Down From the Hills Heritage Music Festival, 2016

New Albany, Mississippi– On Saturday, May 21st, the 15th annual Down From the Hills Heritage Music Festival was held at the Union County Fairgrounds, where the air was full of the sounds of musicians of all ages as well as the aromas of kettle corn and smoking meat. Bluegrass fans from around the New Albany area had a bright and breezy Mississippi day that was perfect for enjoying lots of their favorite music, performed by both the old-timers and the newcomers to the Bluegrass genre.

There were plenty of fiddles, guitars, and banjos in the festival’s competition, along with performances by National Banjo winner Weston Stewart and National Dobro winner Johnny Bellar. Bellar also served as a judge, along with musicians Ken Goodrich, Jake Landers and long-time local favorite, Kay Bain.

The Heritage Music Festival began here 15 years ago as a way of celebrating and preserving the musical culture of the Appalachians. In 2010, the festival was designated the Mississippi Bluegrass Championships by the MS Legislature. This event is supported by Visit Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi Arts Commission and the City of New Albany and the Union County Historical Society and its Community Partners.

NAnewsweb.com will publish the names of the winners of the various divisions of the competition once they are made available.