DelFest 2025: Like Going Home

DelFest 2025: Like Going Home
By Frank Thompson

The road through the western Maryland mountains is always a welcome sight heading into Memorial Day weekend.

By Wednesday morning, I was loading up the final gear, ready for a weekend filled with music and friends—both old and soon-to-be new. That’s one of the best things about DelFest: you always leave with more friends than you came with.

The drive was smooth and uneventful, and despite some soggy weather, arrival at the Allegany County Fairgrounds went off without a hitch. Camp was set up quickly, and just like that—DelFest was on.

The music kicked off Thursday afternoon with the Del McCoury Band’s sound check, which always feels like a sneak peek of what’s to come. That evening, Sister Sadie, Dan Tyminski, and The Wood Brothers rounded out a strong first night on the Grandstand Stage.

By Friday morning, we were in full DelFest mode. All three stages were live, and once again, the schedule had me scratching my head trying to decide who to see and when. This delightful dilemma continued through Saturday and Sunday. If you wanted to, you could catch up to 16 hours of live performances each day—and with the late-night camp jams, it’s entirely possible to go 24 hours straight. That’s the magic of DelFest.

Enjoy “Ramblin’ Man” by The Travelin’ McCourys [LIVE from DelFest 2024] on YouTube:

A few personal highlights stood out for me. Larry Sparks brought back the soul of old-school bluegrass in a way that gave me chills. Darrell Scott reminded me just how many iconic songs he’s written—many covered by big names. I was also pleasantly surprised by some of the newer acts: Larkin Poe absolutely delivered, and Asleep at the Wheel, led by Ray Benson, had me foot-stomping all through their Texas swing set.

Of course, none of it would be the same without our hosts—the Del McCoury Band and the Traveling McCourys—who were, as always, on point and full of heart.