Exploring the 2026 Blissfest Lineup, Part XIII

Building a Legacy

In just four more Fridays, we will all be gathering again at the Blissfest Festival Farm to kick off the 44th Annual Folk & Roots Festival in beautiful Harbor Springs, Michigan, on 200+ acres of woods and fields that happen to have stages built in between the trillium, pine, and wheat.

46 years ago, the scene was a little different. Here's an excerpt from Chronicles of Bliss describing that day.

"The first Blissfest was a one-day affair under a large spreading maple tree along the wood line of one of Al Reese’s many potato fields in Bliss Township on July 5, 1981…Back then things were a lot simpler. We used pieces of yarn for wristbands. We built a small platform under the tree as a stage and ran the whole thing with a small 1,000-watt generator. We hand-screened and hand-colored rainbows on the t-shirts with Sharpies. We charged a whopping $5 for the day.

The bands were local performers, with our headliners—the Bosom Buddies, an all-gal string band from Lansing, Michigan. We also headlined Iowa Rose and Riff Raff, who were at the cutting edge of the new homegrown Americana music and from Brethren, Michigan. Other bands on the bill were Quackgrass, our Wheatland-based connection; Odds and Ends, with Jim Gillespie on mandolin; Clockwork; Country Wine; and Homegrown Grass. There were about 350 people at the first Blissfest on that July day out in the field, having fun listening to music and learning how to clog and square dance. The weather was blissful, with warm temps and blue skies. The air was thick with the aroma of fresh-cut hay, and we all experienced a good time together. No one could have ever imagined back then where Blissfest would be today, but that's all part of the BlissStory.”

Jim Gillespie, aka Dr. Goodhart, wrote that excerpt. By the way, if you’re intrigued by this Chronicles of Bliss idea, stay tuned. There are a lot more BlissStories where that came from.

Jim is the co-founder and Director Emeritus of “The Blissfest.” Over 46 years of Blissfest and 44 festivals, a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same. Jim has somehow never missed a Bliss, and he has also performed at almost every one as well, either on a stage or at a jam in the woods. Mandolin or tool in hand, Jim is always ready for Bliss. Now that is dedication and loyalty!

Blissfest is built on those who show up year after year with care, vision, and the spirit of “Bliss.” You know the vibe, and we keep it going by showing it to any newcomers. Visiting musicians included!

Take a look around the property and you’ll see the handiwork of Kirby. Kirby has been around the northwoods of Bliss so long, we end up losing track of where he came from in the first place. Since his first official appearance on the Blissfest lineup in 1984, Kirby has literally helped build Blissfest with his wood carvings, arches, and his special touch at places like the Song Tree. His forward-thinking leads to things like an overnight pergola over the Song Tree stage due to impending rain. Last year, during the “Trevor Hall Monsoon Nights Tour de Bliss,” this ingenuity allowed the artists (and their equipment) to stay dry and let the show go on. It now frames the Song Tree with the hand-built care that is the foundation of Blissfest. Kirby’s music has become the unofficial call for any wandering troubadour looking for a home base. Find Kirby hosting our Main Stage open mics Saturday and Sunday. If you ask nicely, he might join in your song with his harmonica, too. It’s worth a shot!

Looking back at the historical list of lineups, I see lots of names that have held it down! Find Crazy Richard wielding his swords and juggling in the woods. Find Ron Fowler with John Richey and Peacemeal String Band leading the Jan Fowler Memorial Family Dance on Sunday in honor of Ron’s late wife, Jan. These folks have been fixtures since the late ’80s, cultivating the traditional dance scene. These traditions are built on learning and passing down the fiddle tune, the dance, and the call. Blissfest supports scholarships and programming to help you learn it, too. Through our friends at Wheatland Music Organization, you can apply for a scholarship for traditional music or dance through the Elyce Fishman Scholarship and even the Jan Fowler Memorial Scholarship Fund. Find the Blissfest dancers monthly throughout Emmet County hosting the community dance where you will waltz, contra dance, and square dance.

A name you’ll also see on the lineup every year until he says “no more” is John D. Lamb. JD first appeared on the lineup in 1993 and would become the figurehead of the Lamb’s Retreat for Songwriters in 1995. The project was co-founded by JD, Kirby, and Jim, with underwriting by Blissfest. As we learned in my last letter, Lamb’s Retreat still goes on today and is thriving with community and great songs, and you can earn a scholarship for it as well. Maybe you’ll see John at Bliss and ask about it! Find him at the Song Tree or hosting our songwriters-in-the-round on Saturdays and Sundays on Third Stage.

Blissfest wouldn’t be a true folk festival without the next generation. Now an adult, Holly Keller-Thompson found her voice at Blissfest and wants to be sure your kids, or the youth in your life, have the same opportunity. She works for Blissfest year-round, performs regularly in the area, is raising her own Bliss Kids, and is passionate about our outreach and scholarship opportunities, along with their potential. Holly shares her story in her own words:
"Growing up just down the street from the festival grounds, Blissfest shaped my life in countless ways. I was gifted a mandolin and a scholarship because of Blissfest, which sparked my passion for music and opened my horizons. Over the years, the festival not only deepened my love for the arts but also allowed me to have a career in both music as well as bookkeeping and finance. I’m proud to serve the organization that gave me so much and to honor the legacy of those who came before. My hope is that future generations will recognize and cherish the true ‘Bliss’ that this community creates.”

Find Holly performing with her band The Vermeers and also at The Song Tree where she will perform all Buddy Holly songs with “her buddies.” Blissfest traditions don't survive because they are written down somewhere. They survive because people keep showing up to learn them, live them, and pass them on.

That's why you'll find groups like The Tweed Tones on the grounds this year. While many of the names above have been part of Blissfest for decades, The Tweed Tones represent something equally important: young musicians learning from those who came before them is exactly how these traditions continue into another generation.

It's the same story that has played out at Blissfest for over four decades. Someone learns song, a tune, a craft, or a way of being in community and then shares it with another.

That's a core part of the BlissStory.

I'm not crying, you're crying.

Will you help keep the tradition going?