 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominee Announcement event at the SiriusXM Studios in Nashville, TN.

Formed in 1974 by David, his father Don Parmley, and Randy Graham, The Bluegrass Cardinals became known for their smooth vocal blend and tight musicianship and introduced a new level of polish and professionalism to the genre. David, who was only 16 when the band formed, quickly rose to prominence as one of the genre’s most recognizable voices. His lead vocals set a new standard for emotional delivery and stylistic control in bluegrass music.

The Bluegrass Cardinals recorded numerous landmark albums and left an indelible mark on generations of musicians. While this Hall of Fame recognition honors his foundational role in bluegrass history, David Parmley remains a vital and active figure in the bluegrass community today. His current ensemble, The David Parmley Band, has earned widespread acclaim for its dynamic performances, tight harmonies, and dedication to both tradition and innovation.

Their recent tour dates have garnered enthusiastic reviews, reaffirming Parmley’s enduring place at the heart of the genre. “I’m honored and humbled by this induction,” said Parmley. “To be recognized alongside my father and our work with The Bluegrass Cardinals is incredibly meaningful. I’m also grateful to still be out here, doing what I love, and playing this music for new audiences.” https://davidparmleymusic.com/  

The vision of Greenup Arts is a community that embraces the importance of all aspects of the arts in education, business, and quality of life. We see a community with vibrant music, dance, visual art, theatre, creative writing, architecture, and landscape. We will strive to be the entity that inspires and provides leadership to both the artist and the arts consumer.

For more information, contact Anne Stephens, Agent for Community Arts and Development in Greenup County. 606.836.0201 anne.stephens@uky.edu 35 Wurtland Avenue, Wurtland, KY 41144 Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. University of Kentucky, Kentucky State University U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Kentucky counties, cooperating.